Pretty Pony

For one of the girls' Christmas/birthday presents, we got them a little rocking horse. I looked around and researched which ones kids and parents liked the most and came across the Rockin' Rider Pony. Good reviews, soft coat and mane, "realistic horsey sounds," and an out of this world song that the HORSEY SINGS HIMSELF. I Amazon-Primed that sucker and two days later, a sweet little black pony arrived at our doorstep. I brought the box inside, peeled back the bubble wrap, and jumped a little as my gaze was met by the emerald green eyes of Kevin, the little black pony, as he is known around our house. His stare was so intense.......I felt as though there was life behind those embroidered oglers. He came pre-assembled, so there was no need to read the instruction manual. Yeah, it was more than one page. How many instructions can there be with a rocking horse? 1. Sit on the horse. 2. Rock. 3. Get off when you're done. The manual did explain that by pressing his left ear, Kevin would speak to you, saying things like, "I like it when you brush me." Uh, inappropriate. He would also neigh and make galloping coconut sounds. If you pressed his right ear.......the song. It was cute and catchy. I played it several times and noticed two sets of blue eyes peeking over the barricade, their interest piqued by the whimsical equestrian tune.

I took Kevin into the play room to meet his new friends. It did not go well. Apparently, the song wasn't cute enough to counteract the HIDEOUSNESS THAT WAS KEVIN!! The poor pony was not immediately welcomed into the family. He was shunned...an outcast. But slowly, assuredly, the miniature humans warmed up to his sweet smile, fuzzy face, and charming demeanor. Instead of a giant, black, scary dog thing, Kevin became the cuddly pre-obsession of ponies that every little girl will have at some point in their life...ahem, some will have that obsession far into their adult years. Anyways. At first, the girls swatted at Kevin with playful jabs, waddling away mirthfully. But eventually, they started to pet him and kiss him. Piper Lee was the first to take to the saddle. She loped and cantered through the grassy meadows, head back, eyes closed, hair flowing gracefully in the wind. Rider and pony were as one. And then Harper pushed her off.

Kevin was a great addition to our home and we were all very excited we adopted him. But one day, everything changed. Over New Year's, Noah, Sara, and Bryan were in the play room, admiring the sleek black coat of the tiny horse, when Noah suddenly felt a cool breeze on his neck. But there was no draft, no fan, no wind. He looked at Kevin...Kevin was looking BACK AT HIM. Sara and Bryan noticed it, too. David and I walked into the room, taken aback by the paled worry that had washed over our kinsmen's faces. Noah's voice cracked, "Something's up with Kevin. Something's not right...there's something sinister going on." We laughed it off...you know grad students...always so dramatic. New Year's passed, but before long, David and I started noticing strange things happening around the house. Hoof prints would appear on the kitchen floor, a path from the play room to the fridge. There was an inexplicable supply of fresh oats and hay in the garage. The TV would randomly switch from Animal Planet to QVC for no reason at all. We also started noticing other weird things...

Piper Lee, once enraptured with the childhood bliss of her first little pony, now felt the eerie chill of somethingweirdness creep up her tiny spine.

NO ONE IS SAFE FROM KEVIN!

We keep a close watch on Kevin now...and sleep with one eye open. At night, we can hear his haunting tune wafting through the hall..........................................

Giveaway winner announced Monday! (We still haven't decided...too many awesome suggestions!)