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?

"So are the stars. They are always there, and they stay even after the moon fades. The Northern Star was often a companion on my trips, always guiding the way you know? I always felt safest at night, I actually got to a point where I was afraid of the day." Gabriel's voice cracked, but he shook it off with a grin and added, "But a person from a city near the border helped me past that." Gabriel got up from the shadow's of the cabin and sat on the other side of Brooke. Pointing to the sky he told her some of the constellations' names. Finally pointing to one just to the ease he said, "That one is Leo, the lion. He was always my favorite for some reason, especially when I was in the middle of nowhere." Here he stopped, not sure if he had said to much.

Laura wiped away her tears. Was she still mad at him? After all these years? She heard footsteps and turned around. It was Chris.

Chris gave her a smile and asked, "You ready to go home?"

Laura nodded. When they were driving in the cab, She finally spoke, "Chris, please don't tell anyone about my father."

She nodded, "I won't."

They reached SSR. Chris paid the driver. After a few minutes of awkward silence, they both went their separate ways.

"I never really knew any of the constellations, except for the obvious one, The Big Dipper," she told him. "But yeah, they're always there, unchanging." She paused for a long moment. "Kinda like the Father, but... but I can't see Him. I can see his works. I've always loved wind. Just something about it. Being somewhere, alone with just the animals, letting it blow back my hair. It's such a... Such a soft thing, like a large hand brushing over my face..." Again, she looked down, flushing slightly.

Gabriel looked over at Brooke and saw her look down suddenly. "Hey, you okay?"

"Uhm, yeah," she told him, barely audible. "It's just that I never really tell anyone that..."

Gabriel wanted to say something, but he had nothing to say. But he liked Brooke, he almost trusted her. She seemed nice and didn't judge him like most everybody else he knew and didn't treat him like a child. But unless she asked him directly, he wasn't about to tell her his one secret that even he wanted to forget. So he simply shrugged and smiled.
"Don't worry, you're secret is safe with me. Just don't go blabbing to every body that I sleep more outside than in, I don't want anybody to think I am unappreciative you know?"

Laura entered her cabin. Her mom was already asleep. She was still shaken that she actually saw her father today. She knew one thing, her mom must never know. She climbed into bed. Laura tired to fall asleep, but failed. She went outside for some fresh air.



Chris entered the ranch house. It felt strange not having Melody at SSR. She went upstairs to sleep. As she laid there, she remembered she hadn't said her nightly prayer. She didn't care at the moment. She was to tired to even think of praying a short one. In no time at all, Chris was fast asleep.

Melody heard the beep, beep, beep. She stared at the roof. How could she have been so stupid as to get hurt? She sighed and then closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep. Beep, beep, beep....

Brooke turned and smiled at him, a true, genuine smile.
"Yeah, I wont tell."
She shivered slightly, then stifled a yawn.
"But as much as I'm enjoying this, and I really am, I'm kinda cold, and I should probably go back to bed. And you, for that matter."
Brooke pushed herself up off the ground, then said quietly, "Goodnight Gabriel."

Gabriel smiled at Brooke as she got up. "Goodnight Brooke, and sweet dreams." Gabriel got up and stretched, then he walked off toward the stables.

Laura was in the stable. She was watching the horse, Beauty, fall asleep. She hear footsteps. She looked up and saw Gabriel walking in the stable. She stood up and smiled, "I didn't know that anyone else was up..." She exited the stable and went to bed.

Brooke re-entered her cabin and took off the sandals that she had slid on before leaving the cabin. She normally wore a pair of hiking boots, but the sandals she kept for public showers and when she needed something quick.
She lay back on her bed, the frame squeaking quietly. She turned on her side and looked out the window at the stars.
"Leo the Lion," she whispered, then fell asleep.

Gabriel sat up against the wall of the stables. The smell didn't bother him at all and he fell asleep in only seconds of sitting down again. He awoke right as the sun was rising. Feeling well rested he got up and looked around the stables and barn to see if anybody was up.

Brooke woke at her usual early time, and quickly slid into a t-shirt and jeans. She pulled her boots on, and ran a brush through her hair. Another beautiful, clear day, with a slight breeze.
She exited the cabin with a small smile on her face, remembering her conversation with Gabriel the night before.
Maybe I've found a friend," she thought. A kindred spirit, as Ashleigh would say.

Laura woke up very irritable. She was still disturbed about meeting her father yesterday. She quickly did her chores. Then she escaped to the forest for some solitude.



Chris was mad. She had to spend the whole day with Melody at the hospital. She was glad that she got to use the car. She arrived at the hospital and went to Melody's room. Chris forced a smile and said, "Hi, Melody. The doctor said that you will be out of here tomorrow. How are you feeling?"

Ryan woke up the next morning bright and early just in time to see Brooke get out. She seemed rather happy, so he walked over and said hi.

Melody grinned. "That'll be just great! I'm feeling OK...don't know why I'm still in here."

"Oh, hey Ryan," Brooke said quietly, the figurative shield going back up.

Ryan nodded. He guessed that somehow she was...quiet around other people...but not Gabriel. He grinned. "I guess you don't wanna talk, huh?"

Chris shrugged, "Well, you get me for the whole day. Dad banished me from the ranch." She then realized that her voice had some resentment in it. She hoped that Melody didn't notice her tone.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry. I just... I'm not the most outgoing person," she said.

Ryan nodded, "Right....I guess I'll be seeing you around," he said and decided to leave since she didn't wanna talk.

Melody said, "Banned you? What's up with your voice?"

Chris shrugged, "I don't know. Hey, I brought a few of your favorite magazines." She handed them to Melody.

Melody took them, but said, "Oh now, Chris. I know you well enough. What happened, little sister?"

Gabriel saw nobody at the ranch really. He shrugged and started the day by giving the horses fresh food and water.

Brooke walked around for a minute, fairly aimlessly, then walked over to the stables.
"Eeh!" she squeaked, ducking quickly as Gabriel passed a shovel full of grain right where her head had been. "And good morning to you too!" she said, feigning major disgust.

"You should really watch where yer steppin there lassie, this ain't no trip through the tulips." Gabriel said in his best scottish accent.

Brooke tried hard not to laugh, but failed, and ended up with a rather girlish-sounding giggle.
"Wow, you did that accent really well."