Post by karissaevers on Jul 1, 2011 15:08:53 GMT -5
Kris & Hots
KRIS groaned as she dragged herself out of her Dodg Stratus. She'd been home yet and it was almost one. Class had let out at seven. Kris was dog tired but dragged herself out to the ratty old stable anyway. Anyone around her veered away, sensing the ill-will she was wishing on the 'daycrawlers.' She much preferred nights. Nobody was awake to bother her, thus the whole taking night classes thing. Still, Kris restrained herself from snapping at some guy that gave her a funny look and strode into the stable. The smell of horse hit her like a slap in the face. How her Aunt Penny had lived with this, Kris had no idea. Why Aunt Penny saddled her (excuse the pun) with a filly and asked her to keep it. She'd never met the woman! She didn't even like horses. Well, okay, she didn't hate them, but she never adored them like most little girls. She'd been too busy being raised around druggies and gang shootings and one step from homelessness. This whole taking care of a horse was just more trouble than it was worth.
AND yet...Kris hadn't sold the filly, even though she needed the money and it was hard to come up with the money to stable and feed the horse.
ROUNDING a corner into a row of half-door stalls, Kris strode down the asle to the stall second from last on the right. Leaning on the half door, she stared at the animal inside the 12 x 12 space. Doe-like brown eyes looked back as the two year old Appaloosa filly raised her head from the feed bucket.
EVEN if she wasn't a horse person, Kris knew American Hotspot was a pretty horse. Apparently her aunt had bred only the finest Appaloosas and Hots was supposed to show off all of that. Even though she was still developing, Kris could tell she was going to be even prettier before she was done growing. She was vibrant red with most of her back covered in white flecked with more red. Black stockings hugged her legs and black and red lanced through her mane and tail. Looking up from her feed bucket, Hots was the picture of equine innocence, ears perked. Kris knew what she was waiting for and dug in her pocket. As soon as her hand disappeared, Hots had her head up and was moving toward the door. Swinging her big head over the door, Hots pushed at Kris's stomach impatiently until the girl finally fished out a red and white striped candy.
KRIS had to smile at the filly's fixation on the mint. Kris loved mint, especially peppermints. They'd been a rare treat when she'd been growing up in the bad part of New York and her love of them had never gone away. Go figure an aunt she'd never met would leave her a filly with the same obsession. Holding out her palm, Kris watched Hots lip up the candy, absetnmindedly going to rub the filly's nose as she crunched the treat.
"WHAT am I supposed to do with you?" Kris asked the filly, not for the first time. "I don't know the first thing about horses..."
HOTS snuffled indifferantly and nosed at Kris's shirt in search of more treats. Kris pushed the big soft nose away, trying to ignore the disgust at the idea of horse slobber and horse buggers on her shirt.
Tagged;; open
Word Count;; 560
Background Song;; "Crashed" by Daughtry
Notes;;
