Date:         Wed, 17 Dec 1997 10:34:11 -0500
From: Kat Reinholz <katroy@NH.ULTRANET.COM>
Subject:      INT: Strawberry's Bed and Breakfast

CK Tower wrote:

> Celia sat down her backpack and slid the barn door open.
> It was dark inside, but light shown in enough for her to see
> the dust in the air and cobwebs in every corner.  But that
> wasn't what worried her.  After six months away she was
> afraid to imagine the condition of the stalls.   After looking around
> she found a pitch fork in the corner.  Reaching into her pocket
> she retrieved a rubber band and pulled her long sandy hair
> into a ponytail, then began the long task of getting the barn
> back in order.
>
> All in all, it was great to be back, and she looked foward to
> seeing Strawberry again.  She was taken aback when the
> letter arrived.  June was reopening bed and breakfast and
> she wanted Celia back on as the barn manager, if she was
> available.  For Celia it was perfect timing.  She had
> been looking for a new place to work and a better home for
> Granizar.  After the copper-coated stallion had come down
> with colic for the second time, Celia started keeping a closer
> watch on the goings on where he was stabled.  She was furious
> to discover they were feeding moldy grain, just to save a few
> dollars.
>
> Celia stopped shoveling for a moment to wipe the thin layer
> of dirt and sweat from her forehead.  But she couldn't
> linger too long, Strawberry said her horses would be arriving in the
> morning, and that she had already leased out five stalls.  Celia
> wondered what the owners would be like.  But there would be time
> for wondering later, for now she had twenty some stalls to clean,
> grain and hay to pick up and unload, and a dozen other chores
> to do before the barn was in order for tomarrow, let alone see
> what kind of state the apartment over the barn was in
>
> Just as she was about to resume her cleaning, Celia heard
> a horse nicker.  The sounds seemed to be coming from up at the
> house...
>
> -CK
>
> (thanks, Kat for reviving a great INT ;)

    Chelsea stared in awe at the silver brooch for quite some time.
Suddenly Neigh wuffled, and grabbed her attention.  She turned from the
mystery and walked over to her horse.  His beautiful brown coat gleamed
in the sunshine.  Chelsea began to untie his reigns as she gently pat
her friend to keep him calm.  Neigh was a bit high strung, he had been
broken in quite a savage way, and was still recovering from the
treatment.  It had been quite some time before she could even mount him
bareback, and he still had a tendency to bolt at his merest whim.  She
rubbed her sore shoulder, Neigh also had a penchant for low hanging
branches.

    "C'mon boy, we'll come back tommorrow.  It looks like no one is
here.  I could have sworn the letter said the 17th.  But, I could be
wrong.  Daddy did always say that I couldn't keep a date straight for
the life of me."  Chelsea grinned fondly at the memory of her father.
He had passed away 5 years ago, and although she still missed him, the
pounding ache of loss had subsided into an occasional dull throb.

    Chelsea gave a start of surprise when the hand came down on her
shoulder. She wheeled around and stared at the woman standing beside
her.  Sandy blonde hair, pulled up into a pony tail.  Neigh nickered and
began butting his head up against the woman.

    "Can I help you?" the woman asked.

--

------------------------------------------------------------
Kat Reinholz
katroy@nh.ultranet.com