Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Horses of Shackleford (Premium)

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hi, Thomas here. You're listening to a preview episode. You can enjoy the entire story tonight by subscribing to our supporters' feed. There you'll get access to the entire back catalogue, bonus episodes, and more, and it's all completely ad-free. Click the link below to learn more and thank you so so much. Me and the team really appreciate your support. Molly held onto the rail as the ferry skipped gently across the water. She closed her eyes and felt the sea breeze flowing across her face. Her hair danced in the air as she listened to the water drumming against the hull of the boat. As she opened her eyes, Molly saw her smiling father approach. He stopped beside her, looking out at Shackleford Island in the near distance.

Starting point is 00:01:14 He told Molly how he used to visit the island as a child, and how exciting it was knowing he would soon see all the horses roaming wild and free. Molly asked her father if she could pet the horse, to which he simply chuckled, explaining that these animals were usually too wary to ever get close to people, they kept to themselves. The island rose out of the ocean as the ferry drew near. It was bare except for a few boat-docs along the shoreline. Rolling sand dunes gave the island its only contour. Patches of tall grass and a few craggy trees provided a hint of green to the otherwise blank space. As they reached the island, Molly asked her parents if she could choose their camping spot. They agreed and so off she ran, determined to find the ideal location. Molly dashed across the dunes, weaving between

Starting point is 00:02:30 the patches of grass. She charged through the vast, open space, her heart spilling with excitement. She hurried up bluffs and scuttled down banks eagerly toward the shore. And then she stopped. There just up ahead, right at the water's edge, Molly could see a pale brown fold bounding around, its wild mane whistping in the sea breeze. Her face lit up with excitement as she watched the little horse bounce from its front to its back hooves splashing around in the shallow tide. From where she stood, Molly could see the horse had a white diamond shape between its eyes. Molly's parents appeared, placing their tent and bags down on the ground.

Starting point is 00:03:35 They watched their daughter enamored by the foal, and joked that maybe he had chosen the location for them. Molly and her parents watched as the horse's mother approached, her ears twitching as if to signal for attention. The mare was much bigger than her child. The foal came to a stop, seeming to understand the quiet signal from its mother. a stop, seeming to understand the quiet signal from its mother. Then, she turned and led the little one away, back to a nearby herd of half a dozen others. As they put up their tent, Molly spoke enthusiastically with her parents about the little horse, referring to him as diamond. Her father explained that she might not see him again, simply because there were a hundred horses or more that roamed the island.

Starting point is 00:04:38 But Molly knew otherwise, telling her dad that she was confident Diamond would be back. That evening Molly watched her father gently poke at the campfire as she lay with her head on her mother's lap. She felt warmth on her face as the flames crackled and the distant waves rolled in and out at the beach. Molly didn't care that much about building a sound castle or swimming in the ocean, she just wanted to find diamond and play with him. As the family snuggled down into their tent that evening, it was all Molly could think about, but the woosh of the waves eventually calmed her excitement, and she fell into a comfortable sleep.

Starting point is 00:05:40 you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Horses of Shackleford (Premium)

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