The fire spread in an instant, swallowing up the old stable where fourteen Shire horses were kept. While the lightning cracked overhead, I was sitting inside the house, but as soon as I heard the terrible noise, I dashed out, heart thumping, and began banging on the stable doors, calling out hoping the horses would sense the urgency and escape to safety.
Mum, Tracy Martin, later confided, I really believe were only standing here because of you, her voice trembling as she remembered how Id run into burning buildings to help before. Its strange what youre capable of when the animals you love are in danger.
The ground shook beneath our feet as wellthe tremor rattled windows and sent ornaments skittering across shelves in homes all over Macon. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries or real damage, but it certainly set everyone on edge.
We havent had an earthquake like this around Macon in living memory, if ever at all, remarked Lisa Janak from the Emergency Management Agency. There was a collective sense of disbelief in the village.
Despite the chaos, I can hardly believe we managed to save the familys horses from an awful fate. We managed to urge them out through the side gate, and the barn wasnt destroyed completely, eithera small relief amidst the disaster. Looking back, I realise how quickly everything can change and how important it is to act without hesitation.
