Horace and the Horse

Chapter 1

The wind whipped past her long, luscious locks, gracefully flowing in the wind. The brown strands of hair were perfectly sculpted to frame her beautiful pale face. She wasn't like other girls, not at all. Though she worked at an office, surrounded by dull, middle-aged men who weren't attractive whatsoever, (quite the opposite,) she had always yearned for more. She was staying at a ranch for the summer, and this was the chance of a lifetime. Here at this ranch, she could meet a handsome, hardworking horse- I mean man, who would provide for her and farm all the wheat she could ever want.

The sun shone bright, illuminating her perfect features and dainty shoulders, the height of female expectations. So young and full of life, she walked with a bubbly saunter that no other girl could compare to.

As her small feet lightly trotted along the path, she looked up and saw it. The stable. It was bright red with rusted doors, peeling paint, and dirt smudged across the wooden planks. It was perfect, she knew.

She was different from other girls, she didn't wear makeup because her face was perfectly beautiful at birth, and she could never dream of deceiving those with false beauty like so many others did. Lots of people would stare in awe when she walked by, admiring her amazingly amazing face. Her skin the color of cream with a few drops of caramel coffee, the perfect blend of vanilla and chocolate baked into a perfect cake.

She approached the barn with her dainty figure, almost getting blown away by the soft gust of the wind across her rosy cheeks. As she opened the door with her small and perfect hands, she looked inside, to be greeted by a small, potato-shaped man. She inspected him, stubby and short, he looked like he could be cooked into a perfect potato stew, maybe a creamy coleslaw. A thick southern accent extruded from his mustached mouth.

"Howdy there, are you the girl who rented out this ranch?"

She nodded nervously, slightly off-put by the health condition of this seemingly round man. "Yes, My name is Horace."

The man nodded. "I can't help but compliment you on your lovely aura and all-around greatness. I've never seen such a perfect specimen of life."

Before she got the chance to answer, (which would have been self-deprecating, she was too kind to accept compliments) the man took her hand and led her to the horse stalls.

"This here is Alejandro, our best steed in the stable." The man patted the strong horse's back, but Horace's eyes traveled to the horse's face.

Her almond orbs dilated as she looked up at the handsome face on the horse, surprised.

Alejandro's eyes were flawlessly tilted, perfect to look deeply into. His mouth was slanted into a slight smirk, and his hair blew lightly in the wind, only extenuating his seductive features as he neighed and whinnied in a sultry tone. The shiny brown coat of fur across his muscular frame was soft and well-groomed, a sign of a responsible man- no. He wasn't a man. He was a horse, and she could never be attracted to him. She turned her head to face the potato man, confused.

"Why does he... have a human head?"

The potato man laughs, wiggling his little potato body. "Are you the year of the horse?"

Horace nods shyly, twirling her hair between her perfectly manicured fingers in a nervous manner.

"People who were born in the year of the horse sometimes see horses with human heads. (There are multiple theories to prove this). You are very special because of this, which only adds to your perfect and charming mystique."

She bites her lip and looks down as she tucks a lock of luscious hair behind her ear, a bit embarrassed from all the attention she is getting from the potato man.

"I'm not special like you think I am, I'm... different. I don't like the things that normal girls like, I don't care about my looks, even though you probably think I do because I look amazing all the time."

The potato man shakes his head.

"Your graceful beauty and beautiful grace cannot compare to your humbleness. I should go take care of the other animals, but take some time to get to know Alejandro."

Without another word, the fat potato man left the barn, leaving Horace and Alejandro alone in the stable.