Electrically Charged

Introduction and Prologue

Hello lovely readers, this is one of the many stories I have going at the moment. I don't really know why I start stories right before school starts but I do. So please forgive my lack of posts. I try and write when I can. Also, please forgive any spelling, grammar or any other kind of mistake I make. If it is something super big and needs to be corrected please comment and let me know. ALSO PLEASE REMEMBER: DO NOT COPY THIS WORK IN ANY WAY. ALL IDEAS AND WRITING BELONGS TO ME UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE RESPECT THAT AND DO NOT COPY OR PUBLISH ANY OF MY WORK WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thanks.

WARNING: There will be strong language in this. Not a ton, but it will definitely still be in this story. 

                                                                                Prologue

She had been four when she first sat on a real live horse. She had loved them her whole life. All of her toys, stuffed animals, pajamas and books had horses on them or in their contents. Her whole family loved animals and grew up having them as pets. Despite loving animals, Cecily remained the only one in her family to love horses enough to beg for one as a birthday or Christmas present. Her parents had been kind enough to find her local riding lessons and she attended every Saturday. 

She started out as a Western rider. She learned to pole bend and barrel race, but her heart was never in it. She rode to quench her need to be around horses, but she never really felt freedom while riding the western horses. At the age of eight her parents transferred her to the local Pony Club where she began to ride English. Her first two rides where on an arthritic, ancient lesson pony so that her instructor could find a mount with the right skill set for her.  

Her first time riding the 15 hand Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse hunter mare, Cecily knew she had found her freedom. Something about English riding and jumping freed her soul and made her heart sing out. For three years she braved the mare's bratty habits and arthritic bouts. Then, for her 11th Christmas her parents found her a nine year old dapple grey Quarter Horse gelding who had been forgotten in a field for two years. He had previously been owned by a famous pop star who did not understand the time and energy a horse needed. Her instructor was convinced that the gelding would be a perfect first horse for the girl and so her parents exchanged paperwork and the horse became hers. Little did she know what was in store.

Calm, quiet, reliable. She had always heard those things about Quarter Horses and had foolishly believed them. Pushing herself up from the dirt for the second time that week Cecily stomped off to grab her runaway horse. She had owned Steel for two months now and was seriously doubting her choice of mount. This horse acted nothing like a Quarter Horse, in fact most of her horse friends and their parents were convinced he was a Thoroughbred, and a young one. But vet tests and lineage told her for sure that he had 100% Quarter Horse blood, but had no intent of sticking to it. He spooked, nipped, bolted, bucked, stopped in front of jumps, ran out in front of jumps, and was generally just a handful. That horse tested every single one of her skills and made her doubt herself and her decision to continue riding. But who could blame him after being turned out and forgotten about for two whole years. 

Now, as she had finished her Sophomore year and headed into summer, Cecily was gearing up for her first Training level three day event. It was held at the ranch her Pony Club rode at, so the cross country course was familiar to both her and her horse. She rode late at night to avoid the horrible summer heat of California. The arena lights were switched on as she hand galloped her horse to a six stride vertical to oxer combination. Her grey Quarter horse gelding surged forward towards the jump and she counted down from three. He had gone from an unrideable terror to Cecily's best friend and trusted partner. Sure he still dumped her every once in a while to keep her humble, but that horse had made her a very capable rider. She could ride almost anything now and stay on. Steel was still a bit on the hot side with a lot of energy, spring and scope. He had surpassed everyone's expectations and taken her farther than anyone had expected the horse to go. Cecily felt the horse's feet push from the ground and she rose with him over the first vertical. As they soared toward the ground everything went black. Cecily pulled hard on the right rein, steering clear of the barely visible oxer and then pulled him to a stop.  

"Sorry bud," she reached down to pet the gelding's neck and he relaxed at her touch. "What the hell though? To have all the lights go out at once?"

Cecily jumped off Steel and tied him to the wash rack and untacked him using the headlights of the truck and trailer. Once she had cooled off and properly groomed and cleaned both Steel and her tack Cecily put him in his small run in paddock and fed him. Then she locked up the chickens, fed the goats and cow and grabbed the cat to bring him inside. When she opened the door to the house she found her family waiting with flashlights at the ready. Apparently the entire power circuit had gone out. It was time to call in an electrician.