A Heavy Shadow in the Ditch
The truck’s heavy tires crunched against the wet gravel shoulder of the highway. A massive red semi-truck hissed to a stop, its chrome stacks puffing white exhaust into the damp, grey sky. The man climbed down from the high cab, his heavy work boots hitting the slushy ground with a thud.
He didn’t look at his phone or check his mirrors; his eyes were locked on a patch of brown sludge just a few feet from the asphalt. A small, grey donkey sat motionless in the center of a deep mud hole. The muck rose past its belly, anchoring its legs deep beneath the surface.
The animal didn’t bray or thrash. Its long ears hung low, tipped toward the ground, matted with cold rain. The man walked closer, his own boots sinking into the soft earth near the edge of the pit. He reached out a hand, calloused and stained from the road, and rested it gently on the donkey’s wet forehead.
“No no little fella,” the man said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to steady the shivering animal. “Look at you stuck down in there. Just hold still, big guy.” The donkey blinked, its dark eyes watching the man as he moved around the edge of the trap.
Breaking the Suction
The man’s boots made a wet, squelching sound as he navigated the slippery slope of the ditch. He didn’t care about the mud caking onto his leather laces or his denim jeans. His focus stayed on the donkey’s face, which was covered in splatters of grey clay.
The animal seemed to have used up its energy long before the red truck pulled over. Its coat was dark with moisture, and its small chest rose and fell in quick, shallow breaths. The man reached down, his large hands disappearing into the donkey’s thick, matted fur as he felt for a solid grip beneath the chest.
The mud acted like wet cement, wrapping around the animal’s legs and creating a vacuum. When the man first tried to lift, the donkey didn’t budge. The suction was too strong. He adjusted his stance, planting his feet wider apart on the firmer ground near the road. He took a breath, his shoulders broadening under his plaid vest.
“Just hold still, I’m coming,” he whispered. He leaned back, using his entire body weight as a lever. Slowly, the mud began to groan. A wet, popping sound echoed as the donkey’s front legs were finally pried from the earth. The man’s face strained, his neck muscles tightening as he took the full weight of the creature into his arms.
On Solid Earth
With a final, powerful heave, he stepped backward, pulling the animal completely clear of the muck. The donkey’s back legs slid out of the sludge with a heavy drag. For a moment, the man held the donkey entirely off the ground, its small hooves dangling in the air, dripping with thick, grey slime.
He carefully set the donkey down on the edge of the gravel shoulder. The small creature wobbled on its feet, its legs caked in mud that looked like heavy, dark stockings. The man didn’t immediately walk back to his truck. He stayed right there in the rain, rubbing the donkey’s side and checking to see if it could stand on its own.
“There you are, little fella,” he said, his breath visible in the cold air. “Safe on solid ground now. Take your time and get your legs back under you.” He continued to stroke the animal’s neck, his large palm smoothing down the wet hair. The donkey turned its head, leaning slightly into the man’s leg.
The man stood with his hands on his hips for a moment, looking at the donkey as it began to find its balance. He pointed toward a nearby fence line, encouraging the animal to move away from the dangerous traffic of the highway. The donkey shook its head, sending a spray of muddy water into the air, and took a tentative step forward on the gravel.
The man reached out one last time, scratching the donkey behind its long ears. He turned back toward the idling semi-truck, his boots heavy with the same mud that had nearly claimed the animal. He climbed back into the cab and looked out the window. The man continued to stroke the donkey’s back, his large hand covering nearly the width of the animal’s spine, while the red semi-truck stood watch on the shoulder behind them.