The Storm Before Dawn

Chapter 21

The party was awesome! Zœ didn't talk to me before she smacked me, I think it was a form of payback. The slap didn't hurt, but she doesn't need to know that. Once she started talking to me again we had an awesome night.

Everyone hung out tell ten ish and then started filtering out the door. Sky was a big hit in her turkey outfit, she was super insulted, but adorable.

It's been two days since the party and Zara, Zœ, and I are going on a trail ride to explore a new trail. Zœ likes to feed Pepper human food, it may not be very healthy, but he likes it. Today's treat of choice was Cheeze-its. Pepper seemed to be enjoying himself and was very content munching on the unhealthy snack.

Zara had wanted to ride Blossom, so my mom let her. I think she wants to adopt her as soon as her parents say yes.

I was riding Dawn, she was no longer skinny or malnourished, she was actually getting pretty plump. We are walking in a wide meadow, three wide. Zara was on the left Zœ was in the centre and I was on the right.

Eventually the trail started thinking as we went closer to the woods. By the time we were fully in the woods, we were about to go single file, but we heard a rustle in the brush. Made by a creature I assumed.

And I was right. The three of us stopped and stared into the brush. Then suddenly, four deer leap out of the brush, two in front of us and two behind us. Pepper freaks out and slams into Dawn who in return gives a huge buck, sending me flying. Pepper also bucks sending Zœ through the air.

Some how Zara stays on and then looks as us. But before she can ask anything a few more deer jump out onto the trail behind us. Pepper takes off and Dawn is close behind him. I look to Zara and just nod. The nod is enough. She kicks Blossom into a fast canter and takes off after Dawn and Pepper.

Then next thing I notice is that the Cheeze-its are everywhere on this part if the trail. When Zœ went flying so did the Cheeze-its!

Zœ looks at me her eyes brimming with tears.

"Where did they go?"

"Who?" I replied already knowing the answer.

"Pepper and Dawn."

"I don't know they took off."

Saying this made her burst into tears. Here we go. Zœ tantrums are never fun.

"Zœ do you notice anyone else gone?"

"Zara" she sobs out.

"Yeah and you know where she went?"

Zœ shakes her head not giving me an audible answer.

"She is following them right now. In fact she has probably caught both of them and is on her way back"

Zœ nods and slowly calms down. Sometimes she seems like a little kid, easily worked up, but easy to calm down. Most of the time. We sit in comfortable silence as we wait for Zara. I notice my phone on a nearby patch of grass, and grab it. I start texting Zara while Zœ discovers that Cheeze-its from the ground are still good.

I am about to hit send when I get a call. The caller ID says that it is Zara. I hit "accept" and before I have a chance to say anything Zara starts talking.

"I can't find them! I followed their hoof marks, but they went off of the trail and I followed that but I have been following those but I can't find then they are long gone I don't know where they are I think we have to send out a search party or the cops or your mom or or or or or or........."

Zœ at hearing this, bursts into tears. Wrong time to put a conversation on speaker phone. Mental face slap.

I talk to Zara for a few more minutes, then hang up. Zœ is screaming and sobbing. I don't blame her, I feel like screaming and crying right now too. I hear sort of words coming out of her but I am not sure. After a few minutes of listening I figure out what she is saying.

"If Pepper comes back, sniff sniff, he is never, sniff, getting Cheeze-its, sniff sniff, AGAIN"

She is repeating it louder for awhile, then goes back to mumbling it. Her hair is a mess, scratch that she is a mess. I pull her to her feet and start pulling her back home. After awhile I get Zœ to the barn where I put her in the loft to take a nap. I also get her a chocolate chip cookie and Gatorade.

Zara shows up a little later, on a sweaty Blossom.

"Hey on the bright side she will be a good cross-country horse!"

"Yeah"

I am really close to crying right now, but with Zœ in the loft I can't or it will freak her out even more. Instead I go inside to find something to eat, besides cookies. I find a note on the counter from my mom.

Asha,

I got called on a rescue two hours away, so don't expect me to be home for awhile. It is 2:00 right now. So expect me to be back at 9 ish. There is Mac and Cheese in the cupboard.

~Mom

This is going to be interesting. A crazy Zœ and missing horses. I eat a banana and decide to go start looking for them.

I grab Star out of his stall and Zara grabs Jet. She is bringing me to where she left off then will come back to exercise horses and watch Zœ.

A few hours later and a sweaty Star. I come back to the barn empty handed. And I managed to lose all of my hope along with Dawn somewhere....

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