Nightmare

As darkness dropped like a curtain, the portal grew. I stamped an impatient hoof, creating a spark against the rocky ground.

A shoulder shoved against my flank and I flattened my ears in warning. Nettlie was a pushy mare on a good night but this evening she was truly living up to her prickly name.

The herd stallion whinnied and I surged forward at the noise. My hoofprints left a flame of fire as I flew through the portal a full nose-length ahead of Nettlie.

My first drop-off was delivered without a hitch. A lovely dream full of spiders for a girl with arachnophobia. Her screams gave me wings as I galloped to my next rendezvous.

I snorted when I found the boy awake. The dreamy look on his face as he stared out the window, head in hand, made my tail twitch.

Backing away in disgust, I mentally marked the house as a loss and trotted to the middle of the street. Nettlie would have a hayday with this defeat.

I reared in fear as an apparition stepped out of the fog. A white steed cantered toward the center of the road before pausing to eye me.

I had heard of the creatures that haunted the day with their dreams of light and joy but had never met one. My mane whipped across my neck as I shook my head in disbelief.

The daystallion whinnied and my ears pricked forward with interest. He wanted to run with me? I stomped a hoof in agreement and burst into a gallop. The daystallion easily caught up and matched me stride for stride.

I recklessly ignored my duties and raced the regal steed until dawn chased me back to the shadows.
As the portal closed, his nicker promised another midnight meeting. Soon.