The Ranch at Lake Aurelia

Anna

Anna

"Anna! Where are you? I can hardly see you!" I shouted to him, "I'm right here! Can you see me?" I turned around and froze. I could not control it, but my body shook to its core. Face to face with the enemy in the mountains, my feet stayed planted where they were, and I was immovable. The blood in my veins rushed to my head and I was about to faint. I had never been face to face with a wolf, much less a wild animal. Cold and scared, I quickly scanned the area for something that I could distract the wolf with, but found nothing.All of a sudden, a shadow loomed over me from behind, and then he was there. The boy scared the animal off with a tree branch and turned to face me. I had no idea who he was. I walked up to him, put my hand up to his face, and just when I was about to thank him, he vanished.

The pickup truck we rode in hit a pothole and jerked me out of a horrible nightmare, and I re-situated myself on the uncomfortable leather cushion in the backseat. I had that dream three times over the past month, and I, more confused than before, did not know why it was recurring. I looked around the truck and made sure I was where I was really supposed to be, and not a false awakening. My stepfather Harold still sat in the driver's seat. We were on our way to Hot Springs, North Carolina, and my new home. I was a bit anxious to get out of that vehicle and stretch my legs. The trip from eastern Maryland to western North Carolina was pretty long. Harold started humming to the music on the radio, and my mom sat next to him, reading a trashy romance novel. She picked up that habit when she started dating him.

Taking a sip of water out of the bottle I bought at the last rest stop, I gazed out the window at the auburn meadows dancing in the wind. The sun dipped behind the far-reaching mountainous region of the area of Erwin, North Carolina, as we were almost to Hot Springs. We passed a clearing where about a half dozen cattle stood, chomping on their dinner. "When are we going to get there?" I asked.

"Almost there, Anna," Harold replied. He raised the volume of the music; hence his humming became singing, and turned down a grungy dirt road. "The flowers are beautiful this time of year, Harold," my mom mentioned, pointing to a meadow of wildflowers. Harold just nodded. I was not keen on the idea of having a father figure around now, but I kind of enjoyed Harold. He wasn't much of a talker.I sighed, put my earbuds back into my ears and listened to the iTunes playlist I had made just for the drive to Hot Springs. I knew I was going to be bored on the trip down. As a soothing song came on, I drifted back into a semi-comatose state. The truck hit another hole and again woke me out of my siesta. Luckily, I had been spared of that dream again. I looked outside, and all I saw were rows upon rows of cornfields. The sky had grown darker, and droplets of water started pinging on the top of the truck. It had rained most of the way down from Baltimore, but by the time we arrived in North Carolina, however, the rain had dissipated, and the threatening clouds looked thick with water. Good thing that Harold secured the lid to the bed of the truck to cover our belongings, or else our suitcases and boxes would have gotten wet. The rest came with us, which arrived the day before in a moving truck and Mom had to store some things with my grandparents. We only had a few suitcases today, and a couple boxes that did not fit inside of the moving truck. Harold and his son, my new stepbrother Declan, had unloaded everything and moved it into the house at the ranch.I was excited to experience living on a ranch for the first time. I have lived in Baltimore most of my life, so moving from a big city to a small town was a completely new journey. After my mom married Harold, she convinced me that moving would be the best thing to do for our familyMy mom met him at a horse ranching conference in Baltimore. She had covered the conference for the news and she interviewed him about the meetings that took place that day, and they ended up having coffee after his interview. I asked her why she decided to go out with him, and she told me it was because no one had made her laugh like she did that day since my father died. She was then completely and utterly smitten with him. When he met me, he told me, he thought my mom was the most beautiful person he'd ever met. I looked just like her. A few months later, when they married, Mom decided to quit her job and move us to Harold's horse ranch in North Carolina. She told me that if she needed to, she could get a job there. I didn't want to move. I had just received my driver's license in the state of Maryland, had an eighteen-year-old boyfriend, and wanted to graduate from high school with my friends. I told my mom six weeks before she and Harold got married, that I wasn't going. She told me I had no choice in the matter. We argued about it for days. Then mom told me the bottom line. She told me she did not want us to fight anymore, and while we were packing up the kitchen the other day, she said, "Put all of your faith and trust into this, Anna. There is going to be something special in Hot Springs just for you. You just might be surprised." She really did have a point, so I decided to let go of the things that were keeping me back. I knew that my ex-boyfriend, Jackson, had been mulling around other girls for a while, so I broke up with him when he asked another girl to the prom. And I did it during the basketball pep rally in front of the whole school. He was so embarrassed! I also had to say goodbye to my best friend Ivy, and my other friends, which I really didn't want to do. Ivy and I have been inseparable since we were four. I told her to come visit me when summer came around. I had been a little reluctant about this whole ranch thing, but the lack of enthusiasm had turned into more like excitement. I took horseback riding lessons when I was about eleven years old for a few months; however, my mom forced me to quit. I guess being around horses was too much for her because they reminded her of my dad. Five years later, however, she was pretty much open to the fact that Harold owned a farm and bred horses. It even took him a little while to coax me into being excited to move. He brought Declan to Baltimore for a weekend, and by that time, I had given in. Harold made another left onto a dirt road where the dust started flying into the truck, and I closed my window. All of a sudden there stood a burgundy sign that read "Spanish Cedar Stables." A silhouette on the sign showed a Spanish cedar tree and two horses facing the tree.This earthy road seemed to take forever, but I just gazed out the window and let everything I saw be etched into my memory. A utility fence lined the road, and Spanish cedar trees stood behind the fence. I turned to my left and what looked like a track was under construction. I couldn't see much of the track since most of the daylight was gone, so I made it a point to visit the track tomorrow. I knew we were living on a farm, and it would probably bring back memories of my dad, but Mom and I both agreed that this was a new start for us, since the past was way behind us. I was still upset about my mom dragging me down here, but I was getting to the point where I kept thinking to myself, leaving my city life and coming here might be just what I need."Declan told me he was going to order out for dinner. Penny, can you call him to let him know we are here?" Harold asked my mother.Mom pulled her cell phone out of her purse and called Declan. A few minutes later, Harold pulled up in front of the house. I moved to the opposite side of the backseat and opened the window to assess the area. An old, three-story Victorian style home stood in front of me, and I could tell it was in need of some repair. Mom and I would help Harold with any of the home repairs. We were always handy women.The navy shutters outlined the windows on the first and second floors, and the wraparound porch sported a fresh coat of white paint. That seemed like the only thing that just had work done. A lookout stood above on the roof of the house. Wait, a lookout? That seemed cool. Two or three paint cans and a few paintbrushes sat at the foot of a shrub near the porch, so I assumed the paint job was still a work in progress. I opened up the door and slid out of the truck. Gazing around, I could not believe what else I was seeing. Resembling weeping willows, the tall Spanish cedar trees towered over me. I guess that is why Harold's family named the ranch what it is. To the left of the house was a skinny dirt path that snaked down to the crimson colored barn, which held the horses. Bright floodlights on the barn shone on a fenced-in practice ring. "Anna? Your bags, can you grab a few, please?" Mom asked, interrupting my thoughts.A silent wind picked up, and I shivered as I pulled out my overnight bag and another suitcase from the bed of the truck. I turned around, and when I looked to the right, I saw... What was this?A lake was in my backyard? My mouth dropped. "Mom, you did not tell me there was a lake here!"Mom looked across the bed of the truck at me. "Sorry, sweetheart. I wanted to keep it a secret. Surprise!" I walked back around the truck and walked with her to the steps. "I can not wait to go swimming!"Suddenly, my stepbrother Declan burst out the front door. He was covered in dried lavender-colored paint from head to toe. "Hi, Declan," I said. "Paint much?""Hi, Anna," he said in a southern and Irish accent, walking up to me. "I was painting a door in the backyard, although it rained on and off today, and I had to move it underneath the awning. How was your trip?""Fine," I replied. "Could have died from boredom in the car, though. All I had was a book and my iPhone."He chuckled and nodded to Harold. "Dad could do that to you. Come on inside, where it is warm and dry. I am sure you don't want to get too wet," he added, as it started drizzling. I picked up my overnight bag and my backpack and followed them into the house. Walking up the creaky front porch, I took a breath, opened up the door and walked inside.The interior of my new house took my breath away. The cheerfully colored foyer had a lowered ceiling with a chandelier, and to my left was an office. To my right, the dining room. The foyer seemed to speak softly to me, its walls inviting me inside. I walked down the hall toward the kitchen, and noticed the walls in the hallway were lined with pictures of Harold and Declan. I noticed a photo of a younger version of Harold, but I couldn't make out the date. He was standing next to another man, who was holding a trophy. A young boy stood next to him on the opposite side of a jet back colt. The trophy read "Breeder's Cup". I wondered who the boy was. "You will be up there, soon, Anna," Declan said in a soft Irish accent, coming up behind me. "You and Penny. In fact," he said, disappearing into the dining room and re-emerging with a framed picture, "Dad wants to put this one up." I took the frame from him and saw my smiling face staring back at me. I wore a yellow chiffon dress and stood next to my mother at her and Harold's wedding in Washington, DC. "Nice," I replied, rolling my eyes and handing it back to him. "Truthfully, Declan, I hated that dress." He chuckled. "I know. You were fidgety all day." "You have so many pictures," I pointed to one on the wall that looked like him, but a younger version. Just to be sure, I asked, "Is this you?""The adoption agency sent Harold and Laurel that picture before I came over to the United States." I studied another picture. "You seem happy here." This was one of Declan and Laurel, when they were in Ireland.Laurel was Harold's first wife. He had told me they were only married a few years, and couldn't have any kids, so they decided to adopt from Ireland. That is why Declan has somewhat of an Irish accent, with a southern tilt. Laurel passed away when she and Harold were getting ready for their final trip to Ireland, to sign the adoption papers and bring Declan home. When Laurel died, Harold had a hard time trying to adopt Declan, but after Declan turned ten, however, the adoption papers were finalized and Harold and Declan flew back to the United States. My stomach started grumbling. Boy, I was really hungry. "Hey, what are we doing for dinner?""There is a pizza in the kitchen. Follow me."I dropped my duffel bag and did what I was told. When I walked into the next room, I noticed that the whole room spanned the back of the house. "Wow, this is huge," I said. This rustic-looking room had high ceilings with wooden beams running across it. A large painting spanned the back wall. There was a chocolate-colored leather couch sitting on brown plush carpeting, facing a television in the far corner of the room. The space definitely needed a woman's touch.Harold replied, "This room is called a great room. It is kind of like a family room, living room, and kitchen all rolled into one." "I think we should change it around a bit. Make it more homey, Harold," my mom replied, coming into the room. She always likes to spice areas up a bit. She was always buying things for our old apartment, which was unfortunately very small. Most of the things we had brought to North Carolina we have to put in a storage facility right outside of Hot Springs, because Harold really doesn't have the room. Plus, I know she knows a lot of people in New York City, as well. She's interviewed many famous designers, socialites, and celebrities for her previous job.Harold rolled his eyes. "We now have more fancy things in this house than I could even count. I don't need you touching this room and changing it around. Enough buying things from New York."I turned around and looked out of the bay window at the lake. Amazed at its vastness, I just sank down onto one of the benches in the dining area and stared at it through the rain. It was beautiful. I could not wait to get outside tomorrow. "Anna," my mother sat down next to me with a few paper plates and handed one to me. "There is something I did not tell you about Spanish Cedar Stables." "What is that?" I asked, pulling a slice of pizza out of the box in front of me. Harold and Declan walked over with a bottle of soda and some plastic cups."Remember when we shared the responsibility of chores in Baltimore?"I nodded. "Why?""Harold and I discussed it, and we both think you are old enough to accept the kinds of chores of a horse ranch."My mouth dropped. "What?" I asked, dragging out the vowel. "You will be sharing the chores with Declan. After he goes back to school in September, you'll have enough experience to muck out stalls and clean horses on your own, okay?"Smelly horses and poop was something I did not sign up for. I looked at Harold, and he had a stern look on his face. I knew if I didn't agree with my mother, I was sure he'd probably make me do something around here anyway. "Mom, seriously, I don't think that I can..."Harold cleared his throat. "Anna, I know I am not your father, but I think you are old enough to accept the fact that I'm the only father figure you do have in your life right now. We do need some help here around the farm, and I'd love it if you would just cooperate with us on this one."I sighed, leaned back in my chair, and tried to understand. I did have chores back at our apartment in Baltimore, so I think I probably could handle whatever came ahead of me. Maybe if I started small. "What will I be doing tomorrow?"My mother replied, "We are supposed to be getting a shipment of hay in, maybe we could start with moving hay bales into the barn? Maybe we could start you on a few things and then graduate you onto some other things." She pulled a slice of pizza onto her plate for herself. "Would that be good enough, Harold? Start small and give Anna some space to get adjusted?"Harold gave another gruff and took a sip of his drink. "I think that is fair enough," he said, and smiled. "But I do not like it!" Good. I did not want to get on his bad side. I saw Declan finish his pizza and take a long swig of his soda. "Well, I'm done. Hurry up, Anna, I'd like to show you around." His stomach gurgled and he let out a large burp. "Whoops. 'Scuse me," he said. I giggled and we all sat in silence finishing the rest of dinner. Afterward, Declan took me outside to show me what was what. Though it was pretty much pitch black outside and I could barely see two feet in front of me, my eyes adjusted to the darkness. Declan ran back into the house and re-emerged with two flashlights in his hands from the laundry room. "Here," he said, tossing me one. "We're probably going to need these. And you can ask me anything you would like.""All right. Where are we going first?""Well, Miss Anna, I thought I'd take you out to the barn and show you the horses and the tack room, and then we could take a walk around Lake Aurelia."Lake Aurelia. It was a beautiful name for such a beautiful lake. Though small in size, it looked enormous to me. I guess it's because this place is just... new. We left the house and walked over to the barn. I noticed the few houses around the lake, and a meadow on the opposite side. "Who lives in the other homes around the lake?"Declan opened up the door to the barn. Some of the horses whinnied and stamped their hooves on the ground. "Whoa, guys, it's just me," he said. He grabbed a clipboard hanging on the wall and a pen from a table underneath it. "Shane and Christine Collins live next door, but I don't know how much we're going to be seeing them this summer. Their dad just died and I know they are having some money problems. Christine's around my age and Shane is a year older. And our other neighbor, Kaya lives in the little house across the lake. She's the resident horse veterinarian. It's good to have one around here. The next closest vet lives about thirty-five miles from Hot Springs, in Asheville.""Cool," I said, and then changed the subject. "So, you are, what, nineteen? I forgot."He nodded. "I will be twenty next winter. Are you interested in horses?"I sighed, thinking of my dad. "I was. You knew that my dad was a jockey, right?""Yes, Penny told me. It's really sad what happened to him." A moment of silence followed. "If there is anything I could do; if you need to talk to anyone and no one is around, I will be there, if you need to talk."I gave him a hug. "Thanks, Declan. We are family now, so I will gladly return the favor in case you need to get out of a bind."He let go of me and looked at his clipboard. He started pointing out the chores I would be doing tomorrow, including loading hay into the stalls, washing the horses, and taking a few out for rides. "I am not sure if I remember how to ride a horse. It has been a while," I told him."No worries. I am a good teacher if you are willing to be a good listener." Declan continued his tour of the barn and brought me into the tack room. He first pointed everything out and told me what each item was. The room was filled with multiple halters, ropes, western saddles as well as English saddles, blankets and bridles, as well as some clothing, boots, helmets, and riding jackets. "We also need to get you a hat, too," Declan said. He chose one from the dozen or so hanging on the wall. "This one is a beauty. It belonged to Laurel." I took the black cowboy hat from him and set it on my head. It fit perfectly. "Thanks, Declan. I am honored to wear it."Declan led me back out of the tack room over to the other side of the barn. A beautiful white stallion with specks of black on its back and sides stood in a stall in the corner of the barn. "That there is my pride and joy, Bold Pegasus. Dad got him for me when I turned thirteen. He was just a baby then, but he has grown into a fine horse."I walked over to him and extended my hand out so Pegasus could sniff my skin, and he inhaled a scent of lavender and pizza sauce, since I washed my hands when we left the house. Pegasus sniffed the scent on my hand, and then stuck out his tongue and licked it! "Eww, Declan!" Declan laughed. "Guess he got you there. Sometimes he might snap at you, but he is usually very nice.""Nice?" I asked. "Hardly. Are all the horses like that?""Most of them. Maybe you will warm up to him, Anna." Declan checked something off of the checklist. "Some more information you might need to know is that he sired seven colts and two mares.""Wow. That is a lot of horses," I said.He continued. "Pegasus, a show jumper, had to retire when he broke his leg. So we have kept him here and he has been recuperating for about three months." He set the clipboard back on the wall. "Hey, maybe after we get the chores done tomorrow, we could go riding?""I would love that! I would love to see everything else tomorrow." I yawned. "Right now, though, I need to get some sleep."Declan and I decided to walk back to the house. Right before I was going to tell Declan that my battery in my flashlight was going, I heard tires squealing from a far distance. When I turned around, a charcoal colored BMW appeared in the driveway to the Collins' house. A guy with short, dark brown hair departed the vehicle just as a tall girl in a mini dress and high heels walked out of the house. The guy looked like he just got back from the gym. He wore a pair of white shorts and a red sweatshirt. "Where have you been?" she asked."Out," he said plainly, and passed the girl to go into the house.The girl stood there with her arms folded and then she turned around to go back into the house. I wondered if that was Shane and Christine. Probably. "Come on, Anna!" I heard my mother call. "We have a long day tomorrow!"Well, on our first night I should probably rest up for work tomorrow. Work. I don't mean to sound selfish or anything, but I hope this is going to be worth the move. At the moment, I'd give anything to go back to our little apartment in Baltimore.I met my mom back at the house. "You have not seen your room yet, honey," she said. "Let's go upstairs.""Which one is mine?" I asked."Upstairs, to the left, and it's the one in the front of the house. Harold and I are going to go to bed soon. Your bags are already in your room.""Thanks, Mom!" I exclaimed, and bolted up the u-shaped staircase. The landing had a horizontal wooden railing in which you could see the whole great room. More pictures of Harold and Declan lined the walls. When I reached the second floor, I looked around. I stepped onto cream-colored plush carpeting, and I walked around the whole floor before going to my room. The house held four bedrooms, and three and a half baths, with one in the basement of the house. I flipped on the hallway bathroom light and peeked inside. It was nice and small, with a vanity on the left, and a shower with a dusty brown curtain hanging to cover it. The walls were painted a musty red color and an accent painting of horses in a pasture stood facing the right wall. There were two doors, one on each side of the bathroom. The door to my right was closed, and it had a sign on there that read, "Declan". I was a little miffed that I had to share a bathroom with my brother, but at least it wasn't going to be that bad. He was an adult, after all, and probably would give me my privacy.The other door had a sign on it that read, "Anna". Both of the signs that hung on the doors were made of cedar and had a horse design on it. I knew it was handmade, but I didn't know who made it. I actually went to open the door, but I stopped myself and wanted to enter my bedroom from the actual bedroom door. I walked back down the hallway and grasped the door to my own bedroom. I turned the knob, pushed the door open, walked inside and flipped the light on. My breath caught in the back of my throat and I could feel my mouth drop. This room was beautiful! "Dad wanted you to have a great view of the barn, so he had been working nonstop to redecorate this room," Declan pointed out, coming up behind me.I smiled. "This is great, Declan." I walked over to the side window and looked out. "I actually do have a great view of the barn!"He laughed. "Well, I'm going to turn in early. If you need anything, let me know. Oh," he said, and pointed over to the opposite side of the house. "The guest room is right across from you, and the master bedroom is in the back of the house. That's where your mom will be sleeping if you need her.""Thanks. Good night, Declan.""Oíche mhaith agus codladh sámh, Anna.""What?" "Means 'Good night and sleep well' in Irish."That warmed my heart. I was going to be learning more of Declan's heritage. Soon he'll have us all speaking the Gaelic language. "Night, Declan."Declan left the room and I took in every little detail of my new bedroom. A small chandelier illuminated the room, and a full size four-poster bed sat against the back wall. A cream colored quilt with bright melon colored daisies covered the bed, and a beautiful brown cedar chest sat at the foot. The lavender walls made the room warm and inviting. Ah, I love lavender! I turned on the radio to a local station and listened to some music while I put some of my things away. I climbed up and sat Indian style on my four-poster bed. This mattress was heaven. It felt like one of those memory-foam mattresses, and I confirmed it after I pulled up the quilt. It was so comfortable! So I'll tell you a little bit more about my brother. Declan was born in Ireland, and then Harold adopted him when after he turned ten years old. He does not have red hair, like most of the Irish, although it is his blue eyes and the freckles on his cheeks that give him away. His parents gave him up when he was just a baby and he was put in the Irish foster care system. He had a rough life, jumping from one home to another. He was in eight homes in six years. Before Harold met my mom, he was married to his first wife, Laurel. She could not have children because she had breast cancer. They decided to adopt Declan, but before they could travel to Ireland for a final visit to bring him home, Laurel passed away. Harold raised Declan as his own son. And he did a good job, too. Declan was president of the school council, captain of his equestrian team, and graduated high school with honors. He decided to go to community college instead of a prestigious school (he was accepted at a few of them) to stay around and help out Harold at the ranch. Opening up the side window to let some cool night air in, I looked down at the roof of the wraparound porch, and there was a ladder leaning against it, and it looks as if part of the roof was being replaced on the porch as well.All of a sudden, I heard a crash and screaming next door. I pulled myself back inside and turned the light off, and turned the bedside lamp on. I looked back out of the window and saw the boy leaving again. The girl ran outside from the house after him. "Shane! Shane, come back here!""No, Christine. I can not be here when I know you are going to be running my life!"Okay. I knew this was none of my business, but it was so intriguing. And I usually do not eavesdrop. I sat in the oversized loveseat in the corner of my new bedroom, listening. "Shane, Dad left us the house and the farm. I think we have to take everything into consideration if we have to sell the farm!""We are not selling the farm!"My nose suddenly had a tickle from the night air. I sneezed, and I really could not help it. And it must have been loud because when I peeked back out the window, Christine and Shane were looking toward the house. I thought they were far enough away that they could not hear me, but maybe I was wrong. I truthfully did not mean to eavesdrop. My eyelids started drooping, so I decided to close the shutters and pay attention to the sounds of summer to come, which drowned out the two people next door.