William's Heart
By: Ellie Hergert
Chapter 1
William's Beginning
One dark and stormy night in Missoula, Montana a nine year old boy was on his rocking horse wearing his cowboy hat and boots and his plastic sheriff badge he had bought the previous week. He was on his rocking horse moving it as fast as he could go with a lasso rope swinging high above his head. He threw the lasso rope as far as he could, trying to lasso the chair in front of him when CRASH! It flew in the opposite direction and knocked over his desk lamp.
"Go to bed William!" his mom, Callie, called from the other room. "YEEEHAW!" William yelled back. "Honey, you can be a cowboy in the morning." Callie yelled slightly annoyed. "Catch me if you can!" William laughed as he pushed himself harder to make the rocking horse go faster then he thought it ever could. "William! Go to bed!" Callie bellowed. "You'll never catch me and Catori (the rocking horse) alive! GIDDY UP!" William tried to go faster but he wasn't able to go anywhere, making him quite disappointed when Callie walked in. "I told you to go to bed William!" she said trying to sound calm. "Cowboys sleep under the stars not inside a house!" William protested. "They sleep inside a house when they can!" she replied losing her patience. "Mom…come on just this once? Pleassse?" William whined. "No, it's rainy and cold outside. Maybe in the summertime when you're a little older." Callie replied.
William groaned but didn't protest anymore. He got off his rocking horse and put his lasso rope on the floor next to the horse. He took off his hat and boots and got into bed. "And the badge." Callie said firmly. He took his badge off and put it on his side table. "Goodnight Cowboy." Callie said softly as she kissed his head, turned the lights off, and closed the door.
He waited a second or two then got up silently and walked up to his rocking horse. He kissed it on the nose and said quietly, "Goodnight Catori." He climbed back in bed and laid there thinking about what he would do the next day. He slowly drifted of to sleep.
The next day at 6:00 Callie woke up too "YEEHAAWW! Come on Catori they're gaining on us!" It was William yet again wearing his cowboy hat and boots with his plastic sheriff and lasso rope riding his rocking horse looking happier then when he received his gifts. "Will, it's six in the morning, do you have to be so loud, and why are you even up so early, you were up really late last night!" Callie said yawned. "Catori woke me up!" Callie just rolled her eyes. "Don't be so loud!" she said walking out the door. William stuck his tongue out at her as she walked away. "I saw that William!" Callie said closing the door. William was puzzled; he was trying to think of how she saw him stick his tongue out when he heard a loud scream from outside!
He ran outside but didn't see anything. He walked around for a little longer when he heard the scream again but it didn't sound like a human screaming. He turned around and saw a whole bunch of dust rising from behind the barn.
He quickly ran inside and grabbed his lasso rope. He darted outside and to the barn. He started to turn the corner when he heard something breathing heavily. He turned the corner to see a wild mustang! He saw another mustang running away over a hill.
He looked at the mustang that was still behind the barn. William just stood there as they looked deeply into each others eyes. Out of the middle of nowhere the mustang reared and neighed. The mustang landed but soon after collapsed. William looked around and noticed that the ground was splattered with blood.
The mustang squealed and William turned his focus back to the mustang. The mustang's neck was shinning with blood from the fight. He also had a gash in his side from a strong kick from his opponent. He was struggling to breathe. Right then at that moment William knew that this beautiful Paint Mustang would change his life forever.