The Horse Forum - What Will be Will be.

Contains some mature themes, nothing to bad just a warning if this was on fiction press I would say it would be rated T for Teen. (horrible summary below but let me know what you guys think)

Summary- Annabelle grew up on her father's ranch along side her best friend Beau. The two always loved to ride off on their horses and race through the open fields and into the mountains. When Annie was 18 a man came into town and swept her off her feet. They married and he took Annie back to his home town. New York City. The story begins with Annie lost and confused no longer the free strong girl she had once been. She feels trapped and ready to let go of life as she holds on to her last strand of life a voice comes on the answering machine. A voice she had long forgotten. Beau. The story goes to her daughter and how the City girl discovers the world where her mother grew up, she learns how she can find freedom on the open range.

The horses thundered up the rolling hill that over looked the valley, the small girl atop her huge black horse in the lead her hat flying in the lead only being held on by the thread that was around her neck. Her laughter seemed to echo in the valley. The boy only moments behind her on his solid paint horse looked defeated as they reached the top.
“Ya going to have to try better Beau .” The girl spoke pulling her hat on to her head
“Well I aint never gunna catch you if ya cheat.” The boy said glaring at her, “Ya took a head start.”
“I aint never cheeted, my horse is jus better” the girl said folding her arms glaring back at the boy.
“Aint no horse better then my old girl she good for ranch work.” He told her, after all he grew up on a ranch of working horses like her, but unlike the girl he didn’t have his mind filled with thoughts of grandeur.
“My girl is built for speed, better then any horse on any old ranch round here.” The girl said
“She never be good at rounding cattle or pullin any.” He told her “Only for you to race round on and eat up good grass for workin horses.” He told her
“I’ll still beat you at any race any time any where Beau ” she said “and that aint ever going to chance.”
“Race you back to the Ranch.” Beau said without waiting for her to respond, he turned his paint and kicked her into a gallop back in the direction of the ranch.
“Hey!” the girl yelled out, “Beau you lousy cheat!” she yelled sending her mare in pursuit.
Bo raced away on his mare knowing that the only way he could win against his friend was to get a head start. As he raced away he would never forget the look in her eyes, how free she was how full of spirit she was, from that day on he knew he would always love her.

The woman sat alone as she remembered her old rides into the valley with dear Beau , she longed for those days back riding like the wind on her spirited mare. She wanted to be free like she had once been, where she didn’t dress to impress anyone, where all she had to worry about was beating Beau at a race and arguing about what made a better horse. The light was no longer in her eyes the years of being a trophy wife on the arm of powerful man had seemed to tame her. It had been sixteen years since she left her small ranching town to marry her husband she had been young, only eighteen but she was beautiful. She caught the eye of a rich man who always got what he wanted, he wooed the girl that wanted to see the world promised her an adventure of a life time, but after she married him everything he promised her was put on hold for his career. She didn’t find out until long after she married him he never intended on following through with his promises, he just wanted someone beautiful to hold on his arm and show off to society.
After years of falling for his lies she finally realized the only place she truly wanted to be was home, on her ranch with her horses. Yet she knew that wouldn’t happen there was no way she would ever get out of her husbands grasp. He was powerful he had already let her know there was no way out of a marriage to him, it would look bad on him if his wife left. There was only one thing left to do, one thing left that would make her free. She picked up the bottle of pain pills she had just bought, all she had to do was take them, take them all and she would be free forever. Carefully she lifted each pill to her mouth and began to swallow them one by one she began to empty the bottle until the bottle was empty she would be free soon. After a while she began to grow tired she went to stand to lie down on the couch, but stumbled to the floor. The end was near she was going to be free away from the life she hated, the life she had thought she wanted. She never knew until she left that her life was meant to take place on an open ranch, while and free. Her world began to fade away. As she was about to slip away she could hear the phone ringing. The answering machine would get it. Then she heard the front door open.
“Mom, are you going to answer the phone?” Came a voice from the front hall.
She hadn’t expected her daughter home; she was supposed to be at her friends.
“I just came to pick up my bag I forgot it.” There was a pause, “Mom, are you home?”
Then through blurry vision she saw her daughter’s feet “Mom!” her daughter yelled and ran to her. She knelt down and picked up the bottle, “Mom what did you do?”
The phone rang once more before the answering machine got it.
“You have reached the Monroe’s” Came her voice that sounded so happy, so fake. “Please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can.”
“Er Annie, its me.” Came a gruff voice from the machine, “it’s your girl she’s fading fast she needs you.” Then the line went dead.
Her girl? Her girl.
“Mom” her daughter yelled through tears as she grabbed the phone and dialed 911. “Please come quick my mother swallowed a lot of pills please hurry she’s not awake she’s just laying here on the floor.” Then everything went black for Annie. Her last thoughts were very few. Her first thought was why did her daughter have to come back so soon. Then the voice on the phone it was someone who knew her, someone who called her Annie no one called her Annie every one called her Mrs. Monroe or Anna. Only one person called her Annie, Bo. He spoke of, Her Girl it took her a moment but only a moment to know that he meant her horse, her beautiful black mare, Image. Her mare was fading and now so was she, how the world worked.

Sarah Monroe walked off the plane slowly; this was an end to the life. The past few weeks had been hard her mother had tried to kill her self. While she hadn’t fully succeeded the doctors still weren’t sure if she would be all right. Her life hung on now only by a machine that kept her alive. She wasn’t breathing on her own she was in a coma no one knew if she would come out. Her father said it was to hard to care for a child on his own. He actually called her a child and told her without giving her any choice that she would be going to live with her grandparents, or her mother’s parents. She had only met them a few times, but never for long amount of times. They only came to the city twice and they only met for dinner then went their separate ways. She never knew why, she just assumed they wanted nothing to do with her. Now here she was going to live with them out west away from New York City, away from all her friends and away from the hospital where her mother was. Now she would be stranded on some large patch of ground with the nearest neighbor being miles away. In her eyes her life was over, her social life away ways. She hated her father for sending her away from her mother, but there was nothing she could do her father always got his way.
“Sarah” Came an older lady’s voice, “You have grown.”
Sarah turned to see an old lady she recognized as her grandmother. “Hi.” She said trying to force a smile.
“Sorry your granddad couldn’t make it some fencing was down and he had to tend to it before the animal got lose.”
“It’s fine.” Sarah told her with a shrug of her shoulders.
“But I brought one of the ranch hands to help carry your things and drive the truck.” The old lady seemed happy, “being I don’t drive.”
“Alright.” Sarah told her still not really caring.
An attractive man picked up her bags, or rather he would be attractive if he smiled and didn’t frown. He was older, old enough to be her dad but that didn’t stop her from thinking he was a good-looking guy.
“This is Beau ” her grandma told her, “He’s worked for us since he was younger then you, he’s just about family.”
“Hi” Sarah said.
“hi.” He answered and walked off in the direction of the truck. So far she liked him he was a man of simple words who didn’t see it a point to talk, unlike her grandmother who seemed to speak a mile a minute.

Chapter Two:

“I hate it here!” Sarah muttered as she shut her book. She hated living here with her grandparents for the past three weeks it felt like she was trapped. Her grandparents always wanted to talk and it was getting harder to stay away from them. They knew she never left the house and knew she was always in her room they always acted worried. She hated it her parents were never the kind to want to talk or worry about her she was used to being on her own and she didn’t like having anyone that was over barring. She heard her grandmother down stairs and rolled her eyes she knew it would only be a matter of time before the old lady came up stairs to talk. She picked up her shoes and slowly walked from the room and snuck downstairs using the back door to slip out. She knew her grandmother would be upstairs at noon to use lunch as an excuse to talk she had to be out of the house by then. Once outside she slipped her shoes on and walked around trying to find somewhere to go where she wouldn’t run into someone. She ended up in the barn walking through the back door she glanced around it was hard to see due to lack of light but she didn’t mind at least it was better then being in the house. As she walked pictures caught her attention not because they were huge or anything just because the girl in the pictures was her mother. She walked closer it was hard to make out all the pictures on the wall because they were so covered in dust, next to the pictures were ribbons as well. She reached up and brushed some of the dust off some of the pictures she had never seen her mother so happy. In each picture her mother sat on top of a huge black horse each time. The horse in the picture looked nothing like the small little cow ponies she had seen outside her window this horse had something about her that even Just in pictures seemed to take her breath away. One picture she wore some saddle with a horn on it with her mother sitting proud on top next to some barrels another she wore a smaller saddle and seemed to be jumping over some obstacle. Then another the horse was rearing high with her mother leaning forward looking over at the camera a huge smile on her face the horse wasn’t wearing anything. The girl in the pictures looked so much like her mother but yet a completely different person. She had never seen a smile like that on her mother’s face she looked so free so happy. Why had she never seen her like that before? Even just in pictures Sarah could see a spark in her mother’s eyes that she had never known. Her mother always seemed broken to her and so calm probably all the pills she took when she was little she used to call them ‘Mommy’s happy pills’ when she got older she saw her mother had a problem to depression pills, but it didn’t bother her. She felt guilty thinking back maybe if she had done something her mother wouldn’t have tried to take her own life. The anger didn’t end though just because she felt guilt she was angry at her mother for a life without her being around while they had lived in the same house her mother never acted like a mother. She wanted to continue looking at the pictures but she heard a voice and not wanting someone to find her she ducked behind a stack of hay bales. She carefully glanced around them to see who had entered the barn.
“She ain’t comin girl.” It was Beau the man that had come to the airport to help pick her up he was talking to a large black horse who looked like it had seen better days. “Just eat.” He continued, “I know you miss her, but she had been gone a long time why now? Why give up now?” He held a carrot to the horse that ignored it like it wasn’t even there. “I can’t lose you.” He whispered, “Not you too.” He continued to pet her neck, “She might pull through I was thinkin about seein her.” he kept talk to the horse like it was human. Sarah frowned, why did he tell it things it wasn’t like the animal could understand a word he was saying. “What do you think Image?” his voice was a whisper now, “She isn’t awake, but maybe I can talk to her tell her you need her maybe she will pull through.” He shook his head, “I know it sounds stupid girl but she did pull through once for you.” He paused, “I know it wasn’t the same but she was in a dark place when you came into her life and you brought her out back then maybe you can do it again you just gotta stay alive.”
“Beau!” Came her grandfather’s voice, “I need you out here!”
“Coming boss!” Beau called placing the carrot on a table outside the stall and hurried out.
Sarah stepped around the hay bale pile and walked to the mare. “Hey there girl.” She said to the horse she glanced around to see it was the only one in the barn. “What are you doing in here all alone?” As if to answerer her, the horse nickered and pushed its head into her arm. “Pushy aren’t you.” The horse nuzzled her again she felt herself smile, “You almost look like the horse in those pictures.” She glanced down at the carrot and put it near the mare’s mouth. “Want this?”
Sarah didn’t hear the door open behind her; she didn’t hear the footsteps that walked in.
The horse took the carrot in her mouth and greedily munched it away then nuzzled her again looking for more. “I have no more.” She said as she pat her neck, “Maybe that guy wasn’t so crazy talking to you seems easy.” The horse nickered again, “You are friendly.”
“Not usually.” Beau’s voice caused her to jump.
“Sorry I didn’t mean to.” She said quickly.
“There is nothing to apologies about, she ate that from you?” he asked, “Her ears are up and she seems happy.”
“I don’t know she just ate it nothing I did.” Sarah shrugged her shoulders as she stepped away from the horse. “She was allowed to eat that right?”
“Yes she just hasn’t eaten much in a long time she’s been refusing food the light left her eyes.” Beau shook his head, “I mean all the light left her eyes she hardly held her head up.”
“Why are you telling me this.” Sarah asked him.
“Because look at her.” Beau said nodding his head to the horse who was reaching over the stall door stretching her neck out as far as it would go trying to touch Sarah. “If you knew her you would know that look in her eye was long gone.”
“Look in her eye?” Sarah shook her head, “She’s a horse.”
“Yes.” He told her, “She used to be a proud horse, wild some said crazy.” He paused, “Everyone said crazy cept your mamma.” Beau smiled, “When we were both twelve your granddad told your mamma and I we could chose any colt or filly on the farm I chose my quarter horse colt and she picked the loco Thoroughbred that some how got put in with the cattle.”
“I really don’t care.” Sarah told him, but it seemed he didn’t hear her or just ignored what she had to say.
“You mamma did the impossible and turned her into a winner no matter what they did the excelled.” He shook his head; “She never broke the mare though so made it almost impossible for anyone to do much with her when your mamma left they were partners if anythin else.”
“Like I said before I don’t care.” Still he ignored her.
“I mean she let handle her but the say your mamma left no one has gotten her to show any interest and in the last few months she’s just been fading. You can see every bone in her body.” Beau frowned, “Maybe you can work with her she’s an old gal but maybe she will be a good teacher to you.”
“I don’t want a teacher and I don’t want anything to do with my mother’s horse.” Sarah told him.
“She was very important to your mama.” Beau said.
“If she was that important this wouldn’t be the first time I hear about it.” Sarah told him, “She never once mentioned horses to me or you or this place.”
“She didn’t?” Beau asked.
“I didn’t even know she was from out here.” Sarah said looking around, “She never had an accent like you guys she was a city girl.”
“That sounds nothing like the Annie I knew.” Beau told her.
“Well I guess you didn’t really know my mother. She would never go by the name Annie she hated when people called her that everyone called her Johanna”
“I knew her well.” Beau told her.
“Then tell me about her.” She frowned and folded her arms on her chest.
“Your mama?” Beau looked puzzled for a moment; “Well she was a lot like Image here, always wild and free full over energy always gettin in trouble driving your granddad crazy.” He smiled, “She was kind and loving to everyone and everything as long as they did hurt her horse or anyone she cared about.”
“That sounds nothing like her.” Sarah said her voice soft, “My mother was proper did things by the book nothing wild or crazy about her.” She looked away, “Nothing loving about her either.”
“I find that hard to believe.” Beau replied
“Well believe it she wasn’t who you thought her to be.” She turned and walked from the barn as she reached the door she heard Beau behind her.
“Or maybe she wasn’t the woman you believed her to be.” He didn’t go after her or say anymore he just let her walk away.

Sarah stormed into the house she didn’t know exactly why but she was mad at the man. He tried telling her that she didn’t know her own mother, tried to say she was loving and caring, wild and free. Sarah felt tears spring to her eyes nothing he said had anything to do with her mother. She hurried past her grandmother and up the stairs. She turned into her room and slammed the door shut she went to lay down on the bed but when she looked around she realized she wasn’t in her room. It looked like she had taken a step back in time. More pictures of her mother and that horse layered the room, more ribbons and even some trophies. She walked slowly over to the pictures and looked at the more closely, but before she paid to much attention to them her eyes fell on to a book. She opened it too see it was someone’s Diary. Upon a closer look she saw it wasn’t just someone’s it was her mothers. She sat down in a chair that was by the window and opened it to the first page and began to read.

Dear Diary.

Today starts the day Daddy lets Beau and I chose our horses to train. I already know what horse Beau will pick he wants the promising colt out of daddy’s pride stud. Beau thinks I will chose him too everyone thinks I will chose him. They all say I’m my daddy’s daughter that I can simply look at a horse and know which one will be a champion. They are right about that but Daddy is over looking one horse on the farm one horse that I know will be the best. The filly we found when we brought the cattle down. Daddy says someone left her there cause she’s loco. He hates Thoroughbred’s most people do here cause they don’t understand them. She’s the one I want I can see the fire in her, the fire that will make her more of a partner then any of these other cow ponies. I’m going to go down to the barns next time I write in this book the filly will be mine. I’m going to keep this up book going to write all about her, All about my Black Image.

-Annie

P.S. I’m going to put her in stall three because when I look out my window when the barn doors are open I can see that stall from my window.

Sarah looked up from the book and out the window she could see the barn from this window just like her mother had written. The doors were open and she could see that horse hanging its head over the stall door. She looked like if the door weren’t there she would hit the ground. Sarah frowned and looked back down at the diary.

Dear Diary.

Sorry I’ve forgotten about you I really wanted to keep everything up to date on Image’s training, but I’ve been so tried lately. Beau is already riding Hot flash around the ranch and already started teaching him all about herding cattle and roping. Yet I have hardly even been on Image’s back I know Daddy is about to take her away he says she will kill me, but I know she won’t. I know her I can see myself in her. I’ve read some books about how the Indians used to train their horses I’m going to try some of those methods.

-Annie.

So maybe Beau was right back then she did go by Annie. She looked back down at the book she couldn’t stop herself she couldn’t help but want to know more about her mother.

Dear Diary.

I’m not going to write anymore I’m not going to be able to train Image I’m letting her go. Daddy’s dead and its all my fault.

-Annie.

She frowned, how could her grandfather be dead if he was outside. She quickly looked back down at the diary again hoping to learn more.

Dear Diary.

It’s been months since I’ve written in this last time I did it was the day after Daddy died. I felt so lost without him we were so close. If I hadn’t taken Image out to the beach to try and train her, if I hadn’t fallen and gotten hurt Daddy would have never been in that storm. I blamed her; I blamed Image and wanted nothing to do with her. Three days ago another storm hit, I went out in it by myself I don’t know why I just did. I got lost it got dark I didn’t know how to find my way home it was so cold. When I thought I would never get home I heard her. Image. She seemed to appear through the rain, she walked right up to me I don’t know how I knew it but I knew she would let me ride her. I climbed up on her back for the first time and she brought me home. When I got back Beau wrapped me in a blanket then Mamma took me inside. Beau took care of Image then came inside to see me. He told me that no one knew I was gone, but while he was in the barn and the storm hit Image began to go wild kicking her stall rearing and spinning she ended up braking down her stall door and took off after the barn. He was about to go after her when the storm got to bad and the head groom told him to wait that the horse would be fine. An hour later mamma came from the house crying that I was gone he saddled up his colt to come find me and just as he was about to leave he said Image appeared with me on her. That horse saved my life I can’t give up on her now.

-Annie.

Sarah closed the diary she couldn’t read anymore she stood up and went back over to the pictures. She once again saw her mother’s smile and saw the horse that she described in her Diary in all the pictures she began to understand Beau. She looked nothing like she did in the pictures, just like her mother no longer looked like herself. She picked up a picture that was just the black horse rearing. She thought for a moment just maybe if the horse could return to being the horse in the pictures and the horse in the diary maybe one day her mother could return to being the same person she had once been in those pictures.