Abandoned

Chapter 4 - Start of a new life?

{ Authors note: Sorry for the delay, the first three chapters were already done, with only some minor last minute changes, when I put them up. This chapter was done as well, but I had to made more changes to it to get a better plot (at least in my opinion ;) ), and what should have been chapter 4, is now divided into 4 and 5. And I wouldn't mind some more reviews, might they be good or... not so good. But now on to the fourth chapter. }

Both were greeted by neighs and snorts and even some impatient hoof stomping when they entered the stable.

Being a persocom, she wasn't able to taste, as there was no need for a persocom to eat, but she had some sensors for air analysis, not rather for her own sake, but for persocom owners, to be warned about dangerous gases, or maybe a pan that was keep to long on the stove.

Being out the second she came into the stable last time, Lilith hadn't had any time to take in the scent that lingers in the air. But now she was taken by surprise by a strong smell. But taking some deep breaths, she found that it wasn't really unpleasant. It even was kind of intoxicating.

"Sorry boys and girls for being late. And may I introduce you to my new friend Lilith" Maria said, waving at Lilith.

More neighs and snorts answered them.

"Seems, they like you." giggled Maria "You were ever around horses before?"

Lilith shook her head.

"Just be careful, they will not willful mean you any harm, but as strong and heavy as they are, it could lead to severe injuries not being on the look out all the time."

Lilith nodded in understanding, asking "How can I help?"

"You don't have to, you might rather have a rest. By the way, I'm used to do all the work on my own."

But Lilith was insisting on helping her.

"Okay. See the buckets lined up over there." Maria pointing at the back of the stable "They have name tags on them because every horse got a different amount of fodder, depending on his size and weight. And being a retirement farm, we also have some horses, who need special nourishment."

Then she walked to the back of the stable, opening some large boxes, grabbing a shovel and started to fill the buckets with just the right amount and combinations of food. Taking one bucket in each hand, pointing with her head at the next two in line, Lilith did the same.

They walked back to the first horseboxes, already eagerly awaited by the white gelding in the box, she opens a hatch in the box wall and poured the contents of the bucket into a tub behind the hatch. Lilith noticed the name 'Salt' on the bucket and the same name on the door of the box.

After closing the hatch, Maria turned to the next box, which was inhabited by a black mare, the name on the door to that box reading 'Pepper'

When she was done feeding Pepper, she looked at Lilith, and was surprised to see her smile. When she asked her what she found so amusing, Lilith only pointed at the white and black horses and then to the name plates.

"Oh that. We got them, that is Eric Miller and me, in a very bad shape. They were handed to us by some animal activists, who had them rescued from a riding stable, where they were treated very poorly. They had bruises all over and were emaciated to the bones. Luckily, we could get them back to their former beauty and health. And as the former owner didn't tell the names of the horses, and as they are always together, we found that Salt and Pepper just fit them perfectly."

Lilith's smile dropped at hearing the sad story, but had to ask "Who is Eric Miller?"

"He was the one who bought me." Than before Lilith had the chance to say anything she asked "Want to feed the next two?"

Nodding eagerly, Lilith walked up to the third box in the row, saw the name plate read 'Misty'. The name belonging to a slender gray mare. She took the bucket reading the same name, opened the hatch, as she saw Maria had done, and poured the contents into the tub. After she closed the hatch, Misty seemed to not take any notice that her breakfast was ready, but instead poked her head out of the box, her ears perked up at Lilith and her nostrils wide and snorting.

When Lilith took some steps forward toward the box door, Maria was watching Lilith's every move, ready to jump in, knowing Lilith would not harm Misty, but never being around horses, she might make a wrong move.

But Lilith just stretched out her right hand slowly towards Misty, her palm facing upward, then standing completely motionless as Misty stretched her neck and sniffed at the outstretched hand. Misty making some gentle snorting and neighing sounds, than nodding her head as if to acknowledge Lilith, who then took a step closer, her fingertips now gently caressing Misty's nose.

Maria watched all this with amazement, not only knowing that Misty is very shy most of the time, but also how Lilith instinctively did everything just right moving very calm and canny.

Misty finally found, it's time to go for her meal. She shook her head to send her gray mane flying, then turned to the tub to munch away at her breakfast.

Turning around, Maria saw a very bright and happy smile on Lilith's face.

But that soon dropped as Lilith saw an expression on Maria's face, she misinterpreted as disapproval of her action "S... Sorry, have I done something wrong?"

But her smile returned as Maria reassured her, that she was only amazed and haven't seen to many people acting so right towards horses, just out of instinct, and that Misty was normally very shy about strangers, be it humans or persocoms.

After that, they made it quick to feed all the other horses, which were two Shire mares, who together occupying a larger box, a very heavy work horse, and some ponies of different sizes, and when they were done, returned to the main house.

On the way back there Maria asked "You seem to like horses, don't you?"

"They are just so beautiful, and I like their smell." answered Lilith, a note of delight in her voice.

'Maybe, she'll be as horse crazy as I am in no time.' thought Maria, smiling at Lilith.

After they both entered the main house, Maria showed Lilith around the medium sized house.

The front door aside, the small entrance hall had two doors to the left, one ahead and one to the right and a narrow staircase on the right leading to the rooms on the second floor, with a small door under the stairs, leading to the cellar.

Starting from the left, Maria opened each door, to show Lilith a small storage room, which had a connection to the room behind the next door, the kitchen. The door across from the entrance leading to the living room, which also had a connection to the kitchen.

And the last door, right from the entrance, was leading to what looks like a small office, occupied by a desk, with a PC sitting beneath it and telephone, printer, keyboard and a flat screen on top. Most of the walls had shelves on them stuffed with books and folders, only once interrupted by a filing cabinet and a window, looking at a garden.

After Lilith followed Maria to the second floor, she showed her her own room at the left end of the hall. It was quite big, but had not to much room left to move around, because it was dominated by a big bed in the middle of the room, one desk to the back of the room, with a window above it, looking out to the stable and the pasture behind it. There were also some shelves with lots of books on it. Most of them about technical stuff, like mechanical engineering, engine maintenance and lots of book about tractors and other agricultural machinery. And of course a whole shelve equipped with books about horses.

Under a second window stands a small dressing table, which top was a little cluttered by an assortment of lipsticks, little boxes with rouge and lip-gloss and even some flagons with perfume and an opened box, revealing some jewelery.

Seeing Lilith's perplex look, that was locked to the mess on her dressing table, Maria said "Hey, I'm a girl after all, so wearing a nice dress now and then, when out on the town, is a nice change to wearing t-shirts, jeans and heavy boots when working on the farm. That I'm wearing a skirt and sandals right now, is only because I hadn't time to change with all that was going on in the last hours."

"First, we should get you showered and dressed, and if you still want to give me a hand with the horses," Maria looked questioning at Lilith, who nodded eagerly, "I get you some more decent clothes, and aside for the tee Britta lends you, we will put your clothes into the trash, it you don't want to keep them for sentimental reasons."

Without waiting for Lilith's answer, Maria turned to her commode, pulling out some drawers to collect some panties and socks, not bothering with looking for a bra, because she knew it wouldn't fit to well on Lilith, who surely had a cup size more than she had.

Then stepping to her wardrobe, to pick a pair of jeans, a flannel shirt and also a pair of rugged boots, which would surely serve Lilith better with the next work at hand than the frail things Lilith was wearing on her feet.

Collecting everything but the boots, and gave the stack of clothes to Lilith, she showed her the way to the bathroom, which was just next door. Taking a fresh towel out of a corner cupboard and hanging it next to the bathtub and asking if Lilith had everything she needs to take a nice shower, which was affirmed by a nod, she turned to the bathroom door, telling Lilith, she was just next door if she needs everything else. With that, she closed the door to go to her room, to change into something more suitable for the next work to do at the stable.

After she changed, Maria sat on the bed, hearing the water from the shower still running, and waited for Lilith to come back.

Meanwhile, Lilith had lathered up her hair the third time with the special persocom shampoo she had found in the shower, to get rid of all the dirt collected in there from the time she was wandering through the wilderness. After she thoroughly cleaned the rest of her body, she turned of the shower and stepped out of the bathtub and fetched the towel to dry herself off. Britta's t-shirt aside, all her old clothes had landed in the bin.

After putting on the panties and socks Maria had given to her, she stand before the bathroom cabinet looking at her upper torso in the mirror.

If any, there were only nearly invisible scars left, and when she softly touched it, she could feel her fingertips on her skin. Also her formerly nearly useless left hand was moveable as if it never was damaged. She stand there for some minutes, as a feeling of thankfulness rushed through her mind.

She fluffed up her hair, which dried much faster than human hair does, with a brush, and after a longer look into the mirror she thought 'I still can not believe how kind everyone is to me, even... Tom seems to not be any threat. And thinking back, It was more like I scared him. And Maria, a persocom being her own master, even possessing her own farm, and let me come with her and taking me into her home, knowing nothing about my past...'

She was a bit startled, as her thoughts were cut short by a knock on the bathroom door, and Maria's concerned voice asking if everything was alright.

"Just need a little longer for my hair to dry, sorry!" Lilith assured Maria, and was quick to put on the trousers and shirt than opening the bathroom door, to be greeted by Maria, who was smiling ear to ear about the hairdo that Lilith was showing, not being able to bring out more than "WOW, you are sooooo cute!"

Lilith was about to thank Maria for her kindness, as both were startled by the phone ringing in the office downstairs.

"Hold that thought for a minute, I'll have to get the phone, I'm sure It will be Britta or Tom" Maria said over her shoulder, already half way down the stairs.

She picked up the handset, and indeed, it was Britta who was calling, her first question being "So, did you both made it home save?"

"Yes" was Maria's answer "And I already found out, Lilith likes 1980's music as long as I keep it under 120 decibel, and she's scarred to death by a 170 pound human male, but likes to cuddle with a horse that out weights her by a factor of ten" she continued, smiling at Lilith, who has followed her down the stairs.

"Is it Britta or Tom on the phone?" was Lilith's question as she stand under the door to the office, and seeing that Maria nods, she said "Please tell them, I am very thankful that they saved me, and I apologize for my reaction towards Tom."

Britta, who had heard what Lilith had said, told Maria to tell her, they both understand her reaction, seeing the state she was in when she was brought to the shop by Maria.

After she relayed that to Lilith, Maria asked about the crashed console.

"Tom had the thing already up and running again, but the data log of Lilith's memory is a complete mess, we both had never before seen such a huge amount of garbage from a persocom hard disc. We still wonder, how Lilith is being able to even move!"

"But she can, and she helped me feeding the horses and we both were on our way to the stable again, to finish our morning chores. So I think, she'll be okay for now." with that, Maria bid goodbye to Britta and put the handset back on its stand.

Turning to Lilith, Maria asked "You looked, like you want to say something a moment before the phone rang?"

Lilith lowered her head, looking at the floor "You know nothing about me or my past, I don't even know it myself. Maybe I was left in the wild for a reason, maybe I am dangerous, I might even have killed someone, you might be better off, if you had let me di..."

Maria ended Lilith's lament when she rushed around the desk and pulled her into a tight hug, whispering into her ear "You know what, humans are often talking about their instinct, or their sixth sense, what ever you call it and what ever the equivalent is in a persocom, I 'know' you would never harm someone for no reason. I saw, how you were acting towards my horses and that is all I need to know, you can't be a bad person."

Lilith became stiff as a stick at first, but after she heard what Maria whispered in her ear, she put her arms around Maria leaning her head against her shoulder.

When Maria asked "You okay now?" Lilith didn't say a word, but Maria could feel her head nodding against her shoulder.

Both just standing there for what seem an eternity, till Lilith loosened her grip and Maria took a step backwards.

When she looked at Lilith, she saw that she still hadn't more on her feet than the socks she gave her.

"You better put the boots on too, for our next work could get a bit dirty. It's not like the meals we gave the horses earlier, are vanishing to nothing"

Lilith tilted her head to the side, thinking about what Maria just said, and when it dawned on her, she blushed slightly with a look of embarrassment on her face.

"Want to pass on this one?" Maria asked, only to be answered by a vigorous head shake from Lilith.

So after Lilith put her boots on, they were both once more on their way to the stable.

For the boxes to be mucked out, the horses had to be put in the corral across from the boxes. So Maria showed Lilith, how to put the halter on, to lead the horses to the corral.

After she demonstrated it with Salt and Pepper, she asked Lilith, if she want to try it herself with Misty.

Lilith nodded yes, a bright smile on her face. Than stepping to the door of the box, where Misty was already looking out, taking the halter from the hook next to the door. But when she tried to put it on, Misty flipped her ears back, a sure sign, she wasn't to fond of the idea to have the halter slipped over by Lilith.

Maria was about to say, Lilith shouldn't take it to hard and Misty was always a little capricious, Lilith starts to talk to Misty.

Except for herself and a very few people, she never had heard someone talking so soothing to a horse, Lilith's voice more a soft singing than speaking, that had something hypnotic to it. And it had an immediate effect on Misty.

Misty's ears perked up, she took a step forward and pressed her head against Lilith chest, and Lilith put her hands around Misty's neck caressing her ears.

They parted after a few seconds, and now it was easy for Lilith to put the halter on and after opening the box door, they went alongside over to the corral.

When Lilith returned to help with the next horses, Maria turned her head to the side to not let Lilith see, she had tears in her eyes.

After she blinked her tears away, she gave Lilith a smile and both were soon done with the other horses, and after some minor mishap with the wheelbarrow and the dunghill on Lilith's behalf, which made it necessary to wash her hair another three times this morning, both were done with work at the stable for at least some hours.

Maria got a new set of cloths out for Lilith, who took them with a face showing more than a little embarrassment.

"Really no reason to be ashamed, the first time I mocked out, I wanted to show that a female persocom is as good at hard work than any male groom. So I overdid it by putting so much dung on the wheelbarrow that I first had problems to get it up to the top of the dung hill, and than when I tried to unload it, it pulled me over so I dived head first into to top of the heap. I had to hose myself of for about 20 minutes, before Eric let me into the house to take a bath."

As Lilith envisage Maria stuck upside down in the dung, only her legs waving about in a struggle to get free, she burst out into uncontrollable laughter, which only ebbed away after some seconds, then she went to the bathroom, still giggling.

Maria got downstairs to the living-room, still smiling over Lilith reaction, and whilst waiting for Lilith to finish her shower, switched on the TV.

She was just channel hopping, her mind more on the events of the last hours, than on the TV program, she thought aloud "No doubt, Lilith likes horses a lot, and the horses like her, and I already grown on her like we are friends for a very long time. I wish, she will stay here with me. And she could start a new and happier life."

'But what, if the one that does this horrible thinks to her, find out about her being here, and comes to get her. From a legal point of view, whoever bought her, is her owner, and can do whatever he wants with her.' Maria thought silently, her face a mix of anger and fright.

'If that happens, I could try to find help from this ever growing movement for persocom rights. Or I could try, to offer enough money to whoever wants to get her back, to convince him to let her go...'

Maria's thought were interrupted by the news on the screen...

"After one week, it is still not clear, why this unidentified man, who was killed in a car crash after being chased by the police, was on the run, when all he had done, was damaging a persocom with a knife. Maybe, it was because he had no identity card. The damaged persocom, with the appearance of a young woman, about 6 feet tall and long brown hair, was not found, and the search was canceled after 24 hours." a female newscaster was saying "Now on to the weather forecast..."

"click" and the TV went black.

Whilst the newscaster woman was talking, a picture of a car, crashed into a tree was shown, followed by photo of a ugly man with a stubble beard, dark piercing eyes under bushy brows and greasy hair, and Maria instantly stored screen-shots on her disc, and switched the TV off, after the news ended.

Maria said there on the couch in a state of shock thinking 'The description of the persocom was a bit vague, but all in all, it was a bit to much of a coincident, and the picture of the crashed car seems to be taken not to far away from my farm, maybe 60 or 70 miles, so if Lilith was hiding most of the time, it's possible that it took her a full week to get here...'

Maria could hear the shower stop, and a few minutes later, when Lilith's footsteps could be heard on the stairs, Maria tried her best to regain her composure, not giving away her thoughts about what she just had seen in the news.

And then Lilith appeared in the door to the living-room. She stopped there, looking at Maria, with a slight expression of uncertainty in her eyes.

As Lilith stand there in the door with a insecure look, not knowing what to do, Maria patted the place on the couch beside her, inviting her to sit down.

After Lilith sat down beside her, Maria opened the conversation by saying "There's some time, till we have to go over to the stable again, so maybe now's a good time to have a talk about the events from the last hours."