Amy Fleming burst into the barn, her long blonde hair whipping around her face in the brisk fall air. Her mother, Marion, looked up as her daughter burst in. Justice, the horse Marion was untacking shifted uncomfortably – shaking under his saddle – he wanted his equipment off.
"Hi, honey. Have a good day at school?"
"No," Amy sulked, leaning against a stall door. Her grandfather's horse, Paint, swung his head over the half door, curiously nibbling at her hair. "The teachers suck and they don't understand me and it gets so hard and –"
"Deep breath," Marion advised.
Amy heaved in and out, capturing Paint's warm head in her arms. "I wish that I could just stay at Heartland all day. Can't I just start working now? We both know I'm never going to do anything else."
Marion raised an eyebrow, finally ridding Justice of his saddle. "Education is important."
"I just wish it was interesting," Amy returned. "Especially math. Why is that a thing?"
"Because education is important," Marion reiterated, mother that she was. "Is Jen still coming over to go riding?"
"Is the sky blue?"
"It's more of a grey today," Marion hummed, teasing her daughter, who crossed her arms over her chest. "I already brought in Hutch for you to take."
"Thanks!" Amy smiled. "I better get him tacked, she'll probably be over soon."
"Don't take too long," Marion warned her as Amy grabbed a grooming kit. "The weather is supposed to get bad later and I don't want you riding around in it."
"We'll be extra careful," Amy promised. "Won't we, Hutch?"
Marion rolled her eyes, running a brush over Justice. Amy was her mother's daughter, without a doubt. Spunky and charming, horse obsessed and passionate, mother and daughter shared almost all of the same traits. Including a dash of stubbornness – although Marion secretly thought that Amy had her father's temper, not that it was something that she would say aloud. She put Justice out in the field and then returned to watch Amy tack Hutch; the little roan kicking as she did up his girth. Amy had been expecting it though, and he didn't kick with any intent to hurt her, so there was no harm done. Marion had just passed Amy her helmet when Jen clattered into the yard, already on her own horse.
"Hey Marion," the fifteen year old called to her friend's mother. "How are you?"
"Great," Marion replied. "How are you?"
"Same old," Jen shrugged. "Can't complain."
"Ready to go?" Amy asked, hopping on Hutch.
"Not too long," Marion warned as Jen and Amy started moving.
"Don't worry Mom!" Amy called, twisting in her saddle to look at her parent. "Have a little faith in us."
Marion could only shake her head as the two girls trotted down the long drive, their voices drifting back to her on the wind.
"So, when does Soraya get back?" Jen asked. "Next Thursday or next Friday?"
"Try Saturday," Amy scoffed. "Listen much?"
"Maybe I've got different things to worry about," Jen said coyly, biting her lip.
"Oh, like what?" Amy pressed.
"Maybe a boy," Jen revealed.
"Who?" Amy asked.
"I'll tell you if you catch me!" Jen decided, spurring her horse forward.
Amy's jaw dropped for a moment before she urged Hutch after the front running horse. The small roan bucked for a moment underneath of her until he settled under her hand, chasing after Jen. Amy didn't know if Hutch would be able to make up for the ground that Jen had already acquired on her own leggy horse, but what Hutch lacked in ability he made up for with spirit, and before long, he was nipping at Jen's heels. Amy turned him slightly to the right so that she was riding closely beside Jen, reaching out and tagging her friend's sleeve.
"Got ya!" She trumpeted. "Now, who's the guy?"
Jen slowed down, finally heaving a sigh. "Well … you know Charlie?"
"No!" Amy gasped. "No! Like, English class Charlie? What?"
"Is that bad? I knew it was bad."
"I didn't mean it like it was bad," Amy assured her quickly. "At all. I was just … surprised. I don't really know him, but I'm sure he's a good guy."
"The best guy has been taken by you!" Jen exclaimed.
"Jesse? He's not my boyfriend, not really. We're … talking."
"It's better than utter silence," Jen pointed out. "He's cute. As long as he doesn't have the Stanton attitude …"
"He doesn't act anything like Ashley!" Amy protested.
Jen opened her mouth to respond, but Amy shushed her. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Jen asked, keeping her voice down.
"That," Amy said, and then Jen heard what her friend did – the desperate, rasping whinny of a horse. "Come on – it's coming from this way!"
Urging Hutch to pick up the pace, Amy headed toward the sound, Jen close behind her. They turned up a driveway, but Amy wasn't sure whose property it was. She could see sagging fences as they continued down the long drive, finally coming upon the house. It was rundown, and there was no one in sight. She and Jen paused in the driveway, the abandoned silence pressing down on them.
"This is Mr. Mallen's property," Jen murmured.
Before Amy could ask Jen to clarify who Mallen was, she heard the horse again. Her attention was drawn to the little barn – one with a sagging roof. Fear and fury seized Amy's heart. If this property was as neglected and empty as it appeared to be, someone – Mallen? – had left this horse alone. If she and Jen hadn't come across the isolated property, the horse could have been long dead before anyone had noticed its presence.
She brought Hutch over to one of the sturdier looking fence posts and dismounted, tying his reins around the top of the post.
"Amy, what are you doing?" Jen shouted.
"Shh," Amy said. "I need to check on the horse."
"Is that really such a good idea?" Jen called, but Amy ignored her.
She stepped up to the weather beaten doors. She could see a hole in the bottom, likely made by the horse trying to kick his way free. There was a heavy board on the doors, keeping them shut, but it was easy enough for her to lift it free and pry open the barn door enough to look inside. Amy was immediately hit by the stench of horse manure and urine. The horse had been locked up for days, maybe even a week or more. It took her a moment of staring into the black interior to actually see the horse, though. Muscular but thin, the horse was as black as the inside of the barn. He shifted angrily, throwing his head back at the unexpected light. Amy felt her heart begin to hammer as he reared up, his forelegs striking out toward her, his head nearly bumping the ceiling. He was beautiful.
Then he began to charge.
She slammed the door shut, eyes wide. She had barely gotten the board back into place when the horse smashed against the doors, trying to escape. She wished that she had another option, something other than putting him back in the dark. But she couldn't handle him on her own, and she couldn't just let him out – he would hurt himself, or someone else would. Her only option now was who it always was – her mother.
"Amy?" Jen asked, maneuvering her horse closer. "Are you okay?"
Amy nodded. "But I have to get home. He needs help."
Jen pointed upward. "The clouds are getting thicker. The bad weather is coming. It won't be safe to go out soon."
"Then I'll just have to make it back soon," Amy retorted. She brought Hutch's reins back over his head, before boosting herself into his saddle. The slight horse danced underneath of her, unnerved by the desperate voice of the horse still locked inside the barn. "Let's go!"
They loped down the Mallen's driveway, but had to slow down when they reached the road. Rain had begun to fall, unnerving the horses and making the pavement slippery. The road to the Mallen's had a deep bank over each side. The last thing either Amy or Jen needed to do was send themselves going flying over the edge – it would mean death. Once they were off the paved roads, Amy gave Jen a wave.
"I'm taking the shortcut home," she announced, pointing down the dirt path. "I need to make it before the weather gets any worse."
Jen nodded, agreeing. "Me too! Call me later about the horse, whether you go or not, okay?"
"Okay," Amy said, "but we will be going. I can't leave him there, Jen. He needs me, I know it."
"Stay safe!"
"You too!"
Amy turned Hutch down the dirt path, as the rain began to pour even harder. She let him go as fast as she dared, but not as fast as she would have liked. Hutch was a bit of a nervous horse, and he wasn't liking the rain. They were almost home – the lights of the barn and ranch house in sight – when the first clap of thunder sounded. Hutch bucked, nearly throwing Amy from the saddle, his feet sliding in the mud when he landed. He shied from the slippery ground, dancing to the side.
"Easy," Amy murmured. "We're almost there."
She kept one hand on his warm, slick neck, keeping him moving forward toward his stall. He followed her lead, and in no time, they were inside, dismounting. Jack poked his head out of the barn office, giving her a look.
"Your mother and I have been waiting for you; we've been worried," he said to Amy.
"Sorry Grandpa!" Amy said. "Where is Mom? I need to talk to her."
Jack twitched his moustache, as was his habit. "I'll go and get her for you. You're lucky you got home before the bad weather really started."
Amy nodded, wiping Hutch down as best as she could before turning him into his stall. By the time she was done, Marion was standing the doorway, a rain jacket on and another in her hand for her daughter.
"I told you not to take long," she said in her best parental voice.
"Mom! We found a horse," Amy cried, launching into an explanation. "He's alone, underfed, probably dehydrated, and he's so scared. He needs us to go get him!"
"It is storming out," Marion argued, pointing outside. "It would be hard to deal with such a horse under the best of circumstances."
"Please," Amy begged, stepping closer to Marion. "He might not make it to better circumstances. He's so badly off. He needs us. Isn't that what we do? Help horses who need us. He could hurt himself in this storm."
Marion took a long look in her daughter's eyes. "You're right. The trailer should still be hooked up to the truck. I'll go get the keys." She handed Amy the extra rain jacket in her hand. "And I need you to collect some of the remedies. You know what he needs, right?"
"Right," Amy agreed, listing off the natural herbs and scents her mother would always use around nervous, panicking horses. Things that would make him calm, even put him in a sedated state. She rushed into the office, picking the things off the shelves, shoving them into the pockets of her rain jacket, before running out to the truck.
Marion was already in the driver's seat, waiting. Once Amy had her seatbelt pulled over her body, Marion put the truck into drive, the wipers already going furiously. Amy sat in silence as her mother drove, giving directions to the Mallen farm when necessary. The finally pulled into the driveway, the place as abandoned and empty as it had been when Amy and Jen had rode away.
Marion turned the truck off. Over the periodic sound of thunder and the loud beat of the rain, she and Amy could hear the horse. Marion took a few of the items from Amy's pocket and jumped out of the truck. She was about to warn her daughter to stay inside, but saw that it was no use – Amy was already standing out in the rain, her strawberry blonde hair sticking to her wet cheeks.
Marion sidled up to the barn door, getting Amy to help her release the wood.
"Go open the back of the trailer for me," Marion requested. Amy nodded silently, her pale face flashing as lightning struck.
Amy ran off to do as her mother asked. When the trailer ramp had been lowered, she was about to make a mad dash back to the barn, to see if she could be of any assistance, when she saw the head of the horse appear, Marion's hand attached to his dirty halter – one that Amy could see was much too small for him. His ears were flat against his head, and he kept trying to fight Marion, but she wouldn't allow it. She had him lined up to go in the trailer when a thunder rumbled. He tore his head away from Marion, preparing to bolt. Amy immediately appeared to one side of him, preventing him from going that direction. With Marion so close to him on his other side, the horse had no choice but to run into the trailer. Without any verbal communication, Marion and Amy both lifted the trailer ramp together, closing the horse in. Amy could hear him crying out; could hear him beating his hooves against the side of the trailer.
"Amy!" Marion shouted. "In the truck!"
Amy fled for the passenger door. She didn't know if she had ever felt so relieved to be somewhere dry. Even if the truck was shaking from the dark horse's panic.
"I can't believe someone would do that to a horse," Marion spat as she turned up the heat. "That's despicable."
"He must have been alone for weeks," Amy cried.
"If I ever get my hands on that Mallen character," Marion growled.
The only thing that could set off the usually sweet-tempered woman was abusers. She wouldn't stand for the mistreatment of any person or animal. She stopped herself from completing the threat, needing to focus on the road more. They were on the dangerous stretch, with the steep bank on each side of the road. Marion felt herself straddling the center line, trusting that no one else was crazy enough to venture out in this weather. She was afraid of straying too close to one side, worried that the horse's kicking would send them all tumbling down the bank. If she had been going a little bit faster, or a little bit slower, what happened next could have avoided.
Mother, daughter, and horse heard the crack at the same time – two seconds before the tree fell across the road. Having no other option, Marion slammed on the brakes, sending truck and trailer spinning along the wet road. She tried to turn the wheel, but the vehicle had gained its own momentum, and was careening toward the bank. Before they had even tipped down the hill, Marion knew that it was going to happen.
"Amy!" She shouted, at the same time Amy screamed, "Mom!"
They were tumbling down the bank, the horse crying and fighting as best as he could in his enclosed space. Marion was too paralyzed to do anything. Amy didn't know what she could do. There was nothing but darkness stretching out before her.
"Mom!" She shouted again, turning her head and reaching for her parent.
And then everything went black.
*Two*Weeks*Later*
Soft blue eyes opened, unnoticed by the young, dark haired woman and the aging man waiting in the hospital room, waiting for that very thing to happen. The woman lying in the bed felt a sharp pain rage across her head, and gasped, finally attracting the attention of the two people. They raced to her side, one on her left and one on her right, both reaching for her hand.
"How are you, honey?" Jack asked, reaching out to twirl a piece of long blonde hair around his finger. "Are you okay?"
"Oh my god," the dark haired woman, Lou, Jack's eldest granddaughter, breathed. "We've been so worried about you, Mom."
Marion looked around, trying to process why her eldest daughter – the one who lived in New York, not Hudson, Alberta – was next to her. Why her father was next to her. Where was Amy? Where was her other daughter? If she wasn't here, surely one of them should be with her.
"Amy?" Marion croaked. Maybe she was in the bathroom. Maybe she was getting a drink. What time was it? Maybe she was at school.
"Mom," Lou said, her light eyes beginning to worry.
Jack held up his hand. He didn't want Lou to have to bear the burden of releasing the news. He sat down next to Marion, looking his only child in the eye. "Amy didn't make it through the accident."
The accident, Marion remembered. Careening down the hill; no way to stop. Amy calling for her, looking toward her daughter. One pale hand, stretched out into the night. A flash of lightning; Amy's impossibly young face, a trickle of blood down one cheek.
"Amy," Marion repeated, as if she hadn't heard her father, or she was trying to deny the truth.
"I'm sorry," Jack managed, his heart breaking as Marion began to dissolve, pulled apart by grief.
Amy.
Welcome to my first multi-chapter Heartland fic! I know details don't exactly match up (reasons hopefully obvious ...) but stick with me. It's going to be a bumpy ride!
~TLL~
