Bruised Apples, Lightning Storms

An Unexpected Opprotunity

I fully expected Rainbow to follow this time. The awkward air between us was lighter than ever, and we were both finally on the same page. That being said, neither of us fully knew what was going on. Other than the knowledge that we were now relatively comfortable in each other's presence, we simply had our respective companion's name. Where she came from, what she did, who she really was, I didn't know; vice-versa for Rainbow.

A small part of me wanted that to change. Hell, a huge part. It honestly took me every scrap of patience and self-control to not blurt every nagging question, to give up some image of who I seemed to be in her eyes, just to know more.

Even so, I refused myself the privilege. I'd naturally learn about her in time, so I couldn't give in to my impulses, at least for the time being. There wasn't any rush, and the risk of giving in and losing a possible friend, after not having one for the first time in years, was motivation enough to keep my trap shut. To disengage my feelings and prioritize stability was all I could manage, and these reckless thoughts I must suppress for that to happen.

Trotting out of the barn-house, I soaked in the pleasant atmosphere: The sun had risen, abandoning the morning breeze to be replaced by a light warmth. It was the beginning of summer, when the apples ripened, the most profitable season for sales loomed nearer, and the weather got controlled in the most desirable fashion.

As such, it made for a consequently perfect day. Maybe ideal for cloud gazing, or lounging in the grass.

Or any other hippie bullshit that anyone who lived in the real world could only dream of doing. Things I could only dream of doing. That's the ticket, ain't it, the fact that most dreams are just that; dreams. They will never be anything more then a lost wish in an ocean of impossibility, in a world where reality is the only medium and dreams are few and far between. Nothing is a dream, and are held by those tiny, worthless individuals who are too deluded to come to terms with it.

The world which was so colorful moments ago began draining back to the gray I remembered. Walking outside-why was I outside-work. Why else.

I was somehow at least an hour late for the day's tasks, and I sank back into the mindset optimal for productivity, quickening my walk to a gallop to make up for lost time. Whatever made me this tardy in the first place...

It didn't matter, as long as I got back on task. Nothing mattered except the well-being of the farm. There would be time to think, time to breathe, time to heal; later.

My gallop steadily climbed until I could no longer quicken my pace.

Tuesday. Clear-out date of the North section. An assortment of Golden Delicious and Granny Smith. Collection. Separation. Oiling of the apple barrows. One, two, three, four. Stored in a row. Quality check of the barns and livestock. Storing. Shipment.

Completion of the Tuesday checklist. After feeding Winona, I'll grab a smaller barrow fit for the North area, then-

"AJ!"

I tripped over my own sprinting legs, flying before crashing full-speed into the dirt, skidding off the path and into a particularly wild section of the meadow.

A sea of green surrounded me, and all was quiet and still. The realization of what had just happened hit me like an anvil; I had forgotten Rainbow.

Well, less forgot, more set myself in the normal mindset of productivity, in which I had nopony else in my life I gave a crap about. That was mental, the way everything else melted away.

Did-did I always do that? I must've not realized, for so many years now.

And I could always do it again, slip back into that terrible, emotionless persona. That could be the rest of my life and I'd never even know it.