Chapter 7: The Wrath of Nature
As Tala wheeled into the sterile while room, she unwillingly flashed back to her own stay in the hallowed halls of health, otherwise know as hell on earth. Her face fell as she saw her father laying there obviously in a lot of pain.
" Hey dad," she whispered. He gave her a brief smile, but even that small action seemed to be too painful for him, and the smile was short lived.
"Hey sweetie," he rasped
"Just came to see how you were doing," she said "I'm really sorry." Her words were cut short by her father's raised hand.
"It's not your fault there is noting you could have done." He replied
"I'm still sorry," She looked down at her feet, "I called Mr. Grissom, he's coming out to the ranch later to talk, or whatever."
"Ok just make sure the horses get fed and watered," he answered.
"Dad, you don't have to remind me! Where's mom anyways?" She asked noticing for the first time that her mother's presence was absent from the room.
"She went to go get some coffee at the shop down the street, she said she'd be home by 7:00," he answered, obviously fighting sleep, Tala noticed this, and decided to cut the meeting short.
"Well I'll let you get some rest, tell mom I'll handle dinner. I'll be back tomorrow after I get my chores done." She gave him a small smile, and turned to leave.
As Tala wheeled out into the parking lot a few drops of rain fell onto the pavement around her. 'Looks like a nasty storm's coming' she thought to herself. She hauled herself into her car and drove home. During the 20-minute drive to her house, the storm picked up, and by the time she pulled into the driveway the rain was coming down in sheets. Tala hurriedly got out of the car and was half way to the house when she noticed the barn door swinging in the wind. 'It's not supposed to do that she though, aw damn I'd better go check it out' she thought. She quickly made her way through the driving rain to the musty dryness of the barn. When she flicked the switch she noticed something was amiss right away. 4 stalls were open, and another 6 empty. "What the.." She went over to the other door leading out to the paddocks, and saw something that made her heart stop. One gate was open and swinging back in forth as the wind whipped around it. "No.." It was barely a whisper, but her word echoes through the quiet barn."Free, no, no, not Free," Suddenly without a second though she wheeled frantically to the tack room, throwing her tack onto her lap, she wheeled to Mist's stall.
"Mist I need you now, boy I need you, we have to go find the horses that got out, ok boy," her words were slow calm as she tried to calm herself as much as the horse. Tacking up Mist in record time, she pulled herself up into the saddle and walked Mist out of the barn. The rain was coming down even harder now, and it she was fighting just to see.
"Let's go boy," She whispered to her horse and took off at a gallop across the muddy ground. The rain beat at her face and stung her eyes, but she kept them trained down on the soggy ground, watching the hoof prints flash by. She rode for what seem like forever, occasionally seeing a hoof print that told her she was going in the right direction. The air around her was growing cold, and soon her fingers were so cold she couldn't feel them, and she started to worry about holding on, when the leather reins started to slip from her fingers. There were no more hoof prints telling her she was going in the right direction, and she was praying that she was still on the right track. The up ahead she saw a small grove of withered trees, who had stood the test of time, and conditions and had survived in the arid desert. Underneath the small twisted limbs stood Free and all the other horses that had gotten out. Free seemed to be keeping them all in one place. "Good boy Free, good boy" She told him as she pulled Mist to a stop under the small trees. "Free come, come on Free, time to go home," She said as she turned Mist and started home, the other horses following easily. When they reached a flat stretch of land, Tala urged Mist into a canter and they slowly made their way home.
Back in the barn, after all the horses, had been put in their stalls, Tala looked around wearily, and slowly made her way back to the house. Once inside the door, she had just taken off her shoes when she passed out on the floor.
As Tala wheeled into the sterile while room, she unwillingly flashed back to her own stay in the hallowed halls of health, otherwise know as hell on earth. Her face fell as she saw her father laying there obviously in a lot of pain.
" Hey dad," she whispered. He gave her a brief smile, but even that small action seemed to be too painful for him, and the smile was short lived.
"Hey sweetie," he rasped
"Just came to see how you were doing," she said "I'm really sorry." Her words were cut short by her father's raised hand.
"It's not your fault there is noting you could have done." He replied
"I'm still sorry," She looked down at her feet, "I called Mr. Grissom, he's coming out to the ranch later to talk, or whatever."
"Ok just make sure the horses get fed and watered," he answered.
"Dad, you don't have to remind me! Where's mom anyways?" She asked noticing for the first time that her mother's presence was absent from the room.
"She went to go get some coffee at the shop down the street, she said she'd be home by 7:00," he answered, obviously fighting sleep, Tala noticed this, and decided to cut the meeting short.
"Well I'll let you get some rest, tell mom I'll handle dinner. I'll be back tomorrow after I get my chores done." She gave him a small smile, and turned to leave.
As Tala wheeled out into the parking lot a few drops of rain fell onto the pavement around her. 'Looks like a nasty storm's coming' she thought to herself. She hauled herself into her car and drove home. During the 20-minute drive to her house, the storm picked up, and by the time she pulled into the driveway the rain was coming down in sheets. Tala hurriedly got out of the car and was half way to the house when she noticed the barn door swinging in the wind. 'It's not supposed to do that she though, aw damn I'd better go check it out' she thought. She quickly made her way through the driving rain to the musty dryness of the barn. When she flicked the switch she noticed something was amiss right away. 4 stalls were open, and another 6 empty. "What the.." She went over to the other door leading out to the paddocks, and saw something that made her heart stop. One gate was open and swinging back in forth as the wind whipped around it. "No.." It was barely a whisper, but her word echoes through the quiet barn."Free, no, no, not Free," Suddenly without a second though she wheeled frantically to the tack room, throwing her tack onto her lap, she wheeled to Mist's stall.
"Mist I need you now, boy I need you, we have to go find the horses that got out, ok boy," her words were slow calm as she tried to calm herself as much as the horse. Tacking up Mist in record time, she pulled herself up into the saddle and walked Mist out of the barn. The rain was coming down even harder now, and it she was fighting just to see.
"Let's go boy," She whispered to her horse and took off at a gallop across the muddy ground. The rain beat at her face and stung her eyes, but she kept them trained down on the soggy ground, watching the hoof prints flash by. She rode for what seem like forever, occasionally seeing a hoof print that told her she was going in the right direction. The air around her was growing cold, and soon her fingers were so cold she couldn't feel them, and she started to worry about holding on, when the leather reins started to slip from her fingers. There were no more hoof prints telling her she was going in the right direction, and she was praying that she was still on the right track. The up ahead she saw a small grove of withered trees, who had stood the test of time, and conditions and had survived in the arid desert. Underneath the small twisted limbs stood Free and all the other horses that had gotten out. Free seemed to be keeping them all in one place. "Good boy Free, good boy" She told him as she pulled Mist to a stop under the small trees. "Free come, come on Free, time to go home," She said as she turned Mist and started home, the other horses following easily. When they reached a flat stretch of land, Tala urged Mist into a canter and they slowly made their way home.
Back in the barn, after all the horses, had been put in their stalls, Tala looked around wearily, and slowly made her way back to the house. Once inside the door, she had just taken off her shoes when she passed out on the floor.