"I wish we lived in a place where Luna and Eclipse could run wild,"
complained Alex as her and Tori rose their horses through Central Park.
Alex was always dreaming of wide-open spaces where she could run wild and
not be trapped. Tori never understood the passion for freedom. She just
assumed it was genetic. The women in Alex's family had a habit of running
far and never coming back. Tori hoped that Alex would stay put and not run.
Tori had been there when Alex's parents left her. No one could figure out why, everyone just assumed something happened on a spur-of-the-moment trip and no one could identify the bodies. Poor Alex thought it was her fault. Not that she ever admitted this, but Tori knew.
Alex loved her mom more then anything. And the pain of being abandoned hurt more then any physical pain she could put herself through. Some how she still clung to the hope that they would come back. Alex had the ring for God's sake. The engagement ring her mother cherished. They would come back and tell her about the adventure they went on. It took longer then expected because of a witch's spell that made them forget who they were. They would come back and all of them would live Happily Ever After. But that only happened in the storybooks, and never in real life. The truth, or so she thought, was her parents didn't want her and left. She hated them for that, but the only thing she could do about it was not to repeat it to her own children, if she was ever cruel enough to have any.
"They didn't leave you without a good reason," Tori piped in, interrupting Alex's thoughts. Sometimes she wondered if Tori could read minds.
"I wasn't thinking about them," was Alex's defensive answer.
"Yes, you were. You were playing with the ring. Besides, you always think of them when we ride. Heck, you think of them every time we come to Central Park."
"They left me ten years ago, why would I still care? It's genetic, my grandma left my mom, and she left me. I won't have children so I don't disappoint them when I leave."
"What about your friends? Will you leave us?"
Alex kicked Eclipse into a run. "Race you to the end!"
Tori hated it when Alex raced. Tori was afraid of tripping Luna and going down, breaking a leg or something. But she always followed Alex, and today wasn't any different. Tori was bent on keeping her friend insight. Suddenly Tori heard nothing, saw only blackness. Just as suddenly Luna was jumping off something and Tori wasn't ready. She fell of the horse, hearing a sickening "Snap!" pain filled her legs and she stared screaming. She saw Alex jump of Eclipse and run to her.
"My ankle! I told you I would break my ankle racing you! Now look! What happened? Why did Luna have to jump off anything? Where are we?"
Tori had been there when Alex's parents left her. No one could figure out why, everyone just assumed something happened on a spur-of-the-moment trip and no one could identify the bodies. Poor Alex thought it was her fault. Not that she ever admitted this, but Tori knew.
Alex loved her mom more then anything. And the pain of being abandoned hurt more then any physical pain she could put herself through. Some how she still clung to the hope that they would come back. Alex had the ring for God's sake. The engagement ring her mother cherished. They would come back and tell her about the adventure they went on. It took longer then expected because of a witch's spell that made them forget who they were. They would come back and all of them would live Happily Ever After. But that only happened in the storybooks, and never in real life. The truth, or so she thought, was her parents didn't want her and left. She hated them for that, but the only thing she could do about it was not to repeat it to her own children, if she was ever cruel enough to have any.
"They didn't leave you without a good reason," Tori piped in, interrupting Alex's thoughts. Sometimes she wondered if Tori could read minds.
"I wasn't thinking about them," was Alex's defensive answer.
"Yes, you were. You were playing with the ring. Besides, you always think of them when we ride. Heck, you think of them every time we come to Central Park."
"They left me ten years ago, why would I still care? It's genetic, my grandma left my mom, and she left me. I won't have children so I don't disappoint them when I leave."
"What about your friends? Will you leave us?"
Alex kicked Eclipse into a run. "Race you to the end!"
Tori hated it when Alex raced. Tori was afraid of tripping Luna and going down, breaking a leg or something. But she always followed Alex, and today wasn't any different. Tori was bent on keeping her friend insight. Suddenly Tori heard nothing, saw only blackness. Just as suddenly Luna was jumping off something and Tori wasn't ready. She fell of the horse, hearing a sickening "Snap!" pain filled her legs and she stared screaming. She saw Alex jump of Eclipse and run to her.
"My ankle! I told you I would break my ankle racing you! Now look! What happened? Why did Luna have to jump off anything? Where are we?"