I didn't know what to do once I tamed my 'mane'.  I lay back on my bed, my long, thick hair surrounding me, as I stare at the ceiling.  I sit up in my bed, and look at the room I was in.  Light streamed through the blinds, giving the room a yellowish glow.  My sheets were Winnie the Pooh, boxes of various colors with Pooh smiling in the middle.  I looked at the wall next to me.  It had small paintings, one was a toy boat with a child behind it, the one above my headboard was a baby and a mommy elephant.  

  There was a desk across the room with a computer on it, papers were scattered all over the desk.  I got out of my bed and put my feet down on the soft brown carpet and padded toward the door.  I carefully opened it and went down the short hallway crossing a bathroom and a closet. 

  I turned to go down the stairs and on my way down I noticed the framed pictures that lined the walls.  Pictures of families with young children, and various wedding photos.  The most recent one, the only one with two men and in color, was of Aaron and Matthew.  It was strange.  They looked younger, but not overly so.  Plus, Matthew didn't have his glasses on. 

  At the bottom of the stairs, I hit the hardwood floor gently, hoping not to distract the conversation going on around the corner.  I peered from the bottom of the railing into the kitchen, Matthew was shoving his face with cereal, and I didn't see Aaron around anywhere, but I could hear him. 

  "I'm not the one who needs a haircut, you are."

  "You could get it styled.  It's just a big mess right now." 

  I stepped softly into view.  Aaron had his back turned, he was cooking something.  Matthew is looking down at his bowl of cereal.  When he does look up, he smiles when he notices me. 

  "Hey Nat, took you long enough to fix that bed-head."  Aaron hears and turns around. 

  He gives a slight smile.  "Hey Nat, wanna go see our horses?" 

  My eyes grew wide.  I vigorously nodded.  "Uh uh mister, you are not off the hook, you still need a hair cut."  He looks over at me.  "You've probably been wanting to get out on your own and, adjust.  You wouldn't mind going out on your own would you?"  I slowly shook my head.  He smiled.

  "Great, come on Matthew, you and I are going to get your haircut."

  "I'll get one if you do." 

  Aaron sighed.  "Fine, but not too much ok?"  Matthew didn't answer, he just smiled. 

        They walked out the door, put a couple of seconds later it opened again. 

  "Almost forgot my glasses.  Hey Natalie?  Be good ok?  We shouldn't be gone long, don't do anything you wouldn't do if we were here."  He picked up a pair of thick rimmed black glasses.  He put them on and smiled at me.  He did need a hair cut.  He had really shaggy, brown hair.  When the door shut again, I waited until I saw their red truck pull out of the driveway through the large front window in the other room.  When I knew they were gone, I stepped out on the deck was just outside a set of double doors behind the kitchen table. 

  I looked out over the hill, a barn was at the very bottom next to a cornfield.  There was a gravel path going up the hill, towards the half-way point, trees lined it for a short time.  On the backside of the barn was a dirt filled pasture with a wooden stable.  Behind that was a rolling grass pasture with loads of horses roaming around.  I dashed out onto the deck, I went to the side toward the pasture and opened the gate.  I ran down the hill and jumped up on the black metal bars.  I slowly climbed over and landed in the squishy mud. 

  "Yuck!"  I lifted my foot to show my once blue shoe turned brown.  I carefully made my way to the grassy grazing lands.  I carefully stepped over the horse pies that littered the area.  As I neared one, it's ears flickered, and it raised it's head.  At first, it didn't look at me.  But as I took another step towards it, it turned its head and stared me straight on.  I froze and had a staring contest with it which felt like an eternity.  I made slow, steady steps.  It moved its head up and down and whinnied. 

  "Whoa, its ok!  I'm nice!"  I took another step forward, which was probably a mistake.  I could see the other horses in the background seemed alarmed.  The horse then went on its hind legs kicking it's feet in the air.  I fell back, I rolled away down the hill.  When I finally came to a stop, my clothes were covered in brown and green. 

  "Natalie?"  A voice came from the top of the hill.  I looked up.  It was Matthew and Aaron.  They both came running down the hill, when they reached me, Mathew and Aaron kneeled in front of me and helped me to my feet. 

  "Are you ok?"  Matthew said brushing me off.  Aaron gripped my shoulders and looked me in the face. 

  "What are you doing out here?" 

  "I wanted to see the horses."  My eyes started to tear up.  Aaron's face softened and he hugged me.  Matthew ruffled my hair.  "We should have taken you with us.  We are very sorry." 

  They stood up, and each of them grabbed one of my hands.  I walked up the hill with them, and I then noticed their hair.  Aaron looks completely different, the sides of his head are shaved, like a buzz cut, but softer, and a strip of longer hair on the top.  Matthew has a very similar cut, except he has more of a 'floof' if that's what you'd call it.  And as I walked behind them, I realized I finally have a family. 

             Heyo!  I've been wanting to update this for awhile, I really like this one.  Sorry for not updating the others.  I've got to just finish all the stories I can.  It will take forever though.  See you in the next chapter! -Rebecca