Atreyu’s horse sinks steadily into the mud
his weak limbs cease to move
white coat turns dark
his heart races in fear as he’s slowly entombed
Atreyu shrieks in tears
pulling on him not to give up
it’s no use
the swamp of sadness has swallowed hope
Artax is gone
Atreyu must go on alone
with only his grief and memory
I tried to watch this movie with my son years ago. He became so upset by this scene, he refused to watch anymore. He was furious at me for picking the movie. He felt I had betrayed him. He told me he hated me and would never watch another movie with me again. I tried to tell him to keep watching, it will be ok, everything gets fixed. But he wasn’t having it. The death of hope is terrifying.