Believer

Restless

There couldn't have been a rougher day in her working career, then again, life always seemed to one up its last trial. Closing the door behind herself as she stepped into the kitchen of her family home, there was no one there, but not for long. As she knew her siblings were likely to be home in due time, say 15 minutes maximum. The two young cats trotted into the kitchen, the youngest, Achser rounded the kitchen island, before heading towards her legs. Slinging her bag off of her shoulder, she set it down in the corner by the wooden cabinets.

Sinking down she sat on the floor, before folding her legs up and beginning to pull off her sneakers. With success she tossed them aside, to the neighboring side of the kitchen that wasn't all too far off. It was the same corner that held a old wooden 'toy chest', where everyone put their shoes when they came home, though her brothers were obstinate about doing so. She huffed out a sigh, before dragging herself off her hind and picking up her bag again, taking to the living room. Once there she put her bag on the couch, before going up the steps, the arches of her feet were sore from running around as she had.

Before her siblings got home she made quick to go up the staircase and use the bathroom and wash her face. As she stepped into the bathroom her pager went off, bellowing its chirp of summoning. Reaching for her belt she checked it, it was her boss, the pager spelt out on it's small screen, 'Call HHF, ASAP we have news.' She hit the green button, sending the signal back to her boss that she would be there. It was easy to see when it came to work and her particular profession, that she didn't ask many questions when she was called upon. Unless it was that she had a valid question, in which case she would ask freely and honestly.

Once finished in the bathroom she jogged down stairs, grabbing the landline, making quick to call work. The phone dialed, she wiggled her toes in the carpet as she waited for her boss to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, what's the news?"

"You know Crystal Mountain Rides?"

"Yes..."

"They are looking to sell a draft."

"Stallion, Mare?"

"Gelding. He has no name, and is still green."

She remained silent for a moment, waiting to see what her boss's point was

"Are you willing too, persay... ground break this horse? To make him... more worthwhile."

"Make him more worthwhile to whom?" She was skeptic about his proposition, but awaited his answer.

"Well, to them perhaps. You know Jon will pay if you get that horse some manners... But you know you can't train him, and then buy him... you'd pay more, and besides that's unethical. So what do you think, we have room?"

With a idol sigh and her brows furrowed as she cast her gaze down to the ground across the room, she felt as though her shoulders burned, like someone was watching her all too closely.

"I'll train this nameless horse of theirs... but that's it. How much would he be willing to pay?" She asked, chewing the inside of her lower lip, the heat in her shoulders remained, spreading to her lungs.

"Say... $1,000." Her boss suggested, which sounded reasonable for a unbroken, mannerless, nameless horse.

"Alright.... I'll do it."

With this new proposition upon her shoulders she was thinking, but wouldn't know what to do until she had this Draft. If worse would come to worse, she would do her best, not that in any other case she wouldn't. Hanging up the phone she put it back on the ringer, hearing her sister come up the side of the house to the back door, she held her breath. The sensation of being watched burned deeper before evaporating. Her head shot right to the door, only to see her sister, moments before she entered. What in the world, or who in the world was watching, or it was just her anxiety?

"Hey dude." Her sister greeted, "Hey.." was the only soft response given, as she leaned on the counter with her full weight. "What's the matter?" Her sister, Jalin asked, "Boss man called.." She breathed, "He wants me to pay for or train.... A draft." Her sister of course knew little of what she spoke of so only nodded and said "alright..." with uncertainty. "I think that, I'mma just train him, I don't have time to own another one, besides what use is this, nameless horse to me if he has no job?" She questioned more to herself than to Jalin.

By then Jalin had gone off on her own, possibly to change out of her uniform, or to call a friend. Self consciously she sniffed her armpit, before drawing her weight off the counter, eyes blank so it seemed. The thoughts about this horse swirled her head, she looked at the clock, in due time she'd have to go help feed the horses, all eight of them... God forbid there be yet another one making for nine. She shook her head, knowing well what challenge she could have very well just accepted. "Too late to back out.... Alright." She huffed to herself.

Milling off to the living room in her socks on hardwood, she picked up her backpack, before sitting down with it. Unzipping it, she pulled out a orange folder, before paging through it. There wasn't much to it besides a list with dates and scheduled times, as well as the activities and events of the days at hand. Tomorrow was Friday, and could very well be the day she getsthis horse. She could use the money she would receive from having trained this draft, but trained to do what? She would have to ask, she closed the folder with a sigh and tucked it back into the pouch it had been pulled from.

Setting her backpack on top of the chest in the kitchen, her fingers were cold, for unknown reasons. What was to it? Life she meant. Time came and time went, her brothers were home now, rowdy as ever. As her mother cooked, what it was, she didn't know... Writing down notes and doing homework at what they called the 'Bar Table', her mom didn't pay mind to her. Not because she was quiet but because she wasn't much noticed, not my any one at this point. Nor did she want to be noticed. Only did people come around when they wanted or needed something from her. That was what she grew accustomed to.

Drawing in a breath she spoke, "So mum, Harvey called and said he may have a project horse for me."

Her mom looked over her shoulder for only a moment before looking back to what she was doing, "Yeah?" there was uncertainty in her voice. "Yeah, he said that I would be payed if I could train this horse." She herself was anticipating her mother's response though it wasn't 100% that her mom would agree. Then again this isn't even her mother's life, its her own. "How much?" Her mom asked as if it were her own payment, as she always did, "It depends upon the horse and how bad he is..." She spoke, "So it's a bad horse?" Her mother asked, "No, not necessarily, he just doesn't have manners..." was the reasoning, of which was true. "I don't get why you do this, what's the point in it? Its useless. You won't get anywhere." Her mother said to her, causing her heart to sink and her stomach to flip into knots, she felt a lump in her throat. "I know." She choked out and began to pack up her things, there really mustn't be use in what she does, but it's the only place she findsfreedom.

There really was no use in trying to explain to her mother or tell her these things, its only a year until she can move out on her own and not have to deal with this. That too struck disscontempt into her. Then again, she wouldn't have anything when on her own, but she scarcely did now. She'd been called crazy before, but never by her own name, and she wondered which was more insane. There was no saying what was and wasn't to be, from anyone but herself. If she wanted to push her luck, sheknew herself well enough to know that she would damn well do so. Shouldering her bag she stood up and walked out of the kitchen, up the staircase. Now she wouldn't admit that she was scared half to death, as she marched up the steps to where her brothers romped in their room, before reaching her own room. Shutting the door, she put down her bag and grabbed her boots. It was time to go feed the horses.

Shoving on her boots, they pinched slightly, she needed new ones, these were growing tight and stiff. Which reminds her the money she could get from training this horse, she could put it in the bank, and it could gain interest, from there in a year she'd likely have enough money to move on out. Giving a deep sigh, she felt her shoulders burning again, as she tied her boots snuggly, "Yeah, I pray that I'm right in doing this...." She closed her eyes, for a moment resting her arms on her knees for a moment before drawing in a breath and standing.

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