The worms swam up, wrapping around the unicorn's torso like
ropes and beginning to pull her down further into the mud. How I'd forgotten these bastards I'll never
know. Helpless, she screamed and cried
for help. Feeling both wretched and
angry I sprang into action - grabbing the leash and tossing it out to her. The unicorn held onto it with her mouth,
clamping her teeth about the rope and I pulled, trying to reel her out but the
rope soon slipped out of her vegetarian teeth's grip. Though she had come far enough to fend off
the worms for a moment.
A Plan B was quickly organised and put into action as I
converted the leash into a lasso and wrapped it around her horn, pulling it
tight as the worms re-surfaced in greater numbers around her neck and her
middle. The lasso began to slip a little
almost immediately. I held my breath and
my stomach lurched with nerves but the unicorn has other ideas. Her horn had mainly been covered in thin,
watery mud which was wiped away easily by the rope’s slipping. The aura that normally surrounded her
returned to this little section of clean horn and in a moment the horn and the
rope fused together and I knew this plan could work.
I heaved and ho-ed against the pull of the worms, the
unicorn's head going under a couple of times but the rope kept firm, the magic
done it could not be undone. Before long
I was winning, the unicorn slowly coming free of the mud until she was able to
climb up the bank at the edge leaving those ropey worms behind and we
collapsed, relieved and exhausted at the edge of the clearing, breathing
heavily, she caked in brown mud, me sodden with sweat.
The unicorn recovered first, stood, the rope slipping to the
ground, and she walked over to where I lay and spat in my face before
retreating into the safety of the forest and, no doubt, a cool stream or pool
to wash down in. I cursed and went home
alone as I always did.
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