Out of the Ashes
Destiny Born in Fire
Across the room Brooke couldn’t take her eyes of Lexie. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her either. After she had heard of Adam’s death she had wondered what happened to his daughter and where she would end up. She never dreamed Lexie would attend Amber Ridge.
It was obvious the teenage girl was still mourning the loss of her father and more than likely their beautiful home. Like the rest of the horse world she had mourned his death and for more reason’s then his talent and dedication to the thoroughbred industry. Once upon a time she had been madly in love with him, but that seemed like a hundred years ago.
“Hey Brooke are you okay?” Amanda one of the girls on her floor asked.
“I’m fine, just a little tired. How was your summer?” she asked changing the subject.
“Awesome I met this guy and we fell in love. His name is Andrew…”
Alexa noted all the girls on the floor seemed to know one another. Andie swapped stories with her friends about summer vacation. Nicole and Lyndsay both seemed really nice. Admittedly, she thought all the girls at Amber Ridge would be snobs, but the truth was Andie and her friends seemed pretty cool. Nicole and Andie were both rich, but Lyndsay was at Amber Ridge on scholarship. She had a strong love for horses and even though she missed her parents a great deal she knew Amber Ridge would give her the best chance for making the Olympic team someday.
“Hey Lexie Andrea said you were the best rider she has ever seen. You are going to ride for the team right?” Nicole asked.
“Um I don’t really know yet. I don’t even know if I want to ride,” she replied turning her head to look at Brooke. All day she felt as if she knew the red haired coach from somewhere. It was like she had met her before and she wondered what Brooke wanted to talk to her about.
“Please ride. If you are as good as Andie says you are then we have a real shot at making it to nationals this year,” Lyndsay enticed.
“I am seriously thinking about it,” she replied honestly. The truth was she had never planned to give up riding she just wished her father could still be a part of it.
Later that night Lexie tossed and turned. She could smell the smoke and hear the horses screaming. She jerked awake breathing hard, but the smell didn’t fade. Climbing out of bed she looked out her window and to her horror it was happening all over again. The barn at her new school was on fire. Throwing clothes on she rushed out of the dorms to see if she could help. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered all the beloved horses she had lost at the beginning of the summer.
People were rushing around filling buckets and throwing them at the fire. Fire engines roared in sirens blaring. Horses were running around loose everywhere and Lexie knew there was at least one inside.
“We got all of them out but the gray one. Tony tried to get him out, but the horse won’t leave and every time he tried reaching for the animal it tried to strike him,” a young woman Lexie hadn’t met told Brooke.
“I guess there isn’t any more we can do. The other horses made it out though right?” Brooke asked.
“Yes most of them are safe in paddock 4, but a few are loose and students are trying to catch them,” the woman replied
“It’s too bad about Phoenix, but I am not surprised. He is one very messed up horse.” Lexie heard the lone horse screaming inside and it ripped her apart. She felt pulled back to a few months ago and it was suddenly as if it were Calypso screaming again. Without realizing what she was doing she headed for the burning barn. Nobody seemed to notice her until the last minute.
“Hey you can’t go in there, stop,” someone yelled. Lexie was inside before he could stop her.
“Brooke a student ran into the barn.” She heard the guy shout, but it seemed like another world. She choked on the smoke as she frantically searched before finding the horse inside. He was screaming and rearing in his stall. The door was open but he didn’t seem to want to leave it. She rushed in talking to him, crooning and trying to calm him.
He stopped rearing, screaming, and stood shaking as she approached. The barn shuttered and she knew it was about to collapse. She heard Brooke yelling at a fireman outside that a student had gone in. None of that mattered. All that mattered was the connection that suddenly flared up between them.
Knowing nothing about the horse she leapt on his back as she had done her own horse a thousand times.
“Let’s get out of here,” she told him feeling him shutter beneath her. He bolted from the stall and she held on as the barn came down on top of them. Everything went dark and Lexie had no idea what happened next. Outside students, staff, and teachers watched while the building collapsed just as the gray horse emerged out of the flames carrying his savior.
It was obvious the teenage girl was still mourning the loss of her father and more than likely their beautiful home. Like the rest of the horse world she had mourned his death and for more reason’s then his talent and dedication to the thoroughbred industry. Once upon a time she had been madly in love with him, but that seemed like a hundred years ago.
“Hey Brooke are you okay?” Amanda one of the girls on her floor asked.
“I’m fine, just a little tired. How was your summer?” she asked changing the subject.
“Awesome I met this guy and we fell in love. His name is Andrew…”
Alexa noted all the girls on the floor seemed to know one another. Andie swapped stories with her friends about summer vacation. Nicole and Lyndsay both seemed really nice. Admittedly, she thought all the girls at Amber Ridge would be snobs, but the truth was Andie and her friends seemed pretty cool. Nicole and Andie were both rich, but Lyndsay was at Amber Ridge on scholarship. She had a strong love for horses and even though she missed her parents a great deal she knew Amber Ridge would give her the best chance for making the Olympic team someday.
“Hey Lexie Andrea said you were the best rider she has ever seen. You are going to ride for the team right?” Nicole asked.
“Um I don’t really know yet. I don’t even know if I want to ride,” she replied turning her head to look at Brooke. All day she felt as if she knew the red haired coach from somewhere. It was like she had met her before and she wondered what Brooke wanted to talk to her about.
“Please ride. If you are as good as Andie says you are then we have a real shot at making it to nationals this year,” Lyndsay enticed.
“I am seriously thinking about it,” she replied honestly. The truth was she had never planned to give up riding she just wished her father could still be a part of it.
Later that night Lexie tossed and turned. She could smell the smoke and hear the horses screaming. She jerked awake breathing hard, but the smell didn’t fade. Climbing out of bed she looked out her window and to her horror it was happening all over again. The barn at her new school was on fire. Throwing clothes on she rushed out of the dorms to see if she could help. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered all the beloved horses she had lost at the beginning of the summer.
People were rushing around filling buckets and throwing them at the fire. Fire engines roared in sirens blaring. Horses were running around loose everywhere and Lexie knew there was at least one inside.
“We got all of them out but the gray one. Tony tried to get him out, but the horse won’t leave and every time he tried reaching for the animal it tried to strike him,” a young woman Lexie hadn’t met told Brooke.
“I guess there isn’t any more we can do. The other horses made it out though right?” Brooke asked.
“Yes most of them are safe in paddock 4, but a few are loose and students are trying to catch them,” the woman replied
“It’s too bad about Phoenix, but I am not surprised. He is one very messed up horse.” Lexie heard the lone horse screaming inside and it ripped her apart. She felt pulled back to a few months ago and it was suddenly as if it were Calypso screaming again. Without realizing what she was doing she headed for the burning barn. Nobody seemed to notice her until the last minute.
“Hey you can’t go in there, stop,” someone yelled. Lexie was inside before he could stop her.
“Brooke a student ran into the barn.” She heard the guy shout, but it seemed like another world. She choked on the smoke as she frantically searched before finding the horse inside. He was screaming and rearing in his stall. The door was open but he didn’t seem to want to leave it. She rushed in talking to him, crooning and trying to calm him.
He stopped rearing, screaming, and stood shaking as she approached. The barn shuttered and she knew it was about to collapse. She heard Brooke yelling at a fireman outside that a student had gone in. None of that mattered. All that mattered was the connection that suddenly flared up between them.
Knowing nothing about the horse she leapt on his back as she had done her own horse a thousand times.
“Let’s get out of here,” she told him feeling him shutter beneath her. He bolted from the stall and she held on as the barn came down on top of them. Everything went dark and Lexie had no idea what happened next. Outside students, staff, and teachers watched while the building collapsed just as the gray horse emerged out of the flames carrying his savior.