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Collaborative Story

18K views 132 replies 17 participants last post by  Mercy98 
#1 ·
I don't know if anyone's done this on here before, but I thought it would be kind of cool if we could all write a story. You can write as little or as much as you like, as long as it makes sense with what's been written before. It'd be nice if before you post you've read the story beforehand, just so it flows a bit better than if it takes a completely random impossible twist.

Oh, also, please do make it your own words, no copying from books that someone else has already written :)

OK, I'll begin:

The sun broke sleepily above the snow-capped mountain, bathing the world in red and gold. Dapples danced staccato beats, born from the gaps between the sluggish autumn leaves; a deer turned its eyes to the purple sky and skittered into the cool depths of the great green forest, and the last dawn star fell into the sea, heralding the arrival of the morning.

Outside, the rooster crowed. Eryss groaned and snuggled deeper under her bright patchworked quilt, trying to ignore the glowing rays streaming through her window.


Carry on :) Let's see if we can finish it!
 
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#2 ·
[[ Excellent idea!! This is awesome!! ]]

Outside, the rooster crowed. Eryss groaned and snuggled deeper under her bright patchworked quilt, trying to ignore the glowing rays streaming through her window. "Rise and shine beautiful!" The voice came from across the room, as the doorknob gently tapped the wall. Eryss heard the woman throw open the curtains wider, as she pranced about the room. She groaned again, trying to show the familiar voice that she was very uninterested in waking up. "Oh, don't be like that," the mother called to her girl in reply to the muffled noise.

Suddenly the quilt was thrusted away from Eryss, and she was suddenly exposed to every inch of light that streamed into her small bedroom. Her eyes stung as they dilated, and she mumbled many complaints as she slowly made her way to a seated position. "Good grief mom ... what time is it? Why are we up?" She felt something soft land on her lap, and looked down to find a pair of jeans and a flowy, comfortable looking t-shirt.
 
#3 ·
You're not in Detroit anymore princess, this is Oregon and all that fresh air is too good to waste. Get dressed and after breakfast Roy is taking us to a ranch horse auction. Eryss flopped back on the bed grabbing the covers as she fell. You married him, I didn't and I don't care squat about ranch houses and fresh air she grumbled. Clean your ears out on your way to breakfast, I said horse not house tossed back mom on her way out.
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#4 ·
This is awesome!

And heaps, heaps different to how I'd imagined it too, lol. I've already written more of this story (just stole the opening paragraph from it) and in mine it's a medieval fantasy :lol:

I love how the horses come in almost straight away :)
 
#5 ·
Chokolate, it is fun :)
Midevial times, interesting. I'd like to read that.
I just picked out " snow capped mountains" deep green forests and the star falling into the sea" and figured it has to be the North Pacific area, and while I might have gone with mid 1800s settlers/ pioneers the second post contained " t- shirt and bluejeans" so that put it in a more current time period.
Next.......will it be a big butt blue roan? A medicine hat paint with a wild eye? or a scrawny looking but kind eyed little bay that catches her eye and heart?
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#7 ·
Eryss sat up as she heard her mother's final words, "You mean...?" She was cut off by the sound of a closing door. She rubbed the sleep from her eye, and proceeded to get dressed. She had never really come in contact with horses before, only pet them on a handful of times. There weren't many in Chicago, and the ones she did see she saw across the fence, as she would be cleaning up the streets for her community service hours.

She finally made her way down the stairs, slowly but surely. She could hear her mother talking to her grandfather, who owned the ranch that Eryss and her mother had come to live just a few short weeks ago. "I know a horse will be good for her. They always kept me out of trouble. I can't have her in trouble with the law again - the judge said one more incident, and she'd be in juvy." Her mother's voice was quiet and worried. Eryss was angered that she would bring up her less-than-ideal past with her grandfather. Sure, she had stolen a few things here and there, but she never thought it would get bad enough to the point where her mother wanted her out of the big city. Her grandfather's voice came next, "If you say so. She has to take care of it. I mean it, I don't have time to mess with yet another horse on top of all the head of cattle. You can teach her how to ride, too. I'll go with you to the auction, might be fun." Her mother agreed with his terms, and Eryss finally made her way all the way down the stairs when the two were finished speaking.

It was a decent drive to the auction house, as everything in the small town was very wide-spread. Eryss hated it. She loved city life, loved having everything in walking distance. She sat in the back seat of the truck, trailer in tow, with headphones in her ears. They were loud enough to drown out anything around her, and that's how she liked it. In her own world. Away from this place she would never call home.

When the family arrived at the auction place, Eryss' mother asked her to leave the music, and she angerly agreed. She had to listen to these fools now? Was it not punishment enough to watch? Her grandfather grabbed a number from the office, registered, and they began walking through the yard. The aisle was lined with many steel panels, holding many types of horses. Skinny, fat, clearly lame, and clearly crazy. Eryss spotted a horse she found fancy to the eye. A beautiful paint, with striking markings. He seemed to have hobbles on his feet, so Eryss' mother obliged when the girl asked to enter the pen. She reached out a hand to stroke the horse's face. Just as quickly as she could blink, the huge paint pinned his ears and struck his teeth into Eryss' hand. "Ow! You stupid bear!" She yanked her hand away, storming out of the pen. "I don't want a horse. We need to leave, I'm fine with my laptop and my phone. We are wasting our time." Eryss was furious, and even began to make her way through the crowd, on her way back to the truck. Her mother and grandfather shouted behind her, trying to catch up. Suddenly, a whinny caught Eryss' attention.

It was a smaller gelding, buckskin with a splashed white face. He was sabino, and had white markings that looked as if someone had blown white paint onto him from underneath his belly. His black points were stunning, and matched his deep, longing eyes. Eryss stopped in front of the panels holding the horse, breath lost from her lungs. The two sat there, looking at eachother square in the eye, neither moving an inch. Eryss' family came up behind her shortly, grabbing her shoulder. They began lecturing, but saw that she was no longer listening. The grandfather walked up to the panels, where a small card was placed. "2 years old, Quarter horse. He ain't even broke yet, we can't get him. You wanna ride, don't ya? Well won't be riding him for at least six months. If he's even socialized.

Without another word, Eryss walked into the pen. She reached out a hand, and the buckskin accepted her touch. They seemed connected, as if nothing could seperate them. "This one." Eryss spoke, finally, her words soft, but meaningful. "I want this horse, and no other." The mother and her father looked at each other, back to the horse, then to each other. "Okay, let's get a seat. We will wait for him to walk out," the grandfather stated. Mother was clearly skeptical, but agreed. Eryss' left the pen, and followed the two others to their seats in the grandstand, her mind full of the buckskin she had seen.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I don't know if I'm allowed to add, seeing as I started it....but I can't resist (I love writing) so on it goes:

The negotiations were brief, made so by the terse and irritable seller and Eryss' uncontrollable excitement. It took all of fifteen minutes for the agreement to be made, the price settled, the contract signed, and the horse named. The naming was, of course, decided by Eryss. Disgusted by the suggestions of her family - which included 'Spirit,' 'Sweetie,' and 'Bucky,' she let herself into his holding stall and stared into his eyes, one arm around his neck and the other twisted into his warm, lush mane of white and black.

No good names immediately presented themselves, and it was hard to think of something suitable even after a great deal of thought. Eventually, she took the direct, irrational route.

"You got a name, buddy?" she asked him, scratching behind his wispy ears. He pricked them and turned his delicate muzzle towards her serious grey eyes.

This was no sort of inspiration, thought Eryss grumpily. She stared out the grimy, rust-rimmed window at the scrubby kind of forest behind the pens. Oak and aspen trees grew in bedraggled clumps, huddling together for support among a sea of dry yellow pasture. Oak and aspen. Aspen. That didn't sound too bad.

She turned back to her horse. Her horse. Much as she had resisted the move to the country, the notion of owning her own horse and riding as she had seen some of the girls in her class do was too exciting to turn down.

"Whaddya think of Aspen, my friend?"

He blew on her forehead gently, then shook his head. His wild mane tumbled and rippled like a forest river.

"Aspen it is." That was that. Despite the comments raised by her family on naming her horse after a tree, there was no changing her mind.

Having zoned out during the negotiations of the adults, it was only then that Eryss discovered he was to be delivered by trailer two days hence. She absolutely couldn't wait, and was full of nervous and excited energy on the car ride home.
 
#9 · (Edited)
The trailer arrived at 7:02 AM exactly, Eryss had looked a her watch the second she saw it coming up the long, winding driveway. It was now 7:45 and Eryss was still trying to convince Aspen his stall was not in fact a horse eating monster. Sighing heavily Eryss put a hand on the gelding face "come on, Aspen...please?" she asked resorting to begging "I swear it won't hurt you, look there's even hay in there, water too."

Eventually Eryss gave up on the stall and turned Aspen out in the paddock deciding she'd give the stall another go later, possibly with a carrot. Eryss headed up to the house for lunch. "Hi Honey" her Mother greeted as she set a roast beef sandwich on toasted bread and drenched in honey mustard down on the table, Eryss's favourtie. As Eryss ate her grandfather walked in, pausing at the door to hang up his well worn felt hat at the door he sat down next to Eryss and poured himself a glass of lemonade before pouring a second and sliding it across the table to his grand daughter. Shocked Eryss swallowed a mouthful of sandwich without fully chewing it "thanks" she frowned, it was rare for her grandfather to do much but pass the salt let alone pour someone else a drink. "How's that horse...Aspen or whatever?" he asked

"fine" Eryss answered "Not a big fan of his stall though, he's in the paddock for now"

Her grandfather nodded with his glass to his lips "Horses can be funny like that."

Eryss frowned again it was also unlike her grandfather to be so positive, she had expected him to chew her out for "letting the horse get his way"

"yeah I'm going to try again after lunch, might lure him in with a carrot it there one I could use?"

"ask your grandmother from one from her garden, she's plated so many this year, I'm sure she could spare one. She's out there now"

Eryss's face lit up "Grandma's back?" she asked excitedly.

"I just said she was in the garden didn't I ?" Eryss barely heard her grandfather's response as she dashed out the door leaving it wide open behind her.
 
#10 ·
Without waiting for another second, she dashed out the front door, heading straight for the garden right next door. Right at that moment, her grandma was just about to bring the carrots into the house when she heard a voice screaming after her. "Wait!! Wait!!" Peering over her shoulder, it was easily recognisable that it was her playful, carefree granddaughter running up her front lawn.

Panting non-stop, Eryss stoops over the gate, waving toward her grandma, asking her to open the front gate. "Hi grandma, may I have one of your carrots??" Curious for the use of her carrots, she questions Eryss why she needs them. "They are to feed Aspen, my new buddy!" Satisfied with the answer, she gives one carrot to Eryss. Not with a second to waste, Eryss dashes home.

Not even heading back to the house, she immediately goes to the paddock. However, the moment she leans over the paddock gate, all she sees is the green pasture before her eyes. But NO HORSE!!! Frantic, worried, Eryss did not know what to do. Where could Aspen be? At most she remembered, he was only 2 years old, how far could he have gone??
 
#11 ·
"Aspen...Aspen!" she screamed frantically. Her cheeks were a blotchy red, and her heart was sinking faster than it was beating.

"Okay, Eryss," she said to herself quietly, sitting down on a log. "Calm down. We're not going to find Aspen if we can't think straight. Now, let's check the paddock."

With that, she hopped up and made a quick but thorough search of the place. There was plenty of grass, and a trough in the corner, and the remains of his breakfast, but no Aspen, nor any signs of him at all.

"Next, the barn. He might be in there and all this panic is for nothing." She thought this more to convince herself than because she actually believed it. After all, the horse had point-blank refused to enter his stall just a few hours ago.

As predicted by the more honest side of herself, he was not there. Finally forced to accept there was a serious problem, Eryss felt she had two options. She could go back to the house and tell her parents - but they would rage and scream and storm at her for so long afterwards she wasn't sure it was worth it. Or, she could find her horse on her own.

Eryss chose the second option.

She then began another search of the outside of the paddock, this time hunting for signs Aspen had been there. There were trailer marks were he had been unloaded that morning, and fresher looking ones, too, leading out. She saw hoofprints leading down the driveway, wedges in the mud of the dirt path. They ended abruptly only a few paces away.

No matter how hard she looked, there were no other traces of a horse anywhere nearby.

What sort of owner lost her first horse the very day it arrived?
 
#12 · (Edited)
Eryss looked roung the paddock once again just to be sure. She saw trye marks leading out the back gate she dicided to follow them. They lead down serval fields before entering a narrow woods. Where Eryss spotted abit of a trailor plate it only had f on it. Where could aspin be Eryss thought. She dicided to ****inu to follow the trailor marks but soon enought they went onto a narrow back road and Eryss did not have a clue what way her horse went,
 
#13 · (Edited)
Dejected Eryss returned home. The first thing she saw upon making the last turn was Aspen, happily and completely clueless of Eryss' panicked, chaotic search for him standing knee high in grass munching away. "Aspen, you scared me half to death!" Eryss worked to keep from screaming at the oblivious horse and calmly approached him. "Seriously though Aspen, not cool I thought someone stole you and...I don't wanna think about that" Eryss shuddered not daring to speak her thoughts aloud. Eryss pulled some bailing twine from her pocket, she always had some since moving on her since moving to the farm and fashioned a make shift lead rope.
After replacing the twine lead rope with a proper halter and lead rope Eryss stood a few feet from Aspen in the stall. "alright Aspen" she announced "let's try this again." and pulled the carrot out. Aspen perked up immediately "oh got your attention now eh? come on the stall won't hurt you, it's your home, you'll be safe here." She soothed. Eryss dangled the carrot a bit closer to Aspen and when he tried to stretch his neck to get it she pulled it away "ah ah ah, you have to come here to get it."
Aspen stared at her seemingly in disbelief, then to the carrot and back at Eryss.
The horse glanced between girl and carrot for a few more minutes before he took a cautious but deliberate step forward. "good boy Aspen! good boy" Eryss encouraged "come on just a few more steps and the carrot is yours"
It took nearly 45 minutes but Eryss eventually got Aspen into the stall. Now she stood petting him and talking to him. "how did you get out? the fences are almost as tall as me and there's no way you could have reached the latch...." Eryss stared at the horse inquisitively "...did you...did you jump?....no you couldn't have you're only two and never been trained...that's silly I must have not closed the gate properly..."
 
#16 ·
[[ Before I start, I want to let y'all know that I mainly write in first person, and I'm not particularly used to third person. I have written in it before, it's just not my favorite. So if I accidently slip up a few times and use the wrong perspective, I'm sorry!! lol ]]

Eryss just shook her head, and turned to head back to the house, muttering to herself and she made her way to the barn door, "No, no, she couldn't have. She's just an auction horse, two years old. Nope, I must have left the gate open. I won't next time..." She ran straight into her grandfather, as her head was down as she spoke to herself. She backed up quickly, looking up at him as he giggled to himself. "Whaddaya up to there, Eryss?" He asked her, a cute smile across his face. Eryss just shook her head, displeased with having to interact. She wasn't fond of all of the contact she was forced to be put into with her adults. The only person on the farm she really loved to spend time with was her grandma.

Her grandmother had always been there for her. She recalled memories from when she was little, her gram taking her out for ice cream after soccer practice. Even after she quit soccer when she was eight, her gram would still take her out for ice cream on Sundays, up until the day Eryss and her parents moved from Oregon to Detroit. Eryss was upset, but her mom had to go there for work, and her dad couldn't protest it since his family lived about an hour from the big city. Eryss became okay with the city soon enough, with guidance from her father, whom she was very attached to, until they were forced apart forever. Micheal Linsford was killed in a fatal shooting in a bank when Eryss Linsford was only ten years old. She was devastated, and quickly got involved with crime. After a few too many incidents, the family found themselves back here.

Her grandfather looked at her quizzically now, noticing she had zoned out, "Eryss? I asked you a question," he reminded her. She snapped out of it, looked up at her grandpa, "Oh, just playing with Aspen. I got her in her stall! Want to come see her?" Her voice was shaky, for the memory of her father had reminded her of a sadness. She was going to head to the house, but now she decided she would prefer a distraction. "That's actually what I was out here for," her grandfather explained, "It's time for your very first riding lesson! But not on Aspen, you and your mother will break her together. I want you to know how to ride so that you can get her broke, though. So I figured we best get started!" After checking on Aspen, the pair head over to a large palomino, Eryss' grandmother's horse. Her name was Sol, and she was definitely one of the most gentle horses in the barn. Most beautiful, too, Eryss decided.

Grandfather taught Eryss how to tack up the mare, and the three of them walked out to the small outdoor arena that the grandparents had built when Eryss' mother was young. Grandfather had decided to start Eryss out riding Western, since that's what everyone else rode in her family. Eryss mounted Sol slowly and gently, careful not to pull on the horse's back, as her grandfather had instructed. Soon enough, mother and gram walked out and stood on the edge of the fence, watching the new pair in their first lesson together.

Someone else care to take it from there?
 
#17 ·
After the lesson eryse was thrilled. She even tried a lope. There was something about riding that gave her a thrill it had certanly been fun. After she helped her grandad unsaddle sol. She went and put aspin in the paddock and sat on the rail of the paddock and watched her horse. suddenly a bird slept low past aspin and she spooked and started going very fast towards the gate eryse thought she swerve away but one stride away. aspin picked her self up and soared over the gate.
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#18 ·
wait...I thought Aspen was a gelding? but you said she? typo?
and babyponies I hat to be "that person but , Eryss* Aspen* n.


Eryss stood jaw on the ground staring at Aspen who stared back as if to say"what? oh that? it was noting". His knees had been all over the place and he'd dragged his hinds but among other flaws, a unbroke 2 year old had just jumped a 5' fence. "Grandpa! Eryss shouted leaping of the gate and dashing for a lead rope "Grandpa!!" She called again as she grabbed the led rope and slowed to walk so she wouldn't spook Aspen again.
 
#20 ·
nobody?...k...
Eryss halter Aspen and was about to put him pack in his paddock "no...no he might jump out again...ugh! and Grandpa's horse is using his stall right now!" She glanced around frantically a couple times before deciding to take Aspen with her. She clucked at the horse and jogged towards the house picking up speed until she was almost sprinting with a confused Aspen trotting along side her. Eryss was out of breath by the time she reached the house. "Grandpa!" She panted "Grandpa!" Her Grandpa appeared at the door, frowning in confusion "Eryss...what are you doing? why are you out of breath?".
"Aspen....jumped out...of his...paddock" Eryss managed to pant.
"He what?! no Eryss, you must have left the gate open, maybe the wind blew it shut after he got out."
"no Grandpa, I saw it....I saw him, he jumped, a bird spooked him."
 
#21 ·
Eryss plead with her grandfather, with honesty flowing out of her eyes; but her elder wouldn't have it. He shook his head, waving his hand in the direction of a very tall round pen behind the barn. "No, no, Eryss, that horse didn't jump out of her paddock. She's two, she's unbroke, and she's a scrawny little thing. If it makes you feel any better, go stick her in the mustang pen. We haven't gotten any from the BLM for a while, me and your gram are getting a little old for that, so it's got it's grass back by now. She can't stay there forever, so you'll have to come to your senses eventually, my girl.

Eryss simply nodded and took what she got. Aspen was settled again in the high-paneled area. It wasn't very big, not even as large as the arena Eryss' lesson was in. It was big enough for Aspen to take a few leisurely lope circles around to check out her new spot, before finally settling down and reaching for some grass. Eryss sat there in the middle of the pen, watching her gelding enjoy himself. "Don't get too used to it, buddy. Grandpa says that me and you are having a little lesson later today with my momma. He says my momma used to break the horses here, when she was younger," Eryss spoke to the horse for almost an hour, happy to have a friend that would just listen to her. Aspen didn't acknowledge her too often, maybe a simple head raise here and there, but Eryss was okay with that. It had been since the move from the big city that Eryss truly had any friends besides her family to just talk to and enjoy. She had been very worried about meeting people, knowing it was a small town. Eryss' mother had assured her that once school picked up, it wouldn't be much of a problem. This was all good and well - but school didn't start for another two months. Until then, she was to rely on the horses around her for comfort.

She honestly couldn't believe she had been hesitant before. The horses really seemed to comfort Eryss, and riding was one of the most blissful things the girl had experienced. She smiled, warming up to the idea of staying here in Oregon. She stood up, brushed the grass off of her bum, and walked out of Aspen's temporary home, making sure the latch was firmly closed behind her. She made her way into the house, where Gram was rinsing some fruits and vegetables from the garden. "Need some help?" Eryss' asked sweetly. Gram glowed, smiling and reaching a hand back to smooth Eryss' hair. "Of course, my girl, I always love your help." The two began rinsing and scrubbing the garden fresh produce, giggling and chatting away.
 
#22 ·
The next morning Eryss got up extra early. Even before her grandfather was up! She was making coffee for everybody. She served the coffee to them in bed and got dressed. For the first time she put on chaps that was laying around in her closet. She dashed down stairs and made some toast. Then she went upstairs again and peeked into her grandpa's room. "I'm going out to visit Aspen," she said. Her grandpa just smiled. She ran outside but suddenly stopped on the porch. It was still dark. "Wow. I did get up early," she laughed to herself. She jogged to the mustang pen. "Morning Aspen!" She boasted. Aspen lifted his white splashed head and neighed.
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#23 ·
ok can we clear up what Aspen looks like? I know someone suggest white faced buckskin but the person who wrote the scene never actually said that so.....? and if he he does have a white face can this be him? http://www.morgancolors.com/MEMCCrownRoyal2.jpg
 
#24 ·
and stared at her as if to say "good morning...you are aware it's 4:30 AM aren't you?" even so he snorted impatiently Eryss may have been up early but Aspen wanted food. Eryss took the hint and grabbed two flakes of hay and dumped it over the fence. She proceeded to fill an old, giant can that once held tomatoes from before Grandma grew them and filled it a quarter of the way. Here ya, go Aspen" Eryss called pouring the grain into his bucket, she barely had emptied the can before Aspen was inhaling the grain. Eryss rolled her eyes, Aspen loved his grain over any food she'd fed him. Strangely enough Aspen wouldn't touch anything with oats he'd even manage to pick out every bit of oats once mixed with his grain.
 
#27 ·
someone suggested it but i don't think it was ever made canon...*waves wand* I now announce white splash faced Aspen canon. There.
 
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