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Post by wildthing on Jan 18, 2007 23:13:22 GMT -5
Kelly was on the run. Her mother was dead, her father was in jail, and the government wanted to take her pony and put her in some new home. Buzz was her best friend. She'd had him for as long as she could remember, he'd been a gift from her mother. She couldn't let strangers take him away. He might get an owner who didn't love him or understand him. They might hurt him or jerk his mouth or kick him a lot. So she had run away. Her father was a no good drunk and she was the daughter who should have been a son. When he did get out of jail, Kelly wanted nothing to do with him. In part, she blamed him for her mother's death. Cancer is what had taken her, but her father had not helped with his drunken rages and refusal to visit the hospital.
She had saddled Buzz with her little western saddle and filled her saddle bags with what food was to be found in the house. She packed her bookbag with clothes and neccesities. She plopped her Austrailian cowboy hat on, another gift from her mother. For Buzz, she brought his heavy blanket, a halter and lead, and a bag of horse feed. There wasn't room for much else. She rolled up a sleeping bag and managed to get everything attatched to the saddle. The last thing she did was pull on her heavy coat, rain jacket, and hiking boots. It wasn't particularly cold right now, but the nights got very cold. Buzz was carrying a lot, but his breed was known for being able to carry a lot of weight and Kelly herself wasn't much of a load. Besides, she wasn't planning on traveling very fast. They'd have to take it slow, choose their places to hole up carefully, and be careful who they trusted.
They started out on the trails behind her house. She'd ridden them a hundred times, but they all looped back to her house. She wouldn't be looping back this time though. Within two hours, she was out of her home territory. The land looked vaguely familiar, but she was taking back roads and deer trails. She had no destination in mind, only survival and making sure Buzz wasn't taken away. She kept the gelding to a walk. He was covered in so much stuff that going any faster would make stuff bounce all over the place. When they crossed a fast moving stream, Kelly stopped and let Buzz drunk, and took the time to drink from her water bottle. Then it was onward again. They just kept walking. As the sun began to set, it got colder and Kelly zipped up the jacket that had hung loose all day. The darkening sky was made even darker by clouds that were quickly building in the Montana sky. She needed shelter, but she didn't have the money for a hotel room, not that anyone would let her rent one anyway.
She had made good time over the day and had crossed the county line. She'd heard of this town, but had never been here before. Kelly skirted this town carefully, but she needed a place to stay for the night and it looked like it was going to rain any minute. She came the borders of the Y Z Ranch and decided that such a big place would be a good place to hide out for the night. When she saw the last stablehand leave the stable, she quietly rode Buzz up to the stableyard.
She looked furtively around and eased open the side door of the large stall. Several of the horses nickered sleepily as she led Buzz in. In the dim light, she found an open stall with a deep bedding of straw. She led Buzz in the stall and untacked him, unrolling her sleeping bag, and giving Buzz a ration of the feed she'd brought. She borrowed a flake of hay and put it in the haynet. She ate a cold dinner of a peanut butter sandwhich and a bottle of water. When both were finished eating, they settled in the straw. Buzz lay down, completely at ease with his little miss. Pulling the sleeping bag around her, Kelly rested her head on Buzz's neck and sank into a deep, exhausted sleep.
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Post by Carhartt on Jan 20, 2007 23:37:57 GMT -5
It was about 5:00am and Dan had been out and about for about and hour and a half working on getting the railing back up after Stormy the big fresian / clysdale had ripped through it and broke the wood and let out four other cysdales and Dan and about two other ranch workers had to go round them up. He hadn't finished when the newbee stable hand who was 18 came running out he replied in a shacky voice, [Boss, boss! There's a young girl with a bucksin pony in Carhartt's stall. It's a good thing he was out at pasture last night. What should I do?] Dan thought for a second taking in all the information the young boy told him as Dan replied in his over powering thick redneck way with a deep tone, [Don't worry about, I'll handle.] He slowly walked with his spurs jingling and jangling as he entered the barn and went straight to the stall where she was. This was his horse pesonaly for he trained it and was the only one to ride nd the only horse he rode unless other wise. Carhartt is a very huge muscular Buckskin American Quarter Horse that is soooo trained. Even though he is a stud he is the sweetest thing ever. He's only four and a half and trained in western pleasure, gaming, cutting, roping, and reining. He was the best horse he had ever owned in his life and the best horse on the ranch. Dan slowly opened the door to the stall silently and looked over the sleeping girl and pony. Dan's orbs were soft and amazingly blue as he looked over the nine year old. Dan was a sucker for kids. He loved them to death,. (not the gross way, in a loving lawfull father way, lol). Her pony was adorable. He didn't like Norwegian Fjords but they were ok. Dan lightly rocked her shoulder trying to wake her up as his black cowboy hat covered his orbs as he wondered what and why she was here.
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Post by wildthing on Jan 20, 2007 23:51:09 GMT -5
Kelly was new to the role of runaway and was quite a hard little sleeper. Buzz had awoken as soon as people had first entered the stable, but he hadn't shifted, since his little girl was still curled up against him. The little dun gave a soft snort as the stall door opened and a stranger entered. The gelding was a friendly little horse. He'd been well cared for all his life and had no reason to see people as dangerous. He extended a soft muzzle as Dan came over, always curious.
Kelly groaned as she became aware of someone shakingher awake. Shoot! She must be late for school! But no...she remembered what she'd done the day before and where she'd stayed the night. She'd planned to wake up early and leave, but she'd been exhausted. She opened her eyes and found a big cowboy only inches away. Her first reaction was to sit up and scoot back even closer to Buzz. Then she jumped to her feet with a scared look in her eye. "I'm sorry mister. We'll leave now, honest. It was cold last night and we needed a roof, but I'll leave and you won't never see us again." She urged the pony to his feet and he heaved himself from the straw and shook his mane.
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Post by Carhartt on Jan 21, 2007 0:01:56 GMT -5
Dan stood in front of her and slowly replied as he smiled sweetly not trying to scare her, He vocals were deep but soft and his amazing blue eyes weresoft. He was smiling sweetly trying make her feel safe. Dan would never hurt her and he was willing to help her in any way.
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Post by wildthing on Jan 21, 2007 0:11:09 GMT -5
Kelly might have been able to dart around him and try to make a run for it, but she couldn't leave Buzz. She was a smart little kid and considered tryingto trick him into giving her a chance to run. Tears usually worked pretty well. But her first day on the trail alone had not been much fun and she really didn't have anywhere to run to. She just couldn't let them take Buzz and throw her into the home of some strangers. She sighed unhappily. He didn't look mean or scary though. And she'd have to trust someone eventually. "My mom's dead and my dad's in jail. They were going to send me away somewhere and sell Buzz. I can't let them do either. And you can't help me. It would probably be illegal. I'm a ward of the government now." She should have known better than to stay in a stranger's stable. But it had looked like rain and she hadn't wanted all of her things to get drenched.
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Post by Carhartt on Jan 21, 2007 13:41:42 GMT -5
He listened as his black cowboy hat hid his amazing blue eyes hidding under the shadow as he took in her words. He slowly stood up and walked to her pony and put his rough warned cowboy hands on his neck softly and then turned to her replying, [Well I can't let them ake your pony away. You looked starved. Throw your pony some hay and I'll take you an and make you some breakfast. How does eggs, beacon, sasauge, toast, juice, and pancakes?] Dan never made breakfast but it was for her and she was small and thin and needed a bite to eat. He slowly puthis hand out to her with a soft cowboy smile. He wanted her to trust him and he already trusted her.
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Post by wildthing on Jan 21, 2007 13:51:03 GMT -5
Buzz gave a low snort and nudged the stranger, not sure what was going on, but it was time for breakfast. Past time in fact. Kelly wasn't used to adults being so nice. She'd loved her mother, but everyone else usually just complained about her being underfoot. So she was a little suspicious when this cowboy was being so nice. "Why do you care? And it sounds like too much. I can't eat all that. Pancakes and juice are more than enough." She moved past him to get a couple flakes of hay and put them in the haynet, then filled the feed bucket with some of the pony feed she'd brought with her. She'd been pretty well prepared for a couple days of adventure, but the long term hadn't been very well planned out.
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Post by Carhartt on Jan 21, 2007 14:08:52 GMT -5
Dan laughed at this high attitude young girl. H laughed as shewalked past him as her sneer reply hit him as he laughed and replied, [Well I have heart for one thing, and I well I ran away from home once. Didn't work though. But my situation wasn't close to yours.] He walked out side of the stalland waited for her to step out as he closed it and slowly walked to the enterance of the barnand turned seeing if she was coming and replied slowly, [Well least I aint like most grown ups and call the cops.] He laughed to himself as she was being quite dumb cause he could do that in a second but was going to, of course.
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Post by wildthing on Jan 21, 2007 14:15:59 GMT -5
Kelly was actually usually a very quiet, polite little girl, but she was scared and still hadn't really recovered from losing her mom. She kissed Buzz on the nose and whispered in his ear before heading out of his stall, bowing her head as she passed Dan. She did look up to make sure the stall door was shut properly. Buzz would never go far. One time he had figured out how to open his stall door and had ended up on their front poor. Her daddy hadn't been too happy, but her mom had thought it was hilarious. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be rude. It's just...things...sorry. My name is Kelly and he's Buzz."
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Post by Carhartt on Jan 21, 2007 15:07:24 GMT -5
Dan saw her walk after him and stopped letting her catch up to him as he smiled and replied, [Well it is VERY nive to meet you Miss Kelly. I'm Daniel Kelley but you can call me Dan.] He walked to the large house with his two Ford F-350 long bed black trucks just an old one and a 2006 year on.e==e.
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Post by wildthing on Jan 21, 2007 18:00:09 GMT -5
A little more at ease, Kelly began to take stock of her surroundings. This place was huge and there were horses and cattle everywhere. It was just like one of the John Wayne westerns she loved to watch. That was one of the few things she had actually enjoyed doing with her dad, sitting down with a big bowl of popcorn and watching the Duke shoot 'em up. There were dogs all over the place too. She'd always asked for a puppy for Christmas, but Dad had always said no. "It would be kinda funny to call you Mr. Kelley. Just like my name, but not." She looked around again, interested at this place she'd ended up at. She still wasn't sure what was going to happen. It would be amazing to just stay here, but she wasn't sure that could happen. Dan seemed nice and she wouldn't get in the way, but there were things like school and her Dad to worry about. She was young, but she knew how things worked.
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Post by Carhartt on Jan 21, 2007 19:04:34 GMT -5
Dan smiled at her statement and slowly replied, [Yup... SO what are you planning on doing lil missy?] He was in the kitchen washing the dishes cause it was after they had eaten breakfast already and it was getting to be 10:00 a.m and this one of the first days he actually had off since for about 3 years. He came over and plopped on the couch andthrew his boots over his head and landed somewhere. As the movie was at an end a pretty 18 year old girl walked down the stairs still in P.J. and her curly hair was all over and messy in a pony tail. She stopped seeing the little girl and replied, [Who are you?] Dan looked over an smiled seeing Trixie and replied, [Good afternoon Trixie. Trixie this is Kelley, Kelley this is Trixie] Trixie looked ALOT like Dan even though she wasn't his real daughter.
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Post by wildthing on Jan 21, 2007 19:11:38 GMT -5
What was she going to do? She had no idea. She couldn't go back home. The authorities would take her away and take Buzz away. That was an option. She could try moving on, but she didn't have any other family that she knew of, nowhere to go. "Maybe...maybe I could stay here. I won't get in the way. I can work hard. I'm a good rider and I can groom horses. I don't mind sleeping in the stable with Buzz."
Kelly looked up as a pretty girl entered the room, looking like she'd just woken up. Kelly was usually an early riser, not quite as early as Dan, but she was usually up by 6:30 to feed Buzz. She gave a shy smile. "Hi."
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Post by Carhartt on Jan 21, 2007 23:47:59 GMT -5
This made Trixie mad, she ddin;t want to watch a little girl and babysit her. She rolled her amazing blue eyes and sat next to Dan as he smiled at Kelley's reply and replied with his vocals soft but thick in a southern draw, [THat would be a problem. Sleeping with a horse is a dog's job I have a perfect room for you darl'n.] Trixie groaned throwing her head back not saying a word as she hated this little girl already. Taking away the only parent figure she had, ALREADY, Oh but she was totaly wrong.
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Post by wildthing on Jan 22, 2007 0:05:43 GMT -5
Kelly really didn't want to cause trouble and she really didn't mind sleeping with Buzz. "Well, Buzz isn't a horse, he's a pony, so it might be okay. But I'll sleep in a room if you want. I won't get in the way. I read a lot and I can be quiet." The girl's reaction made Kelly uncomfortable. It didn't seem like Trixie wanted her here at all. She looked at Dan uncertainly. He didn't seem to mind her barging into his life like this, but his daughter or wife or whatever sure didn't seem to want her around.
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