Free Spirit

Chapter One

Hiya! 'Free Spirit' is made up by me, but inspiration came from childhood movies and my fave Wattpad book: Wild Horse, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Heartland and Flicka 1-3.

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Enjoy the read!

I watched bitterly as the familiar city landscape gave way to the mountains and rolling plains of Alberta, Canada. Uncle John's Jeep rumbled along the dirt track, passing houses and small farms , the occasional tree, or grazing horse. I leaned back against the cracked leather seat, closing my eyes and dreaming of my old life back in the city, my life before the car accident changed everything- life with my parents, my friends, life with concrete. 

-

I don't know how long I'd been asleep for when Uncle John woke me, but when I looked outside again the stretching blue sky had melted into a dark purplish-blue. John flicked the headlights on, as well as the Jeep's wildly outdated stereo, and was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the rhythm of the music. 

Suddenly, the car breaks to a stop, and I could hear gravel being spat out beneath the tyres.

"Here we are, Amy," Uncle John noted from the front seat. "Welcome to Maple Ridge Ranch."

-

A cloud of dust rose from beneath my trainers as I stepped out of the car and onto the dirt track, which ran around the property. The unfamiliar stench of horses, hay and manure immediately hit me, and I could feel the hot, still air hanging around me- making me long for my past life even more. From where I stood, I could make out the crumbling shingle roof of John's old house, and could see the peeling white paint of the porch.

John ushered me under the porch, a wall light flickering on as we stepped beneath the flimsy wooden structure. Following him through into the house, I paused and surveyed my new surroundings. The interior of John's house was open-plan but small. A simple country kitchen sat to my left, a dining table placed in front of it, and to my right, a living room fitted with wooden furniture and armchairs. He led me up a rickety staircase and down a narrow hallway, portraits of horses and past ranchers of Maple Ridge lining the yellowed walls. 

"This is your room," He paused in front of the last door to the right, and with an expectant look from him, I slowly push it open. "It's small, but you should do fine." I shuffled over the threshold of my new room, dropping my bag at the foot of the bed, which was central to a solitary window looking over the rest of the ranch. I ran my hand over the shabby-looking desk to the left of my bed. A thin coat of dust transferred to my fingers. Wiping my hand on my jeans, I noticed a closet beside the room door, which John was still standing by. 

"Thanks." I gave a weak smile to my Uncle.

"I'll leave you to unpack." John turned away from me, the door clicking shut behind him. I flopped down onto the plain quilt on the bed, feeling hollow inside, a cold loneliness washing over me. And finally, the tears began to spill.

And that's the first chapter of 'Free Spirit!' 

I'm sorry if it may  have been too short, lacked in horses and is a bit rough around the edges, but I promise it'll improve in later chapters. 

Let me know what y'all thought!