Through the Woods: A Short Story Anthology, Vol. 1 (Whimsical Worlds, Chilling Thrills, and Magical Tales)

D. M. MILLION

D. M. Million is inspired by the authors she read growing up. As someone who marched to the beat of her own drum as an adolescent, she was often at home reading books about powerful females and unlikely heroes; they would influence her own work years later. Million is a lover of animals, Mother Nature, and cozy spaces. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, weight lifting, and meditating. Some of her guilty pleasures are watching reruns of the Gilmore Girls, eating copious amounts of ice cream, and visiting the animal shelter. A few of her favorite musical artists include Devin Townsend, Linkin Park, the Spice Girls, and when she is feeling sassy––Ariana Grande. Her favorite pastime is of course—writing. Million is co-founder of Impossible Things Publishing (ITP), this collaborative anthology project, and a freelance copy editor.

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THE UNICORN TRAINER

By D. M. Million

Ashlin gently tugged the reins to the left, and Gnox somersaulted through the air. It was like a pas de deux choreographed to perfection. Ashlin’s chestnut-colored hair whipped behind her. Her tall, svelte figure sat on the saddle with an unwavering posture. The sun was shining so brightly, the spectators below had to shield their eyes to watch. Gnox's feathered, black wings glided across the sun, casting shade over the onlookers.

It was a warm day. Perfect for flying, Ashlin thought. She was in all her glory, soaring through the air on the back of a unicorn—her unicorn.

Gnox came into Ashlin’s life five years earlier, when he was just a foal. He followed her home after a day of swimming at Moss Lake. It had been a long week at the pub, where she worked as a barmaid. She had to break up two fights, someone stole her tips, and a green troll hit on her. These were not things a twenty-year-old should have had to deal with. But her mom was sick and her dad traveled for work; it was up to her to put food on the table.

While completing a back stroke, she noticed a small, black creature by the water's edge, watching her. It let out a barely audible neigh. She smiled and laughed at the baby unicorn; she’d never seen one in the wild. When she had just about reached the shoreline, the tiny foal jumped into the water and swam to her. Oh, my gosh! Where did you come from? Where is your momma? she asked rhetorically. She exited the lake, looked for his mother to no avail, then decided she would take care of him. From that moment, they were inseparable.

They landed gracefully on the ground in front of the crowd. Everyone ooow-ed and ahhh-ed. No one on Zarth had ever flown a unicorn before. Until now, they were thought to be too wild and untrainable; unlike their cousins, horses, who were easily trained. Ashlin hopped down from her custom saddle. She invented it herself. Conventional horse saddles impeded Gnox’s wings. She was the portrait of a professional in her white trousers, brown riding boots, and black vest, adorned with gold buttons. She had spent her very last dollar on the outfit. The spectators were potential investors, and she wanted to make a good impression. Flying unicorns was more practical and economically efficient for travel than flying in a hobi or veelee, cylindrical vessels that flew great distances and used plants for energy. Hobies were something only the elite could afford to take across the world, and could fit hundreds of people. Veelees were personal aircrafts that could only hold a few. Unicorns were much better for the environment, since they didn’t require acres of vegetation to fly.

Well done, said Verso, a famous entrepreneur who owned many aero-travel and technology companies. He was very powerful, as most of the world knew him to be. It shocked Ashlin to hear of his interest in her unicorn training when she received a call from his secretary. He brought some of his investor friends with him to watch her ride Gnox. Cameras flashed as he shook Ashlin’s hand. People clapped her on the back, repeating Verso’s praises. Investors were practically throwing money at her. Checks and pens were being passed around and by the time they’d finished, Ashlin had more than enough money to get her unicorn training business started.

That night, Ashlin and Gnox lay in the pasture and she brushed his raven-colored mane. Thank you, Gnox. You did well today. Tomorrow we go out and look for more unicorns to train. You have to help me gain their trust, old boy. She kissed the top of his head. Goodnight. I’ll see you in the morning.

Ashlin walked up to her empty cottage. With her mom now gone and her father always away on business, she had the house to herself. It was a little lonely, but she didn’t mind; she was used to it. That night she dreamt about training unicorns from all over Zarth. There were unicorns of all colors of the rainbow: orange, violet, blue, and pink. They flew with ease, not caring about the saddle or the human on their back. They glided through the sky, turning at Ashlin’s every command.

The next morning, Ashlin made a bowl of oats to bring Gnox as a treat, adding brown sugar to sweeten it. She walked out into the sunshine with bare feet on the soft, dewy grass. The farm wasn’t enormous, so when she didn’t see Gnox, she called his name. When he didn’t come, she went into the woods behind the farm; sometimes he foraged for mushrooms to snack on. She searched and searched, but he didn’t turn up. Her worry increased by the minute. She walked into the village, down the dirt road that led to the town square. People stopped her and shook her hand, saying, You’re the unicorn trainer. How did you do it? She didn’t answer, but replied, Have you seen Gnox, my unicorn? He’s black with a gold horn. They shook their heads, and she moved on.

After a few hours, she had asked just about everyone in town and headed home.

Maybe he’s waiting for me there, she thought. It was close to midday when she arrived back at the farm. A tall man dressed in shiny black shoes and a grey and white pinstriped suit was waiting at the door of the cottage. Ashlin recognized him as one of the investors from the previous day. He had unforgettable blue eyes that now looked at her with worry. His long, black hair fell pleasantly around his ears, framing the strong bone structure of his face, complementing his deep skin tone. He spoke with urgency.

Ms. Redthorn? he asked.

Yes. I remember you from yesterday, Mister . . .

Hill, Jes Hill. He stuck out his hand, which Ashlin didn’t take.

Right. Well, what can I do for you, Mr. Hill? Ashlin asked, rather annoyed that he was distracting her from finding Gnox.

I have some news about your unicorn. May I come in?

Ashlin could feel herself flush; her body began to sweat, and a knot formed in her stomach. Yes, of course. Come on in. They sat in the small kitchen at her creaky, old wooden table, which tipped to the right under any weight or pressure.Can I get you anything, Mr. Hill?

No, thank you. And please call me Jes, he answered. Ashlin sat down nervously, afraid of what he might say. You know our mutual friend, Mr. Verso? he continued.

Yeah, what about him? She drummed her fingers on the table and jogged her legs.

He knows where Gnox is. I believe he took him, he said ominously.

But why? He was my biggest investor. She ceased her drumming and jogging.

Well, he is also a big investor in Hobi Air. He is either attempting to stop you from commercializing unicorn transportation, or he is going to do it himself.

I've got to stop him! I’ve gotta get Gnox back! Ashlin jumped up from her chair. Where can I find him?

You can’t do it alone!

Watch me. She walked towards the front door. Unless you want to help.

He thought for a moment. He knew what going up against Verso would entail, but he also wanted to help her. Animal rights were important to him; that was the reason he came to tell her what he found out in the first place. Gnox was a beautiful unicorn, and he couldn’t bear the thought of Verso hurting him in some way. He slowly got up from his chair, walked to the door, and stood close to Ashlin.

I will help you, but you must know it won’t be easy getting Gnox back. Verso is ruthless when he wants to be, and if Gnox is alive, he’ll be locked up pretty tight. He opened the door, and they both stepped outside. Ashlin’s leather boots thumped as they walked down the dirt road. Jes kept looking down at his shiny black shoes, afraid the mud and dirt would ruin them. Ashlin looked sideways at Jes. He was conventionally handsome, but seemed uptight. She barely knew anything about him, except that he knew where to find Verso. How? She didn’t know or care. All she wanted was to find Gnox and bring him home.

Where are we going, Jes? Ashlin asked, realizing she was just following him blindly.

Verso Industries in Gromm, he replied flatly.

Gromm! You know how far of a walk that is?

Well, do you have a veelee we can take? Or maybe we can find a unicorn on the way and you can train it, he said sarcastically.

You don’t believe in my work?

Of course, I do. It’ll be much better for the environment than hobies and veelees. I just don’t know how I feel about using unicorns as transportation. I’m somewhat of an animal rights activist, and I can think of a million ways humans will abuse the unicorns. His sharp, passionate tone gave Ashlin goosebumps.

Listen, I get it. There will always be jerks who hurt animals. Dogs, cats, horses, magical troulaughs . . . there is no way to stop idiots from hurting or owning them.

That doesn’t make it okay to put another species of animal in danger.

They’re already in danger! Poachers kill them for their horns’ healing properties . . . this will help mitigate some of that by taking a portion of the population out of the wild.

Or poachers will buy them just to kill them for their horns and turn a profit.

That makes absolutely no sense! They wouldn’t make a third back from what they would pay for a trained unicorn. Your logic is dumb.

Don’t call me dumb! I have a law degree from Lulerain State University. Jes pulled the edges of his suit jacket and