Max WC: 559

Max
WC 559

I had a pet unicorn when I was a lad. I know, I know, unicorns aren’t real. They are legendary animals that look like horses—or sometimes goats—with a single horn on their foreheads.

Humor me, please.

My unicorn resembled a white horse, and he did have a single horn on his head, but he wasn’t legendary. He was real!

He was good, strong, and pure…and he had magical powers. I didn’t have to try to catch him, he caught me. And we became fast friends.

I wanted to name him Uni, but my father said it sounded too Russian, like Uri. The Soviet Union was the scary bad guy back then, so Uni was out.

My second choice was Horny, but my dad nixed that name, too. Now, all these years later, I understand why.

My third choice was Max; the third time was the charm. Strange name for a unicorn, I guess, but Max took to it.

People would stop and stare as we cantered through the town. The first time we rode past her yard, Mrs. Glinka’s dentures flew out of her mouth when she let out a shriek.

Max would lead me into the forest, and I would always go where Max led me. He showed me the magic of the forest hidden from mere mortals.

I met his friends. The woodland fairies fluttered around us as we road, their gossamer gowns swirling around their tiny bodies. The wood nymphs peeked out from behind trees, too shy to greet Max when a mere mortal sat upon his sturdy back.

Max cautioned me about other woodland beings.

A big bird with a woman’s head flew alongside us. Max told me to cover my ears.

“The Alkonost sing beautiful songs,” Max explained, “that make mortals forget anything else they ever wanted or needed.”

I covered my ears.

On that very last day we ventured into the forest, Max stopped dead in his tracks, almost throwing me off his back and into the underbrush.

This beautiful woman stood in our path. I was mesmerized. She was dressed in a short leather dress and had long black hair and two horns that jutted out from her head. Her smile was hypnotic.

“Do not engage with her!” he said to me.

“Succubus, go back to where you came. Leave this boy alone.”

Max led us past her. I closed my eyes and put my hands over my ears. He explained that if I had engaged with her, she would have haunted me in my dreams causing bad things to happen, even death.

When we got to the edge of the woods, he leaned down; I jumped off.

“Young master, I have put you in peril. That was never my intention.” He leaned down so I could pat his head. “Our worlds are not meant to merge. I thought maybe they could, but I was wrong.”

And then Max turned and galloped into the woods, never to be heard from again. Not wanting to tangle with Succubus, I never went back into the forest alone to look for him.

So, there you have it.

My father, Mrs. Glinka, and the others are long gone, so they cannot corroborate my story. The only proof I have of Max is inside my memories.

I guess you’ll just have to believe me…or not.