Page 23 of Wild Horses

Christy lay in bed, the sheets twisted around her legs – a tangled testament to her restless night.

Moonlight spilled through the gauzy curtains, casting a ghostly glow over the room, which was thick with the scent of pine carried in by the night breeze.

Her mind, however, was not calmed by the nocturnal serenity but was instead caught in a tempest of emotions stirred up by the evening’s events.

The show was a triumph of dining, drama and dance that had left the audience spellbound. Yet, it wasn’t the applause still ringing in her ears or the looks of pride on the faces of her students that kept Christy’s eyes wide open – it was the memory of Tyler’s lips pressed against hers.

Her heart thrummed a rapid rhythm, replaying the moment in vivid detail. She could still feel the warmth of his breath, the roughness of his chin, and the gentle yet insistent way he’d pulled her close. She drew in a shaky breath, the sensation of his touch lingering like an echo on her skin.

A jarring knock at the door startled her, snapping her from her reverie. Clare’s voice, laced with urgency, cut through the silence. ‘Christy, wake up.’

Christy sat up, her pulse quickening. Whatever was wrong?

The door swung open, and Clare stood there, face pale in the moonlight, her hair dishevelled as if she too had been robbed of sleep.

‘It’s Leo ... and Lofty.’ Clare took a shuddering breath. ‘They’re gone.’

Christy switched on the lamp. ‘Gone?’ Her voice cracked; the word lodged like a stone in her throat.

‘Tom’s already out looking. I’ve tried calling Tyler, but—’ Clare faltered, hands wringing together, her normal calmness nowhere to be seen. ‘He didn’t answer.’

Christy was out of bed in an instant, the wooden floor cold beneath her bare feet. Thoughts of the show, of Tyler and of that kiss were swept away by a tide of protective concern. She knew all too well the vulnerability that lay beneath Leo’s newfound confidence.

Christy dragged jeans on over her nightie, and pulled on socks, boots and a coat. She grabbed a torch from her top drawer. ‘Don’t worry, Clare, we’ll find him.’ She glanced at the wall clock – almost two o’clock in the morning. ‘Ring Tyler again. If you can’t raise him I’ll drive over there.’

Clare tried him again as Christy hovered anxiously nearby. ‘Tyler, thank God you picked up. It’s Leo – he’s not in his room, and Lofty’s missing too. We need you here.’

Christy could feel tension radiating from the phone, the gravity of the news settling like a dark cloak.

Through the window the moon still hung, oblivious to their panic.

The same moon that just a few hours before had gilded her and Tyler in its friendly light.

Now it offered no answers, no solace – only the cold reminder that somewhere out there, Leo was alone.

‘Let’s wake the other kids,’ said Clare. ‘One of them might know something. You take the girls and I’ll take the boys.’

They reached the dormitories and began knocking on doors. Drowsy teens roused slowly.

Christy called to them all. ‘Everyone, wake up. We need your help. Leo’s missing, and we need to know if any of you saw him leave or know where he might have gone.’

The girls blinked groggily at Christy. Stacey sat up with tangled hair, rubbing her eyes. ‘I saw Leo when he came back after the show. He looked upset about something but wouldn’t say what.’

‘Can you all please get up?’ said Christy. ‘We need to talk to you.’

Soon the kids were assembled in the recreation room in their pyjamas.

‘Did Leo say anything to any of you about leaving?’ asked Clare.

Christy scanned the room for any hint of information. The teens all looked blank.

‘Did you notice anything off in Leo’s manner?’ asked Clare.

Several kids nodded at this. ‘He was really quiet,’ said Ned, ‘which was strange because the rest of us were on a high.’

‘He mentioned something to me about needing space,’ said Stacey. ‘But he didn’t say he was leaving or anything.’

‘And none of you know what was bothering him?’

Clare’s question was met with shaking heads and a collective silence. A few of the teens offered to get dressed and help with the search.

Footsteps on the porch announced Tyler’s arrival before his silhouette appeared in the doorway, his frame rigid with barely contained apprehension. His eyes bore the sharp edge of fear. ‘Where do we start?’

‘Everyone who wants to help look for Leo can come up to the main house and I’ll hand out torches,’ said Clare. ‘I’ll see if I can get Astrid to come and babysit my kids. Stacey, until then could you stay at the house in case Jack or Jess wakes up?’

Stacey nodded and Clare gave her a brief hug.

‘Thanks, Stace. Tom’s already scouring the house paddocks with Samson. The rest of us should check the stables, sheds and training yards. If Lofty got spooked, he might’ve headed there.’

‘Let’s go, then.’ Tyler’s voice was terse, but his fingers briefly found Christy’s – a fleeting gesture of solidarity.

The cold night air made Christy shiver and her arms goosebump.

It was either that or fear. Clouds were rolling in, obscuring moon and stars.

The sky stretched wide and lonely above them.

Her breath came in ragged spurts as she swept her torch across the darkened yards, the light cutting through shadows and silhouettes.

Tyler moved alongside her, his own light darting back and forth in urgent sweeps.

Christy’s mind churned with worry and the weight of unspoken guilt.

Had Leo seen her stolen kiss with Tyler?

The thought clawed at her, mingling with the anxiety that gnawed at her insides.

Clare had warned her about the bond forming between her and the boy, about the threads of attachment weaving around them.

More than that – a crush, she’d said. Christy had dismissed Clare’s concerns, too caught up in the delight of having reached Leo, and the pledge she’d made to his father.

‘I’ll always be there for Leo,’ she’d promised.

She felt a wave of nausea. Had that promise backfired?

‘Anything?’ Tyler’s voice cut through her reverie, sharp with barely suppressed panic.

‘Nothing yet.’ She redirected her focus outwards, her beam probing the darkness.

They pressed on, their torchlight flickering over the weathered wood of outbuildings, casting long, eerie shadows.

Each empty space they searched, each corner devoid of the boy and his horse, ratcheted the tension higher and tightened the coil of dread in Christy’s stomach.

Occasionally their beams crossed paths, creating brief islands of light in the sea of darkness.

‘Leo!’ Tyler’s call was hoarse, a father’s plea carried away by the wind. Christy echoed the shout, her voice filled with despair.

‘Bring him home, Lofty,’ she murmured beneath her breath, as if the horse could hear her prayer. Sweat beaded on her brow despite the night’s chill. Each step felt heavier than the last.

‘Over here,’ she called, spotting a disturbed patch of earth near the old hay shed. It was a sign, however slight, and enough to fuel their waning hope. But it turned out to be nothing but the scratching of foxes.

After hours of searching, they approached the edge of the yards, where the fence line disappeared into trees. Christy felt her heart sink. The blackness seemed impenetrable there, a wall that not even their combined efforts could breach.

Tom appeared from the gloom with Samson. ‘Looks like we’re at the limit of what we can do tonight,’ he muttered, voice thick with frustration.

‘We can’t give up.’ The tremor in Tyler’s voice betrayed all of a father’s love and fear.

‘Tom’s right,’ said Clare, returning from checking the stables. She’d clearly accepted the futility of continuing in such conditions. ‘We need to see where we’re going. We can’t help Leo if we get lost ourselves.’

The grim truth of Clare’s words settled over them.

The group of searching teens emerged from the darkness. ‘No sign,’ said Ned.

‘We’re heading back,’ said Clare. ‘At first light we’ll regroup.’

‘First light,’ Christy echoed wearily, already anticipating daybreak. The excitement of the show and the thrill of Tyler’s kiss seemed a world away.

‘First light,’ agreed Tom. He looked at his watch. ‘Which will be in a bit under three hours. Tyler, you can grab a quick kip in our lounge room. You’ll be no good to Leo without sleep.’

Tyler shook his head. ‘I’m not coming in just yet. There are a few more places I want to check.’