The Murdered Woman, The Stolen Horse

Chapter 5

   -If anyone's reading this, thanks, tell someone and comment or something. Thanks. Probably talking to myself.-

    I ran out of the house. Run was putting it mildly, I was like an out of control truck, barreling through the house. I tore out the door, and sure enough, sparks fluttered through the sky as the flames reached for heaven. The dark semi-peaceful night was the color of smoke, dark gray.

    I knew one thing though. Must. Save. Horses. I ran into the barn, gulping for air. The horses were screaming. I grabbed rows of halters, and shoved them on the horses head. I clipped a leadline on and passed them off to my awe-struck parents. Jess was right beside me. I put Sophies on. She wouldn't move. I yipped like a coyote. Nothing.

    Sophie stared into the fire. The smoke and soot made me cough. I smacked her rump. She moved one stiff legged step. Scowling, I ripped the hem of my pajamas off. I put it over her eyes. This time she followed, reluctantly. Once I got her out, I counted the horses in the field. One missing. I scanned again. Joe!

   I ran in, as a section of roof crashed in front of me. The smoldering supports, flamed to life. I glared at it. Joe could make it, sure, but I couldn't. One thought. For Joe. I tensed, then hurled myself. My foot on my left leg, the sneaker was burned off. The pain was fiery. I ripped it off.

     I ran on. When I got to Joe's stall, Jess was there, struggling with the latch. She must have came through the other door. Joe  was half rearing and cicling. The sawdust sprayed around his hooves. The latch , however, was stuck. No amount of pushing and shoving would fix it. The smoke was making me sick. I squatted. The air was better, I took a few painfull breaths before standing. Joe's water bucket was full.

        I shoved Jess out of the way. I ran down the aisle. There, a burning support. I grabbed it and winced but that wasn't important. I threw the support at Joe's heavy woooden stall door. It took light immediatly. Once it was flaming Joe was cowering in the far corner. I jumped, and landed sprawled out next to Joe's hooves.

       I took his water bucket, and dumped it on the fire. It smoldered and didn't go out. Jess appeared on the other side, another horse's water bucket in hand. She dumped it all over the smoldering ruins. She jumped the ruins of the door and we herded Joe out. We put him with the others.

      My parents had the firemen there. I gasped the fresh outside air. An fireman was aiming a hose towards the tack room. Once the fire was out there they moved to other sections. I ran in the tack room door, and started grabbibng everything I could find. I kept the door open. I ran out, dumpped the stuff. Jess was next to me carrying saddles, while my parents moved them farther away.

    I stumbled under the weight of a true Western saddle, no plether. I dumped it out. Soon the tack room was empty. I went into the aisle. I knew this section was out. I started grabbing water buckets, that weren't too badly burned, and carrying them out. I cariied everything salvageable out. I caught a glimpse of a dark shape, running, but I shook it off as hallucinations. A section of barn collapsed in front of me. I stared then went around. We'd cleared the whole area.

       I lay in the grass watching it all go up in flames. Sparks did a crazy dance, and the flames were still reaching. Hoses weren't doing anything. Soon the area where we'd been went up. I blinked, that place had been clear. I couldn't do anything, except watch as the firemen fought. The flames sputtered. I blinked. There, I was sure,

   A man ran out of the tack room. He was no firefighter.  A scream ripped through my throat. I ran as fast as my battered lungs could take me. A firemen on the other side of the building  whipped toward my scream. He indevertedly, sprayed the man with a high powered blast. The man was knocked flat.  I knew those things could break ribs on close contact. The guy was struggling up as I tackled his legs.

           He sprawled out again. Jess was next to me. Mom was right after her. Jess and I started raining punches on the guy. He deserved it, and more. He could havve killed us all, burned the stable and us to the ground. 

     My father was on his phone. Mom made no attempt to stop us. I rammed my fists into his body. Then I changed tactics, and started kicking him. Jess did too. We heard More sirens, then a cop was hauling me away from that THING. Jess was getting the same treatment. She wriggled free and turned on the officer. She stood up straight, her full height. Poor cop. Bet she was scarier then his last fugitive. 

           "Get him you idiot, not me," she spat. That was probably one of her longest sentances. She pointed and I saw the guy, now a bloody mess, running away. I didn't know how he could even move. The cop ran from Jess toward the man, his fat belly leading the way. The other cop still had my wrists behind my back. I yanked frree, and took off. I overtook the cop easily. The bloodied mess was no match. I cut him off and whapped his head.

  The guy fell moaning. I might have felt bad, but he wanted to kill all our horses. And almost succeeded. The cops, huffing and puffing were behind me. They again ripped me away. I wasn't even hitting him. Hard, anyway. I spun around and glared at the cop.

     "Will you LET GO?" I was on the verge of hitting him myself. I stormed off, toward Jess. She nodded at me. I looked up at her.

      "Well that was fun." She burst out laughing. So did I. It wasn't that funny, but we needed something to laugh at. Once our laughs subsided, I saw my parents staring at us. I walked over.

        Mom just hugged me. Dad stood off to the side. Jess thanked them. They assured her, no problem, Thank YOU, we weren't actually inside, like you.

      A firefighter came over, and lectured us. Didn't we know since Pre-K never to go into a burning building? Did you know how dangerous it was? And so on.

     Next the cop. We could have you charged with assault. Attempteed murder.

         I really did not care. Once they left carting away the fire starter, I collapsed into the  grass. I curled up with the smells of grass and fefl asleep.