February Story Contest

Shining Sun Ranch- Trust is the Key
By lululauren2000 &

Age 10

“No!” I screamed. Sandra pulled on Gem’s reins. I shrieked. “Save him!” I screamed again. Night reared. “Come here horsie horsie!” sneered a man as he tightened the rope on Night’s neck. I tried to get Rain to move forward but Sandra gripped her reins. “NO! NIGHT CAN’T BECOME DOGFOOD! NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

 

I jumped up. I was breathing fast. I sighed and looked around. I was in my room, in my bed. It was just a dream. I thought about the black stallion. I found Night hurt in the woods. After treating his wounds and getting kicked in the leg by him, he trusted me! I didn’t bring him to my parent’s dude ranch though. I made sure Night stayed free. That’s how it should be. “Nikki! Hurry up, it’s almost feeding time!” yelled my sister, Emily. I got up and pulled on jeans and a t-shirt. In the hallway, Emily and her twin brother Matt were bolting down the stairs. I followed, slowly walking. Mom was setting the table for breakfast while Dad was looking at saddles on our laptop. “Dad! Let’s go feed the horses!” said Matt. Dad turned around. “Sorry! I almost forgot! Shawnee’s saddle broke and he needs a new one and I was looking for one. But you’re right. It’s time to feed the horses.” said Dad.

 

Mom smiled. “Mark sometimes you are so busy, you forget about the whole ranch! I am finished with the table and the breakfast is all ready so I will look at saddles while you feed the horses.” ordered Mom. Dad rolled his eyes and laughed. “Come on Dad!” yelled Matt as he ran out the door. Dad, Emily, and I followed Matt out the door. When we arrived at the barn, horses looked over their stalls, eager to be fed. Shawnee whinnied. I looked at him. The bay gelding shook his head. “I want to feed Shawnee!” cried Emily. “No I do!” protested Matt. I sighed. I didn’t like having six year old twins for siblings. But I learned to deal with them. “I will feed Shawnee.” confirmed Dad. “But Dadddddddddddd!” complained Emily. “You can feed Skylark Ems.” said Dad. Emily skipped off to Skylark’s stall. I opened Love’s stall and picked up her empty grain bucket. Love looked at me, her big chocolate brown eyes shining. “You hungry Love? Well I’ll get you some food.” I soothed. Love nickered and turned to face the stable aisle. Dad was in the stall across from Love’s. “Dad? What are you doing? That stall has been empty since you sold Carmela.” I asked. “Are we getting another horse?!” asked Emily excitedly. “No little Ems. What I’m doing is seeing if this stall is big enough for Lexi to have her foal in.” replied Dad. “When is she going to have her foal?” asked Emily. “Soon.” promised Dad.

 

I jogged to the tack room and filled Love’s grain bucket with a grain and corn mix. Matt was there filling Crissy’s water bucket with our hose. The tack room was filled with tack and horse supplies. I walked back to the barn with Love’s food. “Hey Love! I have your food!” I whispered as the mare looked over her stall door. Emily was coming out of Jay’s stall. “Mom says that the guests are getting hungry. So we will have to finish with the horses later.” said Emily. I quickly gave Love some water and then I headed to the house.

 

I ran up to my room and changed for breakfast. When I got to the kitchen, Mom was getting ready to bring out the food. My whole family was in the kitchen. “Did you get the horses fed? asked Mom. “Most of them. Only Racer, Jazz, and Angel haven’t received their breakfast.” replied Dad. “I’ll go do that since I eat before the guests.” said Mom. Emily clapped her hands. I sighed and carried the French toast to our dining table. Mrs. Mann and Mr. Mann and their 3 year old daughter, Lindie, were sitting on one end of the table. Mr. Wen and his college aged son were there too. I set the French toast in the middle and grabbed myself a piece. Then I sat down and started to eat my eggs and my piece of French toast. “When are we riding today?” asked Mr. Wen. It was Mr. Wen and his son, Ben’s, last day here. “I don’t know. I’ll ask John.” answered Dad. Lindie looked up. I finished my food and went to the barn.

 

Emily was close behind. Matt and Dad were finishing their food. “Hey John.” called Emily. John was practicing his roping with his gelding Shooter. The artificial cow in the dirt corral was used for roping demos was in the opposite side of John and Shooter. I went to the barn. I checked the chore list. Skylark needed grooming. I went to the tack room. Brian was cleaning tack. Brian and John were Dad’s ranch hands. “Hi Nikki.” said Brian. “Hi.” I said. I grabbed Skylark’s grooming kit and headed out the door.  “Nikki wait!” yelled Brian. I stopped and turned around. “Lexi looks like she might foal soon. Can you tell your Dad for me? I still have to clean Jazz and Love’s bridles.” I nodded and flew out the door.

 

First I went to the second barn where Lexi was stabled. Sure enough, Lexi was showing signs of going into labor. “Easy Lexi.” I whispered, stroking the black mare’s neck. I heard footsteps. “Nikki! How is she? I called the vet. I told your father too. Brian told me. Is she okay?” said a familiar voice. “Mom?” I asked, whipping around. Sure enough Mom was standing there. Suddenly I heard hoofbeats beating against the ground. Clouds were starting to gather in the sky. The guests were riding horses around a corral. Mom looked outside. A big black stallion was galloping towards them. I gasped. It was Night! The rain began to fall slowly. John was telling the guests to bring their horses in because it looked like a storm was coming. Lexi started sweating a lot. Night slowed to a trot and came into the barn. “Who’s this?” asked Mom. “This is Night. The mustang who sired Lexi’s foal.” I replied. Night nuzzled me. The rain fell faster. Thunder boomed. “Nikki look!” Mom screamed over the thunder and the high pitched whinnies of horses. I looked inside of Lexi’s stall. There laying next to Lexi was a coal black foal. “Thunderstorm” I whispered. The little foal yawned. I smiled. Night whinnied at his son. Lighting cracked across the sky. Mom smiled. I stroked Night. Trust was the key that stormy day. The trust between foal and dam. Between mother a daughter. Between horse and rider. And most of all, between a mustang and a girl. I looked into Night’s eyes. And there in those eyes was joy and trust.