Hello! I bet you are wondering "Why in the world are you making a fanfiction of The Red Pony?! That is one of the most awful books I've ever read! Etc, etc!" Exactly! It's a horrible book! And it just left off in the worst cliff hanger, ever! So- I decided to make my own ending. Please read and review! I would love you forever if you did! Thanks! Au Revoir! ~Berrythorn
Disclaimer: I do not own The Red Pony, nor am I John Steinbeck.
Dirt. Everywhere was dirt. Miles and miles of nothing. Well, I suppose trees count as something, but that's not really the point. Why had we moved here, into the middle of nowhere? I had asked myself this question many, many times. But I didn't know the answer. I think it had to do with Grandfather dying. Excuse me, as people say out here, Grandpa… Pa…. Papa…. something. I wanted nothing more to go back to the city, where I belonged, where my family belonged, but that was never going to happen. Ever. I'm a country gal now, I guess. I sighed and fixed my bonnet, which had started to fall off my head. Curse this thing. My cat, Elizabeth, came up to me. Demanding to be petted. I gave in to her, and scratched her ears as Mother called.
"Ruby! Come here and help us get everything out!"
I sighed and slowly walked to the end of the wagon. A wagon. No, not an automobile like Father had owned back at home, a wagon. Because a Ford just couldn't make it out here where there were no roads- at all. Just dirt… and dirt…. And trees… and some more dirt…. Yep. That about sums it up.
I saw my Mother and Father unstrapping a trunk, well Father really. Mother was standing to the side, ready to help in case Father dropped the heavy box. That's when they noticed me.
"Ruby! There you are! Pick up these boxes and carry them back to the house." Mother gestured to three-piece box set. The bottom one was the largest, the middle one was medium, and the top one was the smallest. I nodded and picked up the top and middle one, planning to come back for the biggest. I began to walk down the dusty little road to the house. Not our house, not my house, just the house. For it was not my home. Not our home. And it would never be, to me at least.
I came up to the front door of the house, if you could call it a house. I looked more like someone had built a dollhouse and tried to call it a house. I sighed.
"Well, a dollhouse is better than that barmy wagon."
I set down the boxes, and stood back up to open the door. I propped open said door with my foot, and was picking the boxes back up when I heard someone talk.
"Need some help there, doll?"
I shrieked and jumped, causing the door to slam shut and the boxes to tumble over. There was someone in the house… someone was in the house. I had heard stories of outlaws, crooks, and thieves that lived out here. But I thought they were just stories. Not true, but now- seeing as if some stranger was in the house- they might as well be so.
The door opened, and the owner of the voice stepped out. I instinctively covered my hands with my face and said.
"Please don't hurt me!"
The voice owner chuckled. "Now why would I hurt you, honey?"
I slowly peeked through my fingers and saw that voice was a middle-aged man, who looked about ten years older than Father. He had brown hair that was going grey, a rather small beard that was oddly a different shade of brown that his hair and warm coco colored eyes. He had that Western look to him; friendly, hospitality, and strength. I immediately decided that I liked him.
"I'm sorry… it's just that you frightened me…" I told the man, but he only smiled at me and laughed again. I liked his laugh; it reminded me of my Grandfather's before he died…
"That's all right, doll. I suppose I should have greeted you from the outside instead of the in. My name is Patrick, and I'm the caretaker of this ranch."
I smiled at him… wait, did he say ranch…? Ranch?! No way! This could not be a ranch! There was nothing but dirt and trees!
"Excuse me, um… Patrick, but did you just say this was a ranch?"
Patrick nodded at me.
"Yes ma'am. This is indeed a ranch. One Hill Ranch, to be more precise."
"But if this is a ranch then where are all the animals…?" I wondered aloud. I mean- seriously. Where were all the livestock? Was this a dirt ranch?
"The animals live 'bout a mile away from here, past the hill. The only hill on this property, in fact. They don't call it 'One Hill Ranch' for nothing, miss…?" He trailed off, for I had not told him my name.
"Ruby. Miss Ruby Inkwell."
"Alright then, Miss Inkwell. Shall we get these boxes?"
"We shall."
Not far away, on a different ranch, a boy was racing across the landscape on a jet black horse. A barn coming rapidly in view.
"Whoa, Black Demon, whoa!" The boy said to the horse, pulling slightly on the reins to get beast to slow. The horse, which the boy had called Black Demon, gave into the boy's demand and slowed to a nice, steady trot.
"Good boy!" The boy praised Black Demon. They had approached the barn, where a man in his thirties sat waiting.
"Jody, there you are!" The man said to the boy, who must have been Jody. The man stood to his feet as Jody dismounted his horse.
"Where have you been? You told us that you would be here before noon! It's well after that!"
Jody sighed as he unhitched Black Demon, and started to the horse's stall.
"I'm sorry, Billy Buck. It's just that I had to see if what Thomas said was true." The man, Billy Buck, had followed Jody to the stall.
"See if what's true, Jody?"
Jody hung the saddle back in place, and was getting the brush and wire comb when he answered Billy Buck.
"Thomas told me that some new folks where moving here, at the One Hill ranch. I just wanted to see if he was telling the truth, knowing Thomas."
Billy Buck nodded, for he knew all about Jody's friend Thomas and his stories. "Well?"
Jody started to brush out Black Demon's coat, restoring it to its gleam. Billy Buck stood there, annoyed that Jody was caring more about the horse than exactly what he done today. After Jody was done, he switched the brush for the wire comb and finally asked.
"Well what?"
Billy Buck let out a sigh of somewhat agitation. "Well, is it true? Did you see? Is there really a new family out here?"
Jody was half way through the mane when he answered.
"Yes."
Billy Buck's eyes went wide, and he whistled. "Well I'll be. I suppose we'll have to tell your Ma, and go welcome them or what not."
"I suppose so." Jody replied, now combing out the horse's tail. When he was finally done with it all, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an apple. Black Demon's ears pricked up when he saw the treat, and he neighed, as if he was saying "Give it here! Give it here!"
Jody smiled and fed his horse the apple, then stepped out of the stall followed by Billy Buck. He closed the stall, and locked the latch.
"I suppose so…"