Just the start of a short fiction story :)

I am not a writer...but I was just bored and started writing a childrens short fiction story...i will continue if anyone likes it :)



Chapter 1

Twelve year old Keighmee reached out into the pitch black half sleeping and tried to push the snooze button on her alarm. "where is it?" she thought as she reached out into the darkness again feeling for her phone that she often used as an alarm clock. Her fingers touched something cold. Her ears were starting to ache from the loud persistant ringing. Then she remembered she had gotten a new alarm clock the day before. She clicked on her lamp and and found the cold metal vintage alarm clock and quickly turned it off. She was grateful for the silence.
Keighmee laid her head back down on the pillow allowing her eyes to adjust to the light. The wispy grey sky was peaking through her window and she noticed raindrops splattered across the glass. "great" she though glumly. Although she loved the rain it made her job of mucking stalls twice as hard...and seemed to get her twice as dirty. Keighmee groaned and sat up pulling the covers back much to the dismay of her Yorkie mix, Pipsi. The small silky silver and tan dog looked up at her disdainfully. He stood and circled then scratched a bed back into the covers and curled back up. Keighmee wished she could do the same, but her chores werent going to do themselves. As her toes touched the cold wooden floor she shivered. She dressed quickly throwing on jeans and a t-shirt and hoodie and put her long brown hair in a pony tail. She put on warm wool socks and slipped her feet into her black rubber muck boots that her mom was constantly telling her to keep on the porch...not in her room!
She bounded down the stairs of her family's two story farmhouse. She didn't bother being quiet. Her parents would have already been at the barn for at least an hour. Her only sibling, an older brother, Derryck had been away at college the last year. Keighmee poured herself a steaming cup of hot coffee and gulped the hot liquid down. She enjoyed the warmth, but made a face at her father's special extra black morning coffee. She glanced at the clock above the stove. 5:00. She was late.
Keighmee's eyes scanned the large fence pastures and the huge imposing red barn with attached indoor riding ring. She trudged through the sloppy mud grateful for her rubber boots. She didnt want to work here. She didnt want to be around horses at all. She didnt want to have anything to do with them. She really just wanted to crawl back into her warm bed. But kKeighmee's parents Kurt and Amy Langely depended on her to help out. They had owned and managed their Lipizzan breeding farm for almost three years now. They had moved from Florida where her parent's stable owning dreams had withered in the heat and high expenses. Instead they had settled in rainy, but beautiful Oregon. They lived in a tiny town outside of the large city of Medford. It was only about an hour from the California border and situated in the gorgeous area known as the Rogue Valley. Keighmee certainly didnt miss Florida. She had hated the muggy heat and the nasty stable owners her parents had worked as managers for. Most of the people that had ridden there were snotty and rich. Keighmee knew her parents were well off now, but they didnt breed and show fir money or fame. They did it because it was their passion. Owning Lipizzans had always been their dream. The majestic grey horses were specially bred to compete in dressage. Her mother,Amy, taught Classical Dressage lessons to several students and her dad,Kurt, did most of the younger horses' training. And he competed on his prize Lipizzan stallion, Kyzer.
When Keighmee finally meandered into the barn she saw both of her parents through the glass windows of their barn office. Her father was standing talking to her mom who was sitting behind the desk on an office chair. Keighmee tapped on the glass and her mom looked up and waved then held up one finger so Keighmee knew she would be out in a minute.
A throaty whicker behind her caught her attention and she turned around. One of her parents Lipizzan mares,Dancer, had her head hanging out of her cedar wood stall door. Her large,black,sweet eyes watched Keighmee. She reached her nose in Keighmee's direction. Keighmee reached out and let Dancer sniff her hand then rubbed the whorl in the middle of the mare's forehead. She tickled the hairs growing under her chin. They were getting long, she would have to remember to clip them later. Dancerwas such a sweet mare. Still...Keighmee couldnt shake the sad feeling that overcame her everytime she entered this barn. Everytime she looked at a horse. Even everytime she mucked a stall.
It had hapoened not so very long ago....in this barn...just a few stalls down. Keighmee felt warm tears filling her eyes. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. Keighmee saw her mom's worried face looking at her and then her mom gave her a hug. "I am really sorry Keighmee", her mom said as her sad eyes met Keighmee's. " I know how much this hurts you and how hard it is for you to be down here. I truly wish you didnt have to, but we really need the extra help right nkw.Keighmee nodded knowing it was true. Their friend and broodmare manager,Vincent, had recently passed away. He had been older,but had taken such excellent care of their horses. He had started working here as soon as they had bought the farm and it was going to be hard not seeing him around. Keighmee felt so bad for his family. She knew he had several kids. She felt their oain. She knew what it was like to loose someone you loved.
"Can you try to hang in there a little longer until we can find a new manager?" Keighmee heard her mom ask. Her throat was burning from holding back the tears that were threatening to spill over,but she managed a nod. Her mom apologized again and gave her ahug then gave her a list of the chores that she needed done. Once she was gone Keighmee wiped the tears kut of her eyes. Not too much longer...she thought hopefully. She didnt know how much longer she could stand it. How many more mornings was she going to have to come into this barn feeling like she was on the verge of tears?

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Sorry for any typos...i am writing them a touchpad anc I often accidently hit a wrong letter. If I get any readers I will continue....i have the next couple of chapters written

I like it!
Umm,is this story based on some of your life?

Lol...thx. I figured if I was sitting here sick not able to ride horses I could write about them ;) not very well,but eh....i was bored.

No...not about my life at all....except the dog is in memory of my yorkie mix pup Pippin that got eaten. I called him Pipsi sometimes.

Awww,I was wondering if that was about your dog.
I'm really sorry! Poor little guy.

Keep writing.

PLZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ keep writing!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3 the story!

Lol...thx.....gotta find the notebook I wrote it in and I will type some more tonight!

Gahh....I just typed another whole chapter and my computer refreshed and I lost it all :( I will have to retype a little later :(

m' kay....2 more chapters!

Chapter Two


Josiah one of the younger grooms that had been working under Vincent had arrived late so they were already behind on feeding and turning out. Keighmee had already finished feeding Dancer, Victor, Amelia, French Cream, and Iradescent's stalls. Now she just needed to go back around and turn them out then pick their stalls. She went to Dancer’s stall and opened the sliding cedar door. She clipped a lead on the mare's leather halter and led the stocky mare out. Her intelligent expression was eager and although she was 9 months pregnant she managed a slight prance after Keighmee. Keighmee turned her out into one of the smaller paddocks that had a rain cover.
She also turned out Victor, Amelia, and French Cream, but hadn't gotten a chance to check Iridescents's stall yet. She mucked all their stalls and filled waters. She only had one stall left to do. She dreaded it. She didn't want to go anywhere near that stall. But she knew she needed to. It wasn't iridescent’s fault. She didn't have to hurry, after all it was Saturday, and she didn't have to go to school. Even so she half wished that it wasn't so she would have to go to school instead of having to hang out at the barn all day. Keighmee walked to Iridescents’s stall and opened it. Iri was due to foal any day and occupied the largest foaling stall on the farm. It was filled with large amounts of soft fluffy straw. Keighmee mucked around the mare deciding not to turn her out today. Just in case she had her foal out in the mud. It was starting to sprinkle again anyways.
Keighmee gently pushed the huge mare over to muck the other side of the stall. Iri grunted, but obliged. Her soulful eyes watched Keighmee. This would the mare's last foal. She would 17 this year and her parents had decided to retire her. Ire nudged Keighmee’s pocket looking for a treat. "'Sorry girl," said Keighmee. "I didn't bring any treats today. She rubbed the mare’s neck and they gave her a hug. This was too familiar. She felt the tears coming again a turned her face to Ire’s thick grey mane. She cried this time; she didn't try to hold it until. She didn't stop until she heard footsteps coming towards the stall. She turned away from the stall door and pretended to be mucking more pieces of straw. "How is she doing?" she heard her dad, Kurt, ask. "She seems to be doing fine", said Keighmee. She is just as big as a boat. Kurt laughed and Iri groaned as she shifted her weight from one hoof to the other. "I think she might foal tonight", she heard her dad say. "Do you want me to come and get you when it is time? Keighmee shook her head, no. No way. "Okay", her dad said quietly. "Let me know if you change your mind.” "Kay", said Keighmee even though she knew there was no way that she would. "Sorry girl", Keighmee whispered to Iri. "I can't be there this time. If anything goes wrong...."Keighmee felt her throat burning and bit her lip. It wasn't always like this. Only a couple months ago she had lived, loved, and breathed for horses. She had practically lived at the barn. "But", Keighmee thought, "That is over. I doubt I will ever feel the way I used to about horses. I wouldn't care if I never saw another horse again.

"Guess what?” Keighmee's mom asked the next morning when Keighmee came down the stairs with Pipsi at her heels. Keighmee looked at her mom and shrugged. "Iridescent had her foal last night! Keighmee quickly looked up. "Is she....” she started to say.”Iridescent and her beautiful filly are healthy and strong". Keighmee smiled thankfully. "Why don't you go down and look at the filly," her mom asked. Keighmee's smile faded. "Oh....uh....maybe later, ok?” she said. Her mom stared at her surprised. Keighmee come on' it isn't this foal's fault what happened. You should go visit her. She actually looks a lot like...", but her mom stopped short. Well, anyways, she continued she is a really cute foal and full to the brim of spunk. She was trying to trot before she could even walk. Keighmee smiled. She loved the spunky foals....even though it was usually a little harder to halter break them. One of her regular chores. They tended to have ideas of their own. It was Sunday. She had no school. No excuse to not go see the foal. Still she couldn't feel anything in her that at all wanted to see it. There hadn't been a foal born since....”
Hey, can I spend the night at Keera's tonight? Asked Keighmee hopefully. Keera was Keighmee's best friend and went to her middle school. She was ambitious,hyper,and sometimes annoying...but a good friend."On a school night?" her mom asked skeptically. "Did her mom say that was fine" “well....” said Keighmee I will go ask Keera to ask right now. Hmmm....said her mom...alright I guess if Keera's mom doesn't mind it is fine. You still have to be asleep before 9 though and you can just ride the bus to school from Keera's. I will ask Josiah to do your five stalls in the morning. He shouldn't mind since you have been helping him out since he has been late quite a bit lately. Keighmee hugged her mom and said thanks. She was so excited to get away from this place. And it's memories.
After they had finished a cup of cocoa and a competitive game of Monopoly the girls decided to go to bed. It was nearing nine and Keighmee was already tired. Being allowed to spend the night on a school night was rare and Keighmee didn't want to give her or Keera's parents any reason to say no in the future. Keighmee slept in a sleeping bag on the floor next to Keera's bed. The house was warm and Keighmee decided to lie on top of the sleeping bag until she cooled off. She couldn't seem to get comfortable. She always had a hard time sleeping without her dog Pipsi to snuggle with. She was finally just starting to doze off when she heard Keera whisper “Are you still awake?" I am now said Keighmee pretending to be upset. "Hey do you think we could go to your house tomorrow after school and ride?” I don't think so said Keighmee. I mean you can if it’s all right with my parents and I am sure it will be. But I don't want to. "It wouldn't be any fun without you though, said Keera sighing. Iri had her foal this morning said Keighmee changing the subject. Oh… wow said Keera what does she look like? Well...I don’t really know said Keighmee. What do you mean you don't know you didn't watch the birth? Said Keera in a voice louder than a whisper. Shh” said Keighmee we are supposed to be asleep, remember? Oh, yea sorry said Keera. So you didn't watch the birth? You always watch you parent’s broodmares foal! “I know”, said Keighmee sadly...it's just every time I look at the horses especially the pregnant mares I think about….”Keighmee couldn’t finish.Oh....said Keera slowly. I’m really sorry Keighmee. Is that won't you won't ride either? I guess said Keighmee....I know it didn't have anything to do with riding, but I just don't like being around horses at all anymore. What happened to them was horrible and I don't want to see it happen again. I am only going to have the least to do with horses as possible. I will muck their stalls and feed them, but I am absolutely 100% certain that my riding days are over. For good.
They heard Keera's mom yell out "quiet girls...you were supposed to be asleep an hour ago!" We'd better go to sleep said Keighmee in a tiny whisper into the thick darkness. "Yea I guess" said Keera Keighmee heard her shuffling in her bed. Finally...sleep! She thought and got into her sleeping bag finally feeler a little chilly. A few minutes later she heard Keera say "I want to come see Ire’s foal tomorrow.”GIRLS!" said Keera’s mom louder this time. "Seriously bedtime!” "Keera shush..." said Keighmee getting kind of annoyed.”No...We are going to see the foal tomorrow" Keera whispered. Keighmee rolled her eyes pointlessly into the darkness. "Fine....now please go to sleep!"
The loud buzzing bell startled Keighmee from her thoughts. She glanced at the clock. 3:10 already? School had gone by so fast. She gathered up her books and hurried to her locker. School had always seemed to drag on before, but now it seemed to go too fast. She walked quickly to the bus so she could get a good seat, but when she got there Keera was standing by the bus door. "Where are you going?" Keighmee asked with her arms crossed. Um...the....bus…remember? Said Keera. Keighmee felt her face fall as she remembered the promise she had made the night before. "Ugh" she said looking warily at Keera. "You didn't even get a note to ride home with me", said Keighmee trying to feign disappointment. Keera held up a slip of paper grinning. "Oh fine come on....there has to be worse things than being forced to look at a cute,fuzzy,brand new, adorable, sweet, tiny...."Okay okay! I get it!” said Keighmee. Let’s go.

Keighmee sat looking out the window on the bus listening to Keera chat about asking her parents for a horse for Christmas and them laughing. Keighmee didn't laugh or feel at all sorry for her friend... Horses were not worth it. Keera chatted on and on about them in a one sided conversation. Keighmee was actually starting to get annoyed. Couldn't Keera tell yet that she didn't want to talk about horses whatsoever? Keighmee unzipped the front pocket on her backpack and pulled out two sticks of spearmint gum. She handed one stick to Keera and unwrapped the foil on the other and popped it in her mouth. Keera smoothly glided from talking about getting her own horse to what Keighmee's parents should name the new foal without even taking a breath. Keera had unwavering energy and was kind of crazy at times and had gotten them in trouble more than once, but they had lots of fun together too. Keera had immediately appointed herself as Keighmee's best friend when they had moved there three years earlier. "So?" said Keera looking at Keighmee expectantly. "Oh...uh....I guess I didn't hear you sorry, what?" I say-id...what are you going to name Ire’s foal? Maybe Dessi for Iridescent or Kye after Kyzer?
"Keera I seriously doubt my parents will name the foal either of those names, but you are more than welcome to ask I guess. I don't care what it is named to be honest. It is just a foal. A foal that will be sold in 5 months. Its name won't matter. Keera gave her a sad look so Keighmee continued “besides my parents bred Iri to a Thoroughbred stallion this year, not Kyzer so the foal is only half Lipizzan. Keera looked at her blankly. Since the foal is only half it doesn't need to have the name of either parent in it. She can be registered with any available name. "Ohh...said Keera slowly....well....then what names were you thinking of?”Grr...said Keighmee frustrated " I wasn't thinking about ANY names because I don't care what the name is going to be and I don't care about the foal at all. They rode the rest of the to Keighmee's house in silence.

Chapter 3
" Oh my goodness!" Keighmee heard Keera squeel from the other end of the barn. "Oh keighmee you just have to come look at her. She is so perfect. Aww....her little hooves are so tiny. And her ears are so fuzzy. She is looking at me! Keighmee she is coming towards me can I pet her? She heard Keera giggle again. She wasn't sure why it bothered her so much. “Sure" said Keighmee dully. Just don't go into the stall. New mother's can somtimes become very protective and even though I doube Iri would ever hurt us you never know and she doesn't know you very well.
Just because Keighmee didn't want anything to do with horses anymore didn't mean she had lost all knowledge and common horse rules she had learned in the last 9 years since she had been riding." ohm...her nose is so soft" she heard Keera proclaim and Keighmee rolled her eyes. She was mucking out Victor, one of the Lipizzan geldings, stall. It was next to Iri's. She had already turned Victor out into the pasture and she was going as slowly as possible with his stall. She had already mucked all the others except Iri's and she really didn't want to. She emptied the wheelbarrow and trudged to Iri's stall. Keera was standing there grinning. The foal licked my hand! Keera said. “I think she likes me". Hmmmm...said keighmee...she probably just needed salt. But Keera's grin didn't fade. All right...this is it...I can't put it off any longer. I have seen over 50 foals. This is nothing new. This foal is nothing to me. I don't even have to look at it. She unlatched the stall clip barely glancing around. She saw Iri her once huge sides now she could see some of her ribs. "Hey Iri girl, said keighmee rubbing her shoulder. I have to clean your stall real quick and then ill leave you alone. Hey Keighmee im going to look at the other horses she heard Keera say as she walked down the barn aisle. Suddenly a delicate head peeked around Iri's shoulder. Keighmee sucked in a sharp breath. Maybe she wasn't ready for this. The foal took a couple of steps toward her to sniff her hand and keighmee looked her over.
She had a slight roman nose, but still delicate and huge black eyes that gazed Keihmee with curiousity. Her long legs were still a bit wobbly and looked like stilts. Her fluffy light mane stood straight up in the air like a cat's bristled fur and Keighmee could see her already long thick white curly tail. Her whole coat was golden palomino like her Thoroughbred sires. Except her legs which each had a high white sock? And around her eyes there were grey hairs like little goggles. Her flank had grey hairs scattered throughout it, too. All Lipizzans were born pure black and eventually went very light grey, but her Thoroughbred sire was a palomino so there had been a chance that she wouldn't be grey. Keighmee thought that she would likely go grey then very light grey almost white like Iri. Keighmee smiled softly. She had been hoping the foal would be grey...she loved the dapples especially and hoped the foal would get them. She looked at lot like her sire Chaotic Cambria from the pictures Keighmee had seen. The filly gently nudged her and Keighmee knelt down so the foal could look at her beter. The filly snorted then looked back at her mother who was munching hay and not even paying attention to Keighmee and the foal. Keighmee reached out and softly touched the foal’s neck. The small filly quivered, but stood her ground. She let Keighmee run her hands all over her back and legs without moving. But as soon as Keighmee stepped back the filly darted back behind Iri. Iri looked at Keighmee for a moment then huffed, shifted her weight, and went back to eating.
Keighmee mucked the stall thoroughly and rebedded it. But the foal didn't come out from behind her mother againin. Keighmee didn't want scare her and Iri needed this time to bond so Keighmee didn't try to coax her back out. She pulled the muck cart out behind her and latched the stall door. She saw the filly peek around Iri's hind legs and watch Keighmee. Keighmee ignored her and started to walk down the barn aisle with the muck cart. A shrill tiny, but strong whinny shrieked the silence startling Keighmee. She looked back towards Iri's stall and saw the awful noise was coming from the filly and her whole body trembled with the effort. The filly tried to stick her head out the stall door and look around, but it was too high. Keighmee walked back over and the filly didn't jump back. Keighmee reached out and rubbed her forehead. Then the filly turned and trotted gracefully accross the large foaling stall to her mother. Halfway there she tripped on the fresh piled straw and went down on one knee but she picked herself up and kept prancing as though it never happened. Keighmee had to smile. What a spunky little filly she thought. Her parents had sold this filly before she was even born to one of her father's friends. Apparetnly he was getting her as birhday present for his fifteen year old daughter. '' amazing birthday present!" Keighmee though as she walked away.
Just then Keera came back into the mare barn. “Hey, that big black horse that is in the little barn over there was giving me the evil eye. And when I tried to pet the horse next to him he tried to bite! As she said this she made biting gestures. Keighmee tried to hold back a smile. And succeeded wonderfully making her face turn serious. “Um Keera that is a stallion and a wild one at that. My dad got him as a rescue horse a few days ago. He is a Thoroughbred and was raced on the track. He has a nasty temperament. The vet is coming out to geld him tomorrow. My mom wants to retrain him for dressage, but I seriously doubt she can even teach him to lead nicely. He is a mean horse. “Hmm…said Keera….well do you want to go for a ride? “Nope” said Keighmee flatly. Ya…I kind of figured so I called my mom already. “Very funny” said Keighmee “what if I would have said yes?” “You wouldn’t have” said Keera. “Abut what if I would have?” replied Keighmee stubbornly. “Well….I guesses I would have called my mom back on her cell and asked her not to come yet”, said Keera shrugging. Keighmee didn’t think if she did that to her mom she would be as cooperative. Not with all the work she had to get done on the farm. Especially now that Victor was gone. They heard a car pulling up the gravel driveway. “That must be my mom”, said Keera running to the barn doors. “Yup…got to go see you at school tomorrow! “Kay”, said Keighmee waving.
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again...sorry for typos/grammatical erros...I did not re-read most and let spell check do the correcting :) let me know if you read it and want me to continue typing...thanks for reading ;) also as a little twist if you want your horse's name included in the story let me know and I can try to work it in....still need a couple horse names :)

You should put Gidget and Bambi in it!
Not elegant names though....

I really like this. I read it all and the filly sounds so cute when you described her!