Placing the key in the lock of the gate I turned it slowly until it clicked open; pulling it open giving my mother just enough room to squeeze through, the box still in her hand.
"Need any help with that mom?" I asked politely.
"No, I got it—besides I wouldn't want any of these to break" she replied, walking inside our new living quarters.
Must be plate and cups I thought. Walking out towards the car to grab my own stuff.
Once I had found where my mom parked our car, I opened up the car's trunk to reveal five or six boxes contain all our stuff from back home. I scanned the box until I found the four boxes that held my stuff. Along with a small dark bag—I decided to take the bag inside first since it was the lightest.
I grabbed it out from the back and walked back towards the stables, my fingers gripped tightly around it. As I walk through the gate—which was now unlocked I begin to walk in the direction of my new home.
"Where's my room?" I asked bursting through the front door.
"Straight up those stairs" my mom replied from the kitchen.
"Okay thanks" I replied, running up towards my room. Walking in, I set the small brown bag down on the mattress of my unmade bed.
As I prepared to walk I saw my mom coming up the stairs with two boxes in hand.
"Hi mom, ya need a hand?"
"Yeah, I would" she smiled. "Here" she handed me one of the big boxes. I saw on the box where I had written 'Movie Posters' along the front. Walking into my new room, my mom and I set our boxes down. I watched as my mom turned and walked out.
I sat on the floor opening the boxes one by one... until.
"I should probably wait for the moving van," I thought. Bounding down the stairs. Where I found my mom waiting for me at the bottom.
"Annabelle, I've been waiting for you"
"Waiting for me?" I questioned, looking at her in utter confusion.
"Yeah, I want to show your third, and final surprise"
"Look, can we do that later; right now—I just wanna go get the rest of my thing out of the moving van"
"Oh, okay: umm... good" she replied. Letting me exit the house, I walked along the stone road; excited the stables through the gate and quickly found the white moving van.
I got a few more boxes out of the moving van and quickly carried them happily back to the house, once I got my room nice and set just how I like it I hopped downstairs to eagerly await my mother.
"Hey mom" I exclaimed happily.
"Hey Annabelle, are you ready to be blown away by my awesome surprise?"
"Whoa, mom. Chill, and yes!"
"Well okay... be prepared to be amazed" she announced, pulling out blindfold. Placing it over my eyes she led me outside. "Now, follow me," she said.
"Okay" I placed my hand on her arm as we walked over the stone path—the hard stone felt weird under my feet.
"Now, there's a step here," she said, guiding my foot up and over—the closer and closer I got to my surprise and more a smelled that of horse.
"Okay, you can now remove the blindfold"
"Okay" I removed the blindfold... and there standing a few feet away was the most gorgeous horse I ever laid my eyes on. With its paint-colored coat, light mane and tail; and... I felt something, something powerful. I walked in kind of a trance toward that magnificent looking giant, putting a hand on the horse's muzzle.
"You like?"
"Heck yeah," I turned, the biggest smile planted on my face as I hugged her. "Thank you, thank you so much" pulling away I asked her the exact question I was thinking ... "so... is this horse mine to keep?"
"Well..." she sighed, "No... not exactly"
"Oh..."
"You see all these horses were... donated"
"Donated?"
"Well, yeah... but—hey, who knows... that may be a possibility one day" she smiled.
"Okay," I smiled a somewhat weak smile. "Thanks, mom" I hugged her again.
"You're so welcome" she exclaimed. "You deserve a little happiness right now" I smiled, pulling away again.
"So... "
"So..." my mom mimicked.
"So... is it a boy or a girl?"
"Well, I made sure to rent a girl for you, I figured you too can bond more if it was a mare considering they're nice and gentle"
"Oh..."
"As you get more experienced you can decide on a stallion"
"Okay"
"So, what have you decided to name this beauty?"
"Well" I sighed, "her coat kind of reminds me of some swirl flavored ice cream"
"Oh, like... chocolate and vanilla swirl"
"Well... yeah, but I was thinking more along the lines of: Cinnamonswirl"
"Cinnamonswirl, hmm... nice name" she exclaimed, "now, how about we go and meet some more of the islander's around here"
"Okay," I said, cheerfully walking out with my mother.
The first resident we came to was... a big, clean-cut guy who claimed to be the manager of the whole facility.
"Hi Mister...?" my mother started.
"Moorland. Thomas Moorland"
"Well Mister Moorland, this is my daughter Annabelle" she nudged me towards the man.
"Hi" I waved shyly.
"So, you're the famous Annabelle I've heard so much about eh?" he chuckled. "Well, please to meet ya" he grabbed my hand and shook it thusly.
"You too Mister, and you can call me Anna if you'd like"
"Okay Annabelle, and you can call me Thomas"
"Okay," I replied.