Wild Horses
...And This, Too, Shall Pass
The sun shone brightly despite the overall mood of the ranch. Days had passed since the departure of a family member, and the ranch had never been quieter. The place seemed to lose a sense of playfulness, a sense of mischief. All of the things that Brian brought to the ranch in the nearly eight years he had lived there disappeared with his death.
Maria and James lost a son, Zach lost a brother, and Treva a friend. Even Bandit wasn't his usual sneaky self. It was as if the horse knew that Brian was gone.
The wind rushed through the fields as everyone was gathered around the deep hold in the hillside. A pine box had been fashioned for Brian to be buried in, and the Bakers sent for the town priest to come and say a few finals words in Brian's honor.
It was a somber event, up on the hill that overlooked the stream and field beyond where the wild horses would stop twice a year to graze. Zach and Treva had picked that spot out themselves, knowing that it just felt right.
Their hands were tightly held in each others as they stood side by side across from their parents. Tears flowed freely and unashamedly down both their cheeks as the priest continued with the burial service. As hard as Treva tried, she couldn't keep her eyes from returning to the pine box in the ground before her, nor could she keep her eyes off the stone cross that was placed at the head of the grave, her gaze reading Brian's name over and over.
Her eyes were permanently misted over as she thought back on all the times she'd shared with Brian. From the times where she'd look out at him and Zach from the porch, to the time not so long after that when she first rode a horse, high in the saddle with Brian right behind her, his lips parted in the widest of smiles. And then there was the time Brian had taught her to shoot a rifle.
But the last thing that flashed through Treva's mind was the kiss he had given her under the mistletoe. She knew it could have boded as wrong, but Treva knew it was something that she'd never forget for the rest of her life, nor would she forget the words Brian spoke when he poured his heart out to her the night he died.
Once the ceremony was completed, both Zach and Treva's parents and Zach himself began burying Brian's grave, pushing the loose dirt down into the hole. But it was too final for Treva. She couldn't do it.
And so she ran.
She turned away from the grave, away from the ranch, and she ran. She nearly stumbled as her feet quickly moved down the hill toward the stream, knowing she'd fall if she weren't careful, but Treva didn't care. She just wanted to get away.
Coming to a stop by the edge of the stream, Treva collapsed to her knees, wretching out a sob as her arms fell limp at her sides. Never in her seventeen years of life had she ever cried so hard. She felt as if she could be sick at any moment.
Treva didn't even flinch when Zach placed a hand on her shoulder, taking a seat in the grass with her. Slowly he pulled her into him, feeling her sobs run through his body.
"Sshhh..." Zack cooed, his own tears still leaking from his eyes. "Everything is going to be alright..."
"It's not fair," Treva said, hiccoughing from crying so much as she picked her head up from Zach's shoulder where she laid it. "It's not fair that he's dead, Zach. He was too young. This never should have happened. We should have led the Indians away from the ranch."
"You're right, Treva, it's not fair. None of this is fair. But that's life," Zach said, getting Treva to look up into his eyes, cradling her face in his hands. "It's wild, and sometimes it takes us places we don't want to go. Life doesn't ask us what we want from it; we just have to learn to play the hand we're dealt or get out of the game."
Sniffling, Treva understood that what Zach said was nothing but the truth.
And then, a miracle seemed to happen. Treva felt the shuddering pounds of hooves in the ground below her, and in only a few moments the wild horses plowed into the field. Treva's breath caught in her throat that such a thing was occurring, and if the look in Zach's eyes was any indicator to her, Treva knew that Zach wasn't expecting this. They weren't supposed to return until the fall.
And then...something caught Treva's eye. A full-grown paint that she had never seen before, dark hair in its mane. Treva and Zach watched as the horse reared, letting out a shrill cry, and then, just like that, the horses, too, were gone.
Somehow Treva knew it was a sign. A sign that life would eventually go on, and she would keep living it.
Maria and James lost a son, Zach lost a brother, and Treva a friend. Even Bandit wasn't his usual sneaky self. It was as if the horse knew that Brian was gone.
The wind rushed through the fields as everyone was gathered around the deep hold in the hillside. A pine box had been fashioned for Brian to be buried in, and the Bakers sent for the town priest to come and say a few finals words in Brian's honor.
It was a somber event, up on the hill that overlooked the stream and field beyond where the wild horses would stop twice a year to graze. Zach and Treva had picked that spot out themselves, knowing that it just felt right.
Their hands were tightly held in each others as they stood side by side across from their parents. Tears flowed freely and unashamedly down both their cheeks as the priest continued with the burial service. As hard as Treva tried, she couldn't keep her eyes from returning to the pine box in the ground before her, nor could she keep her eyes off the stone cross that was placed at the head of the grave, her gaze reading Brian's name over and over.
Her eyes were permanently misted over as she thought back on all the times she'd shared with Brian. From the times where she'd look out at him and Zach from the porch, to the time not so long after that when she first rode a horse, high in the saddle with Brian right behind her, his lips parted in the widest of smiles. And then there was the time Brian had taught her to shoot a rifle.
But the last thing that flashed through Treva's mind was the kiss he had given her under the mistletoe. She knew it could have boded as wrong, but Treva knew it was something that she'd never forget for the rest of her life, nor would she forget the words Brian spoke when he poured his heart out to her the night he died.
Once the ceremony was completed, both Zach and Treva's parents and Zach himself began burying Brian's grave, pushing the loose dirt down into the hole. But it was too final for Treva. She couldn't do it.
And so she ran.
She turned away from the grave, away from the ranch, and she ran. She nearly stumbled as her feet quickly moved down the hill toward the stream, knowing she'd fall if she weren't careful, but Treva didn't care. She just wanted to get away.
Coming to a stop by the edge of the stream, Treva collapsed to her knees, wretching out a sob as her arms fell limp at her sides. Never in her seventeen years of life had she ever cried so hard. She felt as if she could be sick at any moment.
Treva didn't even flinch when Zach placed a hand on her shoulder, taking a seat in the grass with her. Slowly he pulled her into him, feeling her sobs run through his body.
"Sshhh..." Zack cooed, his own tears still leaking from his eyes. "Everything is going to be alright..."
"It's not fair," Treva said, hiccoughing from crying so much as she picked her head up from Zach's shoulder where she laid it. "It's not fair that he's dead, Zach. He was too young. This never should have happened. We should have led the Indians away from the ranch."
"You're right, Treva, it's not fair. None of this is fair. But that's life," Zach said, getting Treva to look up into his eyes, cradling her face in his hands. "It's wild, and sometimes it takes us places we don't want to go. Life doesn't ask us what we want from it; we just have to learn to play the hand we're dealt or get out of the game."
Sniffling, Treva understood that what Zach said was nothing but the truth.
And then, a miracle seemed to happen. Treva felt the shuddering pounds of hooves in the ground below her, and in only a few moments the wild horses plowed into the field. Treva's breath caught in her throat that such a thing was occurring, and if the look in Zach's eyes was any indicator to her, Treva knew that Zach wasn't expecting this. They weren't supposed to return until the fall.
And then...something caught Treva's eye. A full-grown paint that she had never seen before, dark hair in its mane. Treva and Zach watched as the horse reared, letting out a shrill cry, and then, just like that, the horses, too, were gone.
Somehow Treva knew it was a sign. A sign that life would eventually go on, and she would keep living it.