Cowgirls Don't Cry

Once upon a time

(one year later, age 14)

Applejack, was taken away, Paw said that the traders would have burned the stables if we  hadn't given her up! But I kept my chin high, in hopes, of someday maybe getting her back! Out here in the deep Texas brush, was our little ranch, Mayberry Ranch, I loved the beautiful oak trees that once surrounded our little land!

Paw said, that once, the pochers tried to burn the forest, but instead, Spirit had come! We got him,on that day. He had been running through the 'woods' when he smelled smoke! He ran to the source, there he saw three white men and two black men, most likley in a clan.

Mum, died that day! God bless her, she had been crushed by a toppeling tree. From then on, my memaw Maria has been living with us. Spirit chased off the pochers, then ran to rescue my mum, but he was too late, the tree had taken her life! He stopped, and nudged the tree with his nose.

Paw ran out, just in time to see the stallion trotting towrds him. "My, my, you are a beauty" said paw as he stroaked the silky black coat!

I walked out, rubbing my eyes, my eight year old self was tired I guess!  I saw the huge horse, and couldn't believe my eyes, never before had I seen a horse! Only the ones on the television! Right here, right now, I'm in love!!! With horses! Wild horses, to be exact, you never know what they're thinking!

Why would something so beautiful, ever be hunted? It's cruel, and despicable! I love Spirit! OOH! Spirit got his name, when Paw was stroking his coat, on his head, there was a marking, but not the kind that usual horses have, you know, the star or the circle, no this was a marking, that looked exactly like the spirit river, flowing up from Snyder Texas!

Oh how I loved to go up there and sit, put my feet in the water, watch the tadpoles! Pure beauty! I loved it, I loved everything about it, even when dense fog hung over the crystal waters, thats where it got its name! But enough about that day, lets fast forward to when I Janie Walsh, was Fourteen!

I kicked the pebbles, my overalls covered in mud, the way I liked it, clean yet dirty! Whispering softly to myself, something I'd know for so long, Almost six entire years ago, was when mum died! "Cowgirls, don't cry" I said sheilding my eyes from any unwanted, sunrays. May trailed at my heals, The sheep dog, was a beautiful black and white Collie, my other dog, Shep, was a Blutick hound. We used him mostly for hunting!

Spirit river, wasn't too far away. I didn't want to go to school! It was boring, and if I did one thing wrong the teacher would give me the stick. "May, wanna go down to the Spirit?" I asked, then I felt as if someone was watching me! I turned to see, Chris Bridges, the fourteen year old troublemaker! His twin brother Cliff, had always been the nice one!

I kept walking, I'm not skipping school, TODAY! After I walked in the building, May ran back home. I knew she would be back around lunch time. So there was nothing to worry about! I set my bag down, Chris stared at me, "What" I snapped, he laughed and walked away, his usual.

Cliff waved at me, it was hard to tell that they were twins! Chris looked more like his sister Angela, I thought they were the twins at first!

I pushed open the door, sitting on the front step, with my lunch. May came over and sat next to me, prissy girls, in dresses, neat and fancy, lined up with crossed leggs, under the onning. "Hey Walsh" one of them yelled, I looked up "where'd you get your clothes, grandma" she asked snottily "Actually YES" I smiled smugly. Cliff sat down next to the girl. But Chriss walked straight over to me!

"Hey, don't let them get to you" he said, "I won't" I smiled, he sat down next to me, petting May. "I have a dog too" he said, "really cool" I smiled, no one had ever sat and talked to me at lunch before, just during class. "Yeah, he died" he said, with a frown, "Aww, I'm sorry" I said, he smiled and shook his head, "That was six years ago" he said, SIX YEARS!!!!

Wow, um I'M NOT FREAKING OUT!

What I'm not. I saw paw's pickup pull into the school drive, Janie, time to go, we gotta take Maria to her show" he yelled, I jumped up, just when it started to rain, The prissy girls ran inside hiding their hair with their hats, Chris waved goodbye, and I returned the wave, Then I let May jump into the Pickup, and we drove away!