Faith and Freedom

Chapter Twenty-Three

It didn't matter how much I tried, but I still couldn't help but feel like the world was betraying me by taking everything I loved from me. I knew that wasn't entirely true, but it felt that way. The ride with Cassidy revealed a lot that I didn't know, but from what she told me, her parents were at the hospital the day she and her horse were born, and decided to give Dewy to her. They trained him up to be kid safe and she and Dewy became inseparable. Unfortunately, he fell ill with colic and passed away in the night only a short time before they found Redemption.

I told her about how I got assigned to Red in the first place and how she would love Melody when she met her. I omitted from talking about why we were here, that was no ones business but mine and Melody's. I told her of the way that Connor had hurt me and how I had been training Renegade on nights I couldn't sleep at two in the morning when the world was silent.

For the rest of our short ride we were silent, I contemplated what life would be like without Red here and how I would cope knowing that I'd never be able to walk into the barn and tell her all my secrets again. How she would never nuzzle me to help me feel better, and how soon, the entirety of her would be gone. My mind wanders to an alternate place. A place where my parents are still alive, where Melody's laugh doesnt sound hollow and her little heart has never felt the pain of losing someone. A far off fantasy that I snap myself from and back to reality. My parents are dead. It's just her and I now. Alone.

The faith I once had in anything, crushed to dust. From a ways off, I hear the dinner bell and pull Renegade around.

"See you back at the house," I call, trotting towards the house. "If you're coming anyway."

"Race?" Cassidy suggests.

"You're on."

Renegade jumps to life and bolts, surprising me with his burst of speed. Hanging on to his mane, I get up in jockey position and he lengthens his stride, swallowing the earth beneath him quickly. Looking back, Cassidy is hot on our heels, urging Cheeto faster with encouraging words. They soon are neck and neck with us and Renegade pushes himself to his limit, doing all he can to inch ahead. We get to the edge of the trail and I begin to slow him down, we lost by a nose. Giving him a large pat, I rub his sweaty neck and promise to rinse him before sliding off his back.

Well, I guess you could say its been a while... in other news, remember that race horse I was working with? You know, this one?

Well.... I sort of own him now. I bought him off the track and have been retraining him to be a jumper so I guess you can say I fell off the planet for a while.
Anyway, I'll do my best to try to get back to writing, but in the meantime, heres this chapter.