The Magic Horse

by Claudia Casciato

Overview

During a stormy night Clare heard a thud. She peaked out. A bubble of green light floated in the air. When it burst, a white horse appeared with gold wings and a black diamond on its’ forehead.
Raphael, the magic horse took her to visit Heaven before she found out about Mary Ellen, her best friend’s accident. He told Clare that she would be a secret agent of God. She would teach others about the healing powers of Heaven. Her assignment was to help Mary Ellen’s mom cope with her death.
At the funeral, Clare saw her use white feathers to tickle her and the other children. Clare and Mary Ellen shared a magical spiritual journey on Earth. Willie, Clare’s dog was part of the assignment. They visited a healing pond where they shared an adventure.
She struggled with Mary Ellen’s death. Her mother and Mary Ellen’s mom did notbelieve about her presence in spirit.
She and Mary Ellen shared humorous moments during their journey. One moment was at the psychologist’s office. Dr. Goodall believed Clare about Mary Ellen’s presence when he witnessed magic.
In the end Clare’s mother believed her daughter saw Mary Ellen’s presence in spirit. Mary Ellen made a connection with her mother. Clare released her anger and experienced a magical wonderland in the cemetery with Raphael.
“Believe in yourself and you will conquer all.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452518930
Publisher:	Balboa Press
Publication date:	08/13/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	74
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

"Believe in yourself and you will conquer all."

I worked with trauma cases. It inspired me to have children imagine a different way to cope with death. This book shows children to cope with grief in a way that they can embrace death, not fear it.

Read an Excerpt

The Magic Horse

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By Claudia Casciato

Balboa Press

Copyright © 2014 Claudia Casciato
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4525-1892-3

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CHAPTER 1

A Visit to Heaven

Boom! Boom! Boom! I jumped out of bed to witness the lightning flash through my window. The wind howled. The branches of the tree brushed against the windowpane.

I knelt by my bed and prayed. "Please God, let the thunder stop and help me to get rid of this bad cold. Mary Ellen, my best friend's birthday party is tomorrow."

I picked up the snow globe on my dresser. It was her present. I shook it. All of a sudden I heard a thud in my room. It scared me. I huddled under the bed sheets.

I called out, "Who are you?"

There was no answer. I peeked out. I saw a bubble of green light float in the air.

It burst into a beautiful white horse with gold wings and a black diamond on its' forehead. It flew around me and sat on my bed.

"Be not afraid," said the horse. "I was sent from God."

I was in awe. "Sent from God?"

The horse said, "Your prayer has been answered."

I shook my head. "I don't feel better."

The horse replied, "You must take it one day at a time to heal yourself."

"Heal myself?" I questioned.

"My precious one, you have called upon God to heal you. Healing is like feeling better."

"What do I do to heal?"

"Continue to pray and be patient," said the horse. "Come with me and I will take you to see the other children."

I climbed on the horse though I felt no weight. Like magic, we were in the clouds and came upon golden gates. I walked through the gates. I heard this sweet hymn. I glanced up to witness angels playing the harp. I turned around and saw children in a choir dressed in white gowns. I smelled the perfume of roses.

I was speechless. The horse told me that these children were very ill on Earth and God brought them home. I twirled around and saw massive clouds struck by lightning.

"Why am I here?"

"God wants to show his world."

The choir sang. I felt the words penetrate my heart. I sang the words of the song. It was magical. I felt loved and protected like being cuddled in my mother's arms.

I followed one massive cloud over a field of roses. Raindrops touched my skin but I was dry. It was like God poured love through me. It rained in sheets on the roses. The roses swayed to the music and I swayed to the music. Within me, I felt peace. The magic horse came by my side.

"Come, we must go."

All the children gathered around me and hugged me. They whispered the words: peace, forgiveness, joy, love and hope. I wanted to stay but I knew I would miss my family. The magic horse took me home, winked and left. I lied in my bed and hummed the song from Heaven. I turned over and held the snow globe. Before I fell asleep, I heard a voice whisper, "Peace be with you."

The next morning, the birds' chirping woke me up. Their chirping was my alarm clock. The sun peeked through my pink curtains. The rays of the sun touched the chandelier and the room filled with rainbows. I used posters of my favorite singers like wallpaper. My blank canvas was in the corner. The new paintbrushes were untouched.

I thought the horse and Heaven was a dream. I felt my forehead and it was cool to touch. Maybe it wasn't a dream. I remembered it was Mary Ellen's birthday.

I jumped out of bed and sang out, "Happy! Happy! Happy!"

I felt better and ready to go to her party. Mary Ellen was twelve like me.

All of a sudden, I heard barking at my bedroom door, opened it and saw my dog Willie headed for the closet. The magic horse came through the closet door. The barking stopped. Willie jumped on my bed next to me and tilted his head. The magic horse and I laughed.

I said, "What's your name?"

"I'm Raphael."

"I'm Clare," I said. "Willie is my dog."

He said, "It's time for your first assignment."

"My first assignment," I repeated.

"Yes, you will be a secret agent of God," he explained. "It's time for you to teach others about the healing powers of Heaven."

I jumped up and Willie fell off the bed. I giggled.

"Willie does not get it that I will be a secret agent of God."

"Willie is your assistant," he said. "It's time I go and I will see you soon."

He vanished. Willie looked up and around to see where he went. I went to my dresser and picked up my journal. I wrote about my journey to Heaven with Raphael.

I got dressed. I felt shivers down my back as I brushed my curly red hair. Willie barked and I forgot about it.

I picked up my school bag. I jumped two steps down the stairs. As I entered the kitchen, there was complete silence.

I glanced at my mother. Her eyes welled up with tears. My father turned away and gazed at the floor. My mother told me to sit down. I felt like I was chilled to the bone. She sat next to me and took both hands. She cried.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" I asked.

She took a deep breath. "There was an accident."

She explained to me that Mary Ellen got her new bike at the cottage. She rode her bike fast. A car was coming around the corner. It did not stop in time.

I shook. "What happened to Mary Ellen?"

My mother hugged me. "I'm sorry. She went to Heaven."

I erupted like a volcano. "How can you sit here and tell me my best friend went to Heaven?"

She repeated, "I'm sorry."

"You are lying," I said. "She is not dead."

I broke my mother's warm embrace and ran up to my room.

CHAPTER 2

The Funeral

I picked up the snow globe and shook it with anger. The globe slipped from my hands and smashed on the floor. There were pieces of glass all around me. Sparkles floated in a stream of water. Raphael appeared and like magic, I saw pieces of glass come together with the sparkles. My mother came into my room. She saw me rock myself on the floor. I held the globe. She cradled me in her arms.

Raphael whispered, "Go to school."

During class, I felt numb. I did not hear my teacher speak. My friends hugged me but I felt cold. I asked to be excused to go to the washroom. I felt weak. The wall held me up till I broke down and cried. I slid to the floor.

All of a sudden I heard the toilet flush and the toilet paper roll. I was alone. I stood up to leave. Raphael appeared.

"Peace be with you."

"I don't understand. Why?"

I twisted around to look in the mirror. I gasped. Mary Ellen stood next to him. I turned around and both of them were gone. I sang the words of Heaven's song and felt at peace.

After dinner, I asked my parents to be excused. I sat on the swing in the backyard. I looked up and saw the swing next to me move. I heard laughter. Mary Ellen appeared and sang our favorite swing song.

"Swing, swing, swing. I love to swing, swing, swing. I love to feel the breeze in the air going through my hair."

I felt like I was six years old again when I met her for the first time at the park. She vanished when my mother came out. She sat on the swing.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from The Magic Horse by Claudia Casciato. Copyright © 2014 Claudia Casciato. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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