The memories from last night were foggy, as the warmth of the morning sun consumed me. I grunted, my eyes taking their time to adjust to the light. Stretching my back, I arched upward towards the light. A half circle window, partitioned in thirds, had light seeping through.
"Elouise? Apple?" I half whispered, half yelled. My sense were altered. I scrambled to my feet. "Apple! Elouise!" The ceiling was low, so I was hunched over. "Apple? Elouise?" I scanned the floor noticing some marking in the dust. My hesitation towards the dust was overridden by my curiosity. Stay put, Iris. I will be back. - E
I sighed blowing the message into a dust pile. A small sound erupted below me, I skidded to the center of the small room. I could hear muffled speaking below me.
"Just bring the bails of hay up to the bunker, we can get started. Winnipeg calm down. All of you take some of the hay, I'll be outside on Saunter. You best hurry otherwise the day trip will be for just me and her," boomed a bustly voice. I squealed open the trapped door, gazing upon a group of men. One stout man with a beard and rosy cheeks continued to yell as the group of taller, skinnier teenage boys of the older batch. I started to back away from the door, but I noisily kneed a loud wooden floor board. Heads shot up to the bunker, I ducked and rolled, scampering behind a wall of hay.
"What was that?" whispered one. Oh no. Oh holy mother of goodness.
"Is someone up there?" asked another. Please, Please. I beg of you.
"Who's there?" called a deep voice. I plead of you.
"Ha, ha. Like a ghost pops out!" teased a high pitched - probably young- male. Don't, please don't, make them come up here.
"Quiet! Quiet! The barrels of hay, gentle men, need to be brought. Then saddle up boys, we ride today," boomed the man. Well I guess their coming up here. The sound was terrible as fifteen or so fifteen or sixteen year olds hustled their way up the ladder carrying a full load of hay, as my heart beated in fear. Some over their head, others on their shoulders, another in front, a couple against their back. One by one they walked directly in front of me building up a castle of hay. In particular I noticed one came back again with a second stack of hay, looking around around wildly.
"Come out, come out wherever you are," he mumbled his eyes scanning the room. Another boy started his way up the latter - grunting loudly as he heaved the stack of hay up the ladder with his back. The boy, still whipping his head around, started to walk backwards tripping over a stack of hay, on the floor. I watched, in slow motion, as he was thrown into the wall hay that kept me out of sight. His head turned to the side, staring at me. His chocolatey brown eye swirling with glee.
"Oh hey!" he greeted, doing an awkward wave with his hand. I snatched him by the arm pulling him against my chest, my hand slapped over his mouth as the other boy slide the hay against the standing wall.
"I told Eric only five stacks of hay on top of each other," he complained, his striking blonde hair swoshing when he bent down. He started stacking the barrels on top of each other. I held my breath praying wouldn't lookover and see us. He didn't. He left.
"Ew! Did you lick my hand?" I yelled in shock wiping sticky hand against my dress once the coast was clear, I pushed him away from me. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He laughed, laying like a dead bug on the ground.
"Everything!" he hissed, still laughing pawing at his chest/.
"Damn right, is what you are!" I stood up wiping the pile of hay off my dress. Stepping out of the circle of hay I made my way over to the trapped door, opening it.
"Let's go!"
"Go where?" the boy stuck his head up. I just stepped onto the first step. But I had learned trick from Liam who used to work at the stables. I stepped off the latter falling, the blur of colours spreading upward, but just as I was about to hit the ground I clenched the side of the ladder halting myself but just enough to make sure that the landing wasn't painful.
"Where did you learn to do that!" exclaimed the boy poking his head through the bunker door. I gathered two groups of rope and started down the aisle.
"What's your name?" I called disappearing from his vision.
"Nickel. Where did you learn to do that?"
"Nickel, could you grab the saddles preferably saddle number seven, five, ten, and two," I instructed. Liam had said that saddle number two was his luckiest one. I walked to Winnipeg, letting her sniff the back of my hand. "Miss me?" I whispered stroking her nose gingerly. "Yeah, me too." I smiled weakly.
"What's your name?" asked Nickel still climbing down the ladder.
"Do what I told you then you will get my name." My expression was flavorless. I am here to escape and if that man gets in my way of destroying Net and finding my mother, I will kill him. Winnipeg listened to my signals as I tied her to the side of the barns wall. I followed down the path of the barns row of stables. Buck. The perfect horse for Apple. Both strong headed. Again I tied Buck to the wall.
"NIckel which horse is yours?"
"Do what I told you then you will get the name of my horse." I glared at his smug face.
"My name is Iris Tempres Lin."
"And you learned that trick where?" he dug leaning against a gray, distressed pole of wood..
"I forgot who told me," I said through gritted teeth.
"Ah, don't believe that. Where did you learn that trick?" he asked again slouching forward, pressing his eyebrow together.
"A friend who used to work at the stable." I turned around walking towards Peaches stall. The small pony would be perfect for Elouise.
"Axel. That's my horses name, Axel." I put Peaches against the wall behind Buck. Axel. Axel sound familiar.
"Wasn't Axel the one that came from a luxury millionaire to pay for his child to be sent to the orphanage?" Ii was an old story that had complicated twists and turns. I never really go to fully understand the whole story.
"How did you know that?"
"I have my sources, now saddle two goes on Winnipeg, five on Peaches, ten on Axel and seven on Buck." Nickel moved the enormous saddles on each horse, stopping at Axel to stroke his hair in comforting way. Next I took one bundle of the rope threading it through each horse's muzzle so they would stand in aline. "Nickel come here please." Nickel left Axle coming over to me.
"Did I do something wrong?" he inquired, looking tentatively in my eyes.
"Nope. Everything looks perfect. Could you mount on Axle please?" Nickel turned around grinding his boots into Axel's stirrup, hoisting himself up onto the saddle, sitting comfortably his hand resting on the horn. "Your hands please?" I stood on Axle's stirrup taking Nickle's wrist and the rope. Securing his hands to reigns and his ankles to Axels stirrup.
"Wait? What?" I reached into one of the stall grabbing the red bandana that's been there for years tying around it Nickel's mouth stopping him from talking. I could feel Nickel reaching out to me, his mind filled with a loving warmth drawing me in. But I couldn't be hurt like that again. My feet felt strong and stable as I hoisted myself up and over onto Winnipeg. Clicking my tongue softly Winnipeg trotted towards the barn door. I pushed the door open, leaning over Winnipeg. The sun bursting in as I ducked, keeping away from the top of the door.
"Duck," I ordered. I could hear Nickel lean back against Axel's saddle. Directing the horse right into a straight line, I could hear feet trampling the ground. The horse didn't stop. Stampeding towards me, my heart was racing. I closed my eyes preparing for the impact.
"What are you doing?" asked a voice. I peeled open one eye.
Looking away from the sun, I saw two shadows sprinting, gasping for air, straight at the horses. As they got closer it became more apparent that they were my sister. Apple darted for Peaches lifting Elouise on the horse.
"Iris go!" she screamed. Digging my heels into Winnipeg's side she began into an instant gallop forcing the others along with her. I glanced back at Apple. Her hair flying back as her hair tie flew from her hair, Apple hold of it as her bare feet pummeled the ground. Apple soared through air, perfectly landing on Buck. My head whipped forward, my hand shaking from squeezing Winnipeg's reigns so tight. As I lead Winnipeg out of sight in to the line of trees, my knuckles were still white. Heart racing, oxygen lost from my lungs, I felt someone press their head onto my shoulder.