Jesse stroked the dark, soft face and ruffled the even darker mane. It's unblinking eyes stared back at her, not moving, nor making a sound. The animal never moved. It never ate. It never breathed. It's four horse legs never ran, and it's worn coat never got brushed. But to the young girl, none of that mattered, this was her friend, and always would be. Jesse hugged her toy in close and closed her eyes, entering the dreamland.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Jesse stroked the dark, soft face and ruffled the even darker mane. Benji whinnied softly and nuzzled her face in return, velvety nose picking up a usual scent. 

"It's ok boy," Jesse whispered, placing a coat over her friend. As she straightened it out and did the clips up, the horse noticed something in the distance. He stood shock still, but Jesse didn't notice. It was getting dark, fast and she wanted to get inside before her dinner got cold. Running her hand briskly over his back, she said goodbye and left through the paddock door.

Benji whinnied softly, but Jesse was gone. He nervously walked around, eyes darting. When they landed on three pairs of reflections, eyes, he panicked. The dogs darted out, nipping viciously at his legs. Benji reared up, then jumped the fence, galloping off on the orange, dusty road.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Jesse had always wanted a horse. Ever since her grandma gave her a soft toy of one when she was only two. She had called the horse 'Benji' and it never left her sight. At 8 years old, Jesse's parents got new jobs, working out in the country. So she had to leave her school, her friends, her life, and move with them. But she was not upset about all this, no, but excited. You see, she had asked time and time again for a horse, but an excuse her parent always brought up was "there's not enough room." Jesse had figured that since they moved to a farm with a huge paddock, she might as well keep asking.

Then, on her 9th birthday, it happened. Jesse got her very own horse. And boy, was he beautiful. Only a foal, his orange coat was so smooth, his black tail, mane and legs so elegant. Just like her small toy. Jesse cared for him every day, and she called him Benji, after the toy.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sunlight showered Jesse's face, filtering through her window. She rubbed her eyes, getting slowly out of her bed. Almost in a daze, she walked to her cupboard, preparing the clothes she would wear. Opening the window wide, she greeted the seven sheep, in a pen outside her room. They replied with nothing more than a 'baa' and then resumed munching the grass around the fence posts. When she was dressed, Jesse went outside, to collect eggs from the chickens, and feed the dogs, Seltie and Lassie. When she brought the eggs inside, her mother greeted her with a smile.

"Eggs today," she said warmly. She was in her white dressing gown, and fluffy pink slippers. Getting the frying pan out, Jesse let the warm morning sunlight ripple over her skin. She looked out the window. Something was wrong. The paddock. Seltie and Lassie had finished their breakfast and were barking madly at the paddock. The horses looked frantic. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the bent wire. All thoughts off eggs aside, she burst out the back door. The horses raced over to her instantly, all but one.

"Benji!" She yelled. Her mum ran out the door behind her, to find her daughter sobbing.

"What's happened?" She asked.

"Benji! He's gone!" Jesse wept.

"He can't have gone far," she tried to reassure the girl. "He's probably just in Mr. Radet's paddock again. We'll find him, don't worry." But Jesse didn't look so convinced. "Ok, look," her mum continued, "I'll go get changed and you saddle up Dusty and DB ok?"

Jesse wiped her eyes. "Alright," she said in a soft voice.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Jesse's family owned five horses, two were show horses, one was a working horse and two were just pets (one being just a foal.) Jesse grabbed Dusty and Delta Blue, the two show horses, and took them to the stable. There, she put their saddles on and collected the things she would need to take. Her mum came in just as she was putting on her helmet.

"Ok, you ride Dusty. Pass me a helmet would ya'?"

Jesse climbed on Dusty and her mum led both the horses out the back of the stable. Then, her mum got on the other horse and they began to trot along.

"Where will we go?" Jesse asked.

"First, to Mr. Radet's, we'll ask there. Then we can go around looking I guess." Her mum replied.

"I hope we find him," Jesse whispered to Dusty.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Seven hours later, they still hadn't found the missing horse. They cantered back to the paddock, where Jesse took the saddles off the two horses. She as in tears.

"He' gone," she sniffed, "he's lost forever."

"I don't know what else we can do hon," her mum said, "maybe if someone finds him, they'll phone. The number is on his coat right?"

"Yep."

"Well, all we can do is wait, I'll make you some hot chocolate, and some warm dinner."

Jesse's tummy rumbled at the sound of food, and she realized that she hadn't eaten all day. She put the saddles back in the stable and followed her mum back to the house.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Jesse never left her position. She had been sitting by the phone for 2 hours, hugging her toy close. It was 8:00 and nobody had called. Her parents suggested she went to bed, but Jesse would not give up on her horse, her best friend. Then, finally, at 12:30, someone called. It was an animal rescue center, in the next town. They told Jesse that a horse had been chased there by a pack of dogs the previous night. They had taken the horse in and soothed it's minor bites, and shooed the dogs away. They saw the phone number on his coat, and decided to call.

Jesse was thrilled. The animal rescue center told her that she could pick him up the following day, and that he seemed to miss her very much, but she didn't hear that, she had fallen asleep, just knowing Benji was safe.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Jesse stroked the dark, soft face and ruffled the even darker mane. They were back together again, and Jesse had never felt so at home. Her mum was thanking the people at the rescue center, Jesse was only interested in her friend. She led him into the horse trailer and gently closed the door, but not before kissing him softly on the nose. Then, she thanked the rescue people too, and got into the car. The car drove off home, Jesse beaming all the way.

~*~*~*~*~*~

She placed the saddle gently on his warm back, swung herself onto it and nudged his side gently with her heals. Jesse stroked Benji, and they galloped through the paddock. Oh, how they ran. They went up and down, up and down, round and round. and they did not tire, even when the sun went behind then hills, to rest for another day, they galloped. And rode into the new day.