Unicorns Exist!

I'm looking up at my mom, who's telling the tale of when our kind roamed around with the Humans. She tells about how we used to help the Humans with tasks and they would give us shelter from the rain and the cold winters. It's a story of marvels, until she gets to the part where they start hunting us for our magic, which they cannot take from us to use for themselves. She goes on to tell of the times she heard fellow Unicorns in the distance scream in pain as the Humans took their horns and cut their manes, trying to take our magic; but, they don't understanding our magic and how it works. No one ever came back. She says that we no longer show ourselves to the Humans so that our kind is protected.

Even though I know of the stories, I want to go see for myself. A species cannot be that bad; I refuse to believe it. Even if they were, they could have changed. I decide I want to explore the Human world. My mom isn't too thrilled about it, but she knows that she cannot stop me from going.

"Just be careful, Monoceros. I couldn't stand it if something were to happen to you, my son." My mom looks at me carefully. People tell me I look much like her: A black coat, with a golden horn. Other than our face shapes and our sizes, our mane is the only difference we have, hers is a dark cherry pink while mine is a neon pink that glows in the dark, I acquired the glowing from my father, who's now dead. A glowing mane is rare, even amongst Unicorns. They say, because of it, I have the power to do great things.

As I journey into the unknown of the Human world, I find myself thinking about how to approach them. Should I go up and introduce myself or should I let them approach me? Do I go to their place of living? Do I wait for an event before making my first appearance?

All of these unknowns start to have an effect on me. I hear my heart racing in my ears. I wonder why?

I stop to rest near a river, and I notice the forest looking so appealing from across. Maybe I should turn around and go home. I was happy there. And it's a lot less scary than going someplace where they might hate me. No. I should stick to my decision to explore. But what if it's the wrong choice? What if I show myself and they follow me home to kill everyone? No. They're not bad people, we just don't understand them. But, what if they are? Am I just making a big mistake? No. My mother would've made a bigger effort to stop me if I was, unless I didn't give her the chance to do so. No. I am going. That's final. I'm following the river to the Humans.

I finally get to a small village at the end of the river where it's turned into a small lake. I hide behind some bushes to observe some Humans having a meal and another approaching them every so often, bending over them and talking. They're strange looking. I've only ever seen drawings of their kind from those who had already had contact with them before. And the drawings made them look different, but seeing them up close is weird. They have long limbs, much like us but they stand on only two legs. They don't seem to have tails and they wear fabric over their entire bodies. Their faces are also squished, they don't have pointy ears either, and some of them even have bumps on what I believe are their chests.

I question my decision again. What if I'm wrong? What if I've doomed my kind? We've managed to stay safe, but what if I've just made our existence unsafe again?

I look around and notice some flat pieces of material, what looks like a sign, up on top of some tall branchless tree trunks. I read it: Don't know what's wrong with your four legged friend? We can help! Therapy, spa, and more. Dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and more! Come see us today at 37 Cherry Lane! Come one, come all!

Horses! Unicorns are similar to horses. This person can help me figure this out. I bet they can help me. Now all I have to do is find this cherry lane thing. And I can find this helper.

I follow four legged creatures until I find the cherry lane. It's not an actual cherry lane but a path with a sign that says cherry lane; there's a blocked off, square wooden cave with a sign telling its guests to go around to the back of the 'building'. I guess the wooden cave is called a 'building'. I go around to the back and find more 'buildings', but these ones don't have a wall blocking their entrances. They're real square wooden caves.

No one notices me so I go into the real square wooden cave and a horse greets me: "Hey, it's been a while since we've seen your kind roaming around here. Why are you here?"

"Oh, well I'm looking to get answers. And the sign told me that this was the place for four legged beings." I say to him as two more Horses appear beside him from separated sections of the cave. The other male horse huffs and the female speaks.

"How do you think George will react when he sees that a creature whose existence was made to be a myth is actually real?"

"Who's George? And do people actually believe we're a myth?"

"George is our caretaker, while we're on leave from our owners. He's an animal whisperer as the Humans call him. And yes your kind is a myth to the humans; after chasing away the last remaining Unicorns, the government decided to tell the Humans that there was a particle that causes hallucinations that got into the atmosphere and it spread through the air, causing them to believe that some horses had horns and were made of magic, and that they tried to take that magic for themselves by killing hundreds if not thousands of horses in the process. That's why there are people like George now, to help us with the trauma that happened to our kind. We never talk about the details when we're asked about it but we do say that it was a horrible tragedy and that it caused a great deal of misery." The first horse answers. I ask if it was really that bad and they nod in unison.

"Oh. Alright, I should leave then." As I turn to go I bump into one of the Humans who falls backwards. When he looks up his eyes go wide. The three horses reassure George that he's okay and that I'm no threat. I don't move. I'm as dumbfounded as the Human, George as they call him. We stare at each other. George finally finds the nerve to ask me why I've come here.

"I saw your sign stating that you can help four legged creatures. I want your help." He then asks me why I've decided to show myself and how far I've travelled to get here.

I proceed to tell him the stories my mother told about how we used to help the Humans and they would help us back by giving us shelter when it rain and during the cold winters. I tell him that his kind started hunting us for our magic, which they cannot take from us. I tell him about the horrors my mother went through hearing fellow Unicorns scream in pain as the Humans took their horns and cut their manes, wanting our magic. I explain to him that his kind never understood how our magic works and how no Unicorn ever came back from that torture. I explain to him why his kind no longer sees Unicorns anywhere so that our kind is protected from the Humans. I explain to him that our magic is part of us and as our thoughts are, it's a piece of our existence but we don't know how it came about, and it cannot be taken, nor given.

He stays quiet through all of this, so I continue on telling him why I wanted to come back into the Human world. To show myself even though I did not know how the Humans would react to my presence. I tell him I want to know if his kind is truly as bad as the stories say they are, and I tell him that I don't know how to do that so that's why I need his help.

He asks me again how far I've travelled to get here. I tell him that for the safety of my kind I will not tell him. He nods telling me he understands my restraint and he won't push the matter any further. He tells me that he assumes I won't be able to pay for his services since I'm a Unicorn, have no owner and I technically don't exist in the 'real' world. I remind him that even though Humans can't take it from us, I am still a creature that holds magic. He tells me that he doesn't mind not being paid in money because just knowing the fact that Unicorns actually exist is good enough for him, but if he gets new clients because of me, it would make him happier.

He tells me that he can bring people to me so that I can meet them in a safe environment. He suggests that I lie if people ask if I'm actually a magical being, and say it's not true. If people believe I'm just a type of horse with a horn and a glowing main, then there is less chance of them doing to me what they did to my kind in the past. I agree to these terms, but stay wary about my being able to communicate with them, without needing an interpreter such as George, because of my magic.

He starts by only telling a selected few of his most trusted clients. Some are horrified that there might be another particle leak causing these hallucinations again. Others ask questions about my nature, and my magic. I lie. It feels like a ruse but I know it's necessary to my survival. Those who believe spread the word and those who don't try to protest those who do.

The protesters yell out against the believers, saying things along the lines of "It's a ruse, George has finally lost his mind and is tricking you fools into thinking Unicorns exist when all he's doing is dying a black horse's mane and adding a horn on its head." the believers ignore this but George is starting to worry. And so do I.

I worry that the government will come take me away to do experiments, and to see how I am what I am. I worry that the government will find me and then find my home where all other Unicorns are. They never come but I still worry.

Those protesters are doing damage to George's name and business. Those who don't believe start a new business that is like George's but they don't provide services to the believers. They've created a divide within the Human population of this town, I've created the divide, and they don't seem to want to accept it.

The believers have started coming to me in groups, still in awe at my existence. They ask me the same questions and I give them the same answers. Over and over, the same Humans come see me.

They ask me if I have magic powers. I say no.

They ask me where I came from. I say I can't tell them.

They ask me why I can't tell them where I came from. I tell them it's for my fellow Unicorns' safety.

They ask me how my mane glows. I tell them it's just how I was born.

They ask me about other Unicorns, if their manes glow and if they all look like me. I tell them we all have our unique traits. And that none of us are exactly alike.

They ask about my parents. I tell them my mother is the best Unicorn I know and that I never knew my father.

Then I ask them some questions.

Why would they need magic? How could people believe that killing is the way to acquire a Unicorn's magic? If I told them where I came from, what would they do with the information?

Every time I ask these questions, everyone's answer is the same: "I don't know."

I can tell they feel bad for what the Humans have done to my kind, but I still ask those questions. Because I believe that someday someone will know the answers and they'll tell me. That's when I'll be truly happy here. But for now, I miss home. I miss my mother, my friends. I miss being in the woods. I miss being free.

I ask George if I can leave the stables he's been keeping me in. He tells me that I can leave when the people stop coming to see me. He tells me that that's my payment for his work: the clients who pay to come see me. He reminds me every time I ask to leave, to roam free.

I'm tired of being stuck in confinement. I'm tired of not being allowed to do what I came to this town for. I don't like being used. Yes, George helped me talk to the Humans and he helped me integrate here but he's also been keeping me here even when I asked to leave, even when I asked if I could go out into the woods for a walk.

He decides to let all of us 'horses' out into the woods for a walk; Me, Henry, Vince, and Poppy stick together as he watches us from afar. He's holding what Henry tells me is a rifle. They all tell me it has the power to kill me if he fires, it could kill any one of us. Henry then tells us all that we should all make a run for it, at the same time, at the same speed. That way he'll think we're playing and we can all escape together.

He knows I've been yearning to go back home and tells me this might be my only chance. He asks if they can come with me and I say yes. They know they don't belong here; their owners never came back for them. So I'm their best option to get away from George.

Henry tells us to start running at the count of three.

One. Vince looks back to George to see how much attention he's giving us.

Two. Poppy asks if we're sure about this plan. Henry and Vince both say yes.

Three. We're off.

I look back and George has gotten up and is pointing the rifle at us. I tell the horses to run faster and we all speed up. There's a loud firing sound and Henry shoulders me so I move. He falls to the ground yelling at us not to stop running.

We listen to Henry. We don't stop. When we get far enough, we decide to cross the river. It's not too big but it will definitely slow George down and stump him if he's still following us.

As we're nearing my home I hear my mother telling us to stop. All three of us stop. My mother emerges from behind a bush. She asks me why there are two horses with me. I tell her they helped me escape from a Human who wanted to use me for being a Unicorn. She asks if I'm okay, I tell her yes, and that another horse, Henry, saved me. She says that horses aren't allowed to come into our safe haven. I ask her why. She tells me that they did nothing to help when the Humans were attacking Unicorns.

I tell her that her excuse is ridiculous and that they helped me get away. She looks at them, then me.

"No Horses." I look down wishing they were Unicorns too. When I look up, my mother is looking at them in disbelief. When I turn to look at them, they are looking at each other with the same disbelief on their faces. They have horns. They didn't have horns before, did they? No. They try to push them off but the horns seem to be part of them now.

My mother looks at me again. She asks me what I did. I tell her I don't know. I just thought that if they were Unicorns too, it would be easier, and we could help them. She looks back at them.

"Well, since you have permanent horns now, it seems you have become Unicorns. Since you're one of us now, you may come in and we will protect and treat you as our own." She opens the gateway while saying this and we walk into our home; our safe haven.