One of the most devastating and traumatic moments of my childhood was when Atreyu's white horse, Artax, gets stuck in the Swamp of Sadness and dies in the movie, The Neverending Story. I thought I was over it, but this horse brought back some painful memories.
I wanted to steal him, name him Artax, and ride across Ireland yelling things like, "I can't get beyond the boundaries of Fantasia!" or "I'm here to find the Southern Oracle!" to confused farmers and passing motorists. As I made my way to the top of the fence with my horse burglaring tools, I stopped. I need to let Artax go. He's not coming back. I can't cope with that pain again. I just can't. |