Silver Saddle Ranch

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Christa Tudor woke up crying. Why did she keep having dreams about the accident? It happened five years ago. Chris looked at the clock. It was 4:53. She put on a T-shirt, jeans, and boots.

She quietly crept into the attic. She got out her grandfather’s violin and played a few songs. She then went to the kitchen and grabbed an apple. After she took a bite, she went outside. She headed to the stables and stopped at her horses stall. There he was. Golden Legacy. She remembered getting him for her twelfth. birthday. It was the last birthday that her mom was alive to celebrate.

She gave Legacy the rest of her apple and saddled him up. Chris mounted him and headed to the woody part of the ranch.

She lived on this ranch her whole life. She grew up around horses. She knew her father was worried about her becoming a loner, but she wasn’t. As long as she had horses and God, she would never be alone.



Laura Jones awoke and couldn’t wall back to sleep. She lied there thinking about her life before coming to Silver Saddle Ranch. Her father kicked her mom and her out of the house when she was seven. They had an apartment, but got evicted. Her mom didn’t go to college. So, she couldn’t get a very good job. They lived at a Christian homeless shelter for a time. Then they were in the grocery store and heard some women talking about SSR. That’s how they got here. They had been here for three wonderful months.

She looked at her mom sleeping on the bed across the room. Laura knew that her mom was mad at God. Laura recalled the day she went to church with a friend and became a believer in God.

She remembered her mom saying, “If you wanted to believe that stuff, fine! But leave me out of it!”

She prayed for her mom everyday, and Laura would continue to do so until she found God.

Laura heard some noise outside.

Who could be up it’s 5:00 in the morning.

She slipped into some clothes and went outside. In the distance she saw Christa Tudor with her horse, Golden Legacy. Chris mounted to horse and began to ride.

Why is she up this early?

After awhile of riding, Melody felt suddenly sick to the stomach. She groaned. Then she felt like she was losing her control and slipped off the horse.

Chris stopped her horse and rushed to Melody's side. She ordered Laura to ride back and get help. Chris had no idea what to do. God, I don't know what to do. Please help. It seemed like hours until she heard sirens. She looked up and saw an ambulance, her father, and Laura. The paramedics got Melody in the ambulance. When she thought no one was watching, Chris got up and began to run. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't care. As long as it was away from the ranch.

She eventually came to her senses and stopped. She looked around her, but nothing looked familiar. She then realized the sad truth. She was lost.

Gabriel was surprised that Ariona didn't know how old he was.
"I'm fifteen." he said simply, his voice carried an air of indifference.
"Old enough to know how to live on your own, and actually live. Why do you ask?"

Chris was trying not to panic. All she had to do was look for a familiar landmark, but she saw none.

Great! My sister is dating a non Christian, and is now in the hospital! My dad might be seeing a woman named Anna, and I'm lost in the middle of nowhere!

She wanted to cry, but that wasn't going to help anything.



Laura put the horses away and began to brush one of them. She couldn't stop thinking about Melody and Chris. They both acted strange. Melody ignored her question about meeting any boys, and she fell of the horse. Chris didn't look very happy riding.

She finished brushing the horse and went outside. She looked at the clouds and whispered, "God, the Tudors need your help right now. I have this feeling that some thing's not right. Help Melody recover quickly, and help Chris wherever she is."

"Well, 'cause knowing your age would let me know, one, what the age difference is between us, and two, how old you were when you first started out on your own." There was a long pause, but not an uncomfortable one. "So are you a Christian like everyone else here?"

"What?" Gabriel sat up a little more quickly than he meant to. "Eh, no. I... don't know what I would call myself. The name died with..." Here he stopped in mid sentence. A felt a shiver go down his spine, but he quickly shook it off. "I simply follow what my parents taught me. Here." he took a badly worn leather bible from his jacket and gave it to Ariona. "That was my Dad's."

Brooke carefully took the book and flipped through a couple pages. It looked well used.
"So if you're not Christian, and," here she laughed slightly, "And obviously not Muslim, then..." She gave him a questioning look. "Well, what is the closest thing you could relate to?"

"I have no idea to be honest." Gabriel suddenly felt anxious, so he got up and asked Ariona to follow him.

Brooke gave him a puzzled look, but did as he asked. As she stood and followed him, she realized how open she had been, and a startled look actually flitted through her eyes.

Gabriel saw this and touched her arm, his eyes sympathetic. But then he turned away and headed toward the edge of the other side of the wood (forest). It was then that he saw a deer.
"There you are..." he said almost in a whisper. He gently motioned for Ariona to come closer, but he put a finger to his lips to warn her to be very quiet.

Laura did a few more chores. She then was about to go to her cabin when she say Ryan. She ran up to him and said, "Did you hear the news about Melody? By the way, have you seen Chris by any chance?"

Without warning the deer bolted in fright. Gabriel wondered what could have frightened it, since they were downwind and so silent.
"Well," he said in a puzzled tone, "that was strange."

Brooke also looked puzzled. Then she heard a branch crack, and said urgently, "Shh!" Another snapped, and Brooke began silently walking towards the source of the sound, with Gabriel following just as quietly.

It was then that he realized that he was following her. It felt strange to follow another person. But when they came to the edge of the wood, he thought he heard something. When they came out, they saw Chris.

"Chris! What are you doing out here?!" she exclaimed, then quickly snapped her mouth shut as that was the first time she had showed her real self to anyone other than Gabriel, and it felt odd.

Gabriel put a hand on Ariona's shoulder, guessing her thoughts.
"Hey Chris, where's your horse?"

Chris saw Brook and Gabriel. She was overjoyed. She walked over to them. She explained what happened to Melody and how she got lost. After she finished, she asked, "So, do either of you know how to get back to the ranch?"

Brooke nodded, back to her silent self, and began walking, winding around rocks and tree, looking like she was following a trail, but there was none to be seen.

Gabriel nodded to Chris, then broke off from the others. He didn't want to get involved with another person's business that he had no business knowing. He took a shortcut to the cabins, but decided that he would see that Ryan Tudor that took him in. He wanted to know just what kind of place this was, and he wanted answers.

Ryan had left Jane in his room and went walking around. Then he saw the boy...Gabriel. He decided it'd be best if he apologized, so he walked up to him.

Melody woke up in the hospital on a hospital bed, confused. Why was she here?

Walking around Marcus saw the new boy and Ryan after walking after each other and decided to follow them after all he did want to know the new boys name.

They made it back to the ranch. Chris thanked them and left. Since she didn't own a car, she couldn't drive to the hospital. She called a cab and waited outside.

Laura was walking her way. She gave Chris a compassionate smile, "How are you doing?"

"Okay. I guess. I'm waiting for the cab now."

Laura suddenly got shy, "May I come too?"

"If you really want to," Chris said smiling.

The cab arrived and they got to the hospital. They walked down the hall and found Ryan Tudor.

Chris anxiously asked, "How is she?"

Brooke, now left alone, stayed at the edge of the tree line, watching everyone. She saw Chris and Laura leave, and also Ryan, Gabriel, and Marcus walk off. She was suprised at how silent everything suddenly seemed, with a slightly uncomfortable weight. She didn't fit in anywhere. She just sort of...was.

Gabriel felt guilt grip his body. Turning he saw Ariona, the look of being lost almost overwhelmed him. He saw Ryan walking toward him, and silently told him he would be there in a moment. Running back he went to Ariona's side.
"You coming?"

Chris's father said that Melody was awake. He said that Chris could go see her. Laura nodded in agreement, and Chris went to Melody's room. She sat on a chair near the bed.

"Hi, Sis. How do you feel?" She asked timidly.

"Uhm," Brooke said quietly, now out of her element and shy again. "I... I'm not really... I'd kinda rather not." She finally brought her head up from studying her boot, and saw the expression on Gabriel's face. "I mean, I guess I could, if you really want me to."

Gabriel smiled when she said "If you really want me too."
"Why wouldn't I want you to? I would like nothing better." He touched her arm and smiled. Then he slowly walked toward Ryan again. He looked back to see if Ariona really was going to come or not.