Experiment Scarecrow

Chapter 1

The ringing of an alarm echoed, forcing Brooke's eyes to open, waking her. She groaned, pulling the covers over her head before reaching out a hand to tap the screen of her phone on the nightstand, turning off the alarm after moments of searching the table's surface.

"Brooke! Your alarm went off! I heard it! Now get up! I already did Thunder's chores for you!" called her mother from the hallway.

Brooke threw the covers forward and stared up at the ceiling. She muttered something under her breath before sitting up and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Hopping onto the oak wood floor, she moved over to the white dresser shoved against the opposite wall. Sliding open a drawer, her fingers flicked through the clothes before pulling out a pair of blue faded jeans and a pink, white collared sweater.       

She quickly pulled on the outfit and sprinted into the bathroom, just down the hall to her left, to brush her teeth, before racing downstairs. Brooke's mother tilted her head, watching her sprint out the door. She bounded down the steps of the porch, her golden brown hair flowing behind her similar to a waterfall, as an overgrown pasture, west of the two-story home, grew closer. Weeds and different varieties of grass grew along the rotting fence posts. Lichen spread across the fence posts like an abstract painting. 

Inside contained a bay Lusitano stallion, who made his way over to Brooke's call. The white socks stretching above his hooves streaked through the green grass as he grew closer to the gate--a black mane and tail softly pushing in the breeze.

 "Hiya, Thunder!" Brooke exclaimed, rubbing his rosy muzzle softly. 

Thunder leaned into her touch, nickering softly in response to her. Suddenly, she gasped, drawing away from the gate. 

"I almost forgot! I'll be back, Thunder!" she exclaimed, running across the lawn and over to the small wood panel shed next to the paddock. 

She raced inside before slipping back outside with only a bridle in hand. The stallion began to prance, sidestepping before moving back over to the gate, the grass now compacted beneath his hooves

"I know you're excited," Brooke giggled, sauntering back to the gate, her shoes spotted with morning dew.

A free hand lifted to unlatch the rusty gate, pulling it open with an aching screech. Thunder snorted and walked over to his rider automatically. She reached up, forced onto her tiptoes, before slipping the bridle over his ears and head, placing the bit gently into his mouth. The stallion threw his head, becoming adjusted to the feeling of the cold bit pressing against his tongue. 

She sent another glance back toward the porch one last time, ensuring that her mother wasn't coming to scold her on missing breakfast, before leading Thunder over to the fence. She positioned him next to the barrier before climbing up onto the fading boards. Forced to find any form of balance, she began to wobble, heels digging into the boards before she threw herself onto the stallion. His hooves pressed into the dirt as he shifted underneath her weight, stilling temporarily as she finally managed to settle on his back.

"Good boy," Brooke cooed, reaching down to pat his neck, before clicking her tongue and squeezing his sides gently with her legs. 

The stallion tossed his head once again before shifting into a walk. She did this two more times, shifting his gate from a trot into a canter. Thunder loped down the driveway as she guided in the direction of town, resting a mile east beyond their home. A quiet sigh in relief escaped, as they crossed over onto the opposite side of the road, heading down the winding path that made its way through a small thicket of trees. Thunder moved his ears forward, picking up on the subtle breeze brushing through the leaves among the canopy.