“I’ll brush your hair for you and pull it back into a ponytail,” offered Kalene and opened her purse. She pulled out a hairbrush and began to search for a hair tie. “You won’t be able to do it yourself for a while.”
“Is it okay if we just go?” asked Sophie. She grimaced. “I just want to get out of here.”
“You betcha,” said Joel and rose to his feet. “Your hair looks great anyway. And we have everything all ready for you.”
“What do you mean?” asked Sophie, suddenly nervous. “What do you have ready for me?” Joel was always coming up with crazy ideas.
“Your transportation, of course,” said Joel. He pointed to the door leading out into the hallway. A wheelchair sat just outside the door.
“Alright!” said Sophie. “Can I really? They’ll let me?” She was already moving toward the wheelchair. “Can I do some wheelies?”
“Not with a broken arm, you can’t,” said Kalene firmly. “Joel will push you out.”
The ride in the wheelchair was just as much fun as if Sophie had been allowed to do wheelies. Joel raced her up and down a few empty corridors, narrowly avoiding detection by the hospital staff. Joel and Kalene knew many of the people in the hospital. They would screech to a stop to talk to some of the older patients for a few moments, and then they would be off again, the patients waving to Sophie as she disappeared down the hallway.
Sophie, Joel, and Kalene had almost finished the rounds of the entire hospital when they spun around a corner and almost hit a nurse. The tray she was carrying went flying. Joel and Kalene hurried forward to help her pick up the silver implements scattered across the floor. They apologized as they helped the nurse put the tools back on the tray.
When they were finished, all three of them stood. Sophie, sitting in the wheelchair, thought how funny Joel and Kalene looked standing before the nurse, almost like kids that had done something bad at school. The nurse’s mouth was a tight red line across her face.
“I remember the day you were born, Joel James,” she said in a sharp voice. “I had to stay up all night trying to keep you alive. You were trouble then, you are trouble now.”
“Sorry, Nurse Morgan,” said Joel and hung his head. He glanced sideways at Sophie and winked.
“And who is this young lady you are spiriting away from us?” asked Nurse Morgan.
“This is Sophie, our foster daughter,” said Joel. “She has a broken arm.”
“I can see her arm is broken, Joel,” said Nurse Morgan. Her eyes, large behind their glasses, examined Sophie from head to toe. “You’re one lucky little lady, Sophia. Things could have been much worse for you.”
“I know,” said Sophie in a squeaky voice. She almost couldn’t say anything, but somehow she forced the words out. She breathed an inaudible sigh of relief when Nurse Morgan turned on Kalene.
“I can see it’s already too late for you,” said Nurse Morgan, focusing her attention to Sophie’s foster mom. “Joel has already gotten you involved in too many of his escapades, but you should think about the bad example you are both setting for Sophia. Racing down hospital corridors. It’s disgraceful!”
“Yes, Nurse Morgan,” agreed Kalene. Then Nurse Morgan was gone, striding purposefully down the hallway with her tray balanced before her. Sophie was sure it wouldn’t dare fall again.
“The only reason I didn’t die when I was a baby was because I was too afraid to,” whispered Joel.
“She’s amazing,” said Sophie. “Scary, but amazing.”
Kalene laughed. “She’s like a flash flood. Once she’s swept on by, things are never the same again.”
Joel spun Sophie’s wheelchair around and they made their way as sedately as possible to the front entrance. Joel left Kalene and Sophie to get the truck, so he could pick them up at the door.
“The doctor said I didn’t have to go to school for the rest of the week,” Sophie said to Kalene.
“I know. We already phoned the school and asked for some homework for you. Good thing you didn’t break your left arm since you’re left handed,” replied Kalene. She smiled when Sophie groaned at the thought of homework. “Max is coming over today after school to visit for a while, too,” added Kalene. “I told her she could babysit you when we go out tonight.”
“You’re going out?” asked Sophie, trying to keep the hope out of her voice. It would be so much easier to take Aria her food when Joel and Kalene were out, so much easier than having to sneak out after they went to bed like she usually did.
“We’re not sure yet. We’ll wait and see how you feel first, okay? We bought those tickets to the play, remember? But we don’t have to go. I wouldn’t mind spending a quiet night at home either.”
“But you bought those tickets months ago,” said Sophie, surprised. She knew Kalene in particular, had been looking forward to going to the play. “You can’t stay home. I’ll be fine, especially if Max comes over. You and Joel should go.”
“Well, we’ll see how you feel tonight,” said Kalene. “I would like to go, but if you need me, I’d much rather be home.” She looked down at Sophie’s sceptical expression and laughed. “Really, I would,” she said. “You’re much more important than a night out on the town.”
“I’ll be okay,” Sophie insisted. “You guys go. And I don’t need a babysitter either, even though Max is probably the funnest one I could think of.” She smiled as she thought of her best friend, Max. She was always doing things she shouldn’t, and then acting so surprised when she got caught. And she always got caught. “I’ll be tired anyway,” Sophie added. “I hardly got any sleep last night. The nurse kept bugging me. And Twixie’s good enough company.”
“If you still feel okay about us going by tonight, then we’ll go to the play,” said Kalene and put her hand on Sophie’s shoulder. “But I still want Max to come over. I don’t want to leave you alone. Even if you count Twixie as company, she can’t phone anyone if there’s a problem.”
“Okay. It’ll be fun,” Sophie forced herself to say. Though her voice was calm, her thoughts were in turmoil. Should I tell Max about Aria? I don’t want to wait until late to go to the canyon when Aria’s going to be so hungry. And maybe Max can even help. I know I can trust her not to tell anyone. But she can’t act too guilty either, or they’ll know something’s wrong.
When Joel’s truck stopped in front of them, Sophie climbed slowly into the front seat and Kalene got in after her. As they drove away from the hospital, Sophie’s thoughts continued.
Really it’s good that Max is so bad at lying. It means she’s a good person. Not like me. But she doesn’t have much to lose either. If Joel and Kalene find out about Aria, they’ll send me away. And if I have to leave, I don’t know if I could stand it. Even if I don’t deserve them.
No one has come all day. Has Aria been abandoned by whomever brought her here? I could take her home, I know she could lead me there, but the Great One says no. The one who brought her here must be the one to take her home. I do not know why but I believe it is true. The Great One knows all. I must keep Aria safe and well cared for until someone comes. And if her foal is born, I must help them both.
Aria was so frightened when I came. No, more than frightened, much more… she was terrified. What made her feel that way? It still puzzles me. I could sense a presence when I first arrived in the canyon, though I could not tell what it was. The energy it left behind, in the air, in the wind, and water, is not that of a normal being, neither man nor beast. It is something far, far scarier: something twisted and malformed in spirit. It contains a great evil that seeks the death of others – that seeks horror.
Aria thinks I am protecting her and perhaps I am, by just being here. By waiting, waiting, waiting at her side. Waiting for further direction from the Great One. Waiting for someone to come.
But this I know: I am not enough to stop an evil such as this. I do not have the power.
The phone rang just as Joel and Kalene were about to leave. Sophie groaned inwardly. More delays! B
ut Kalene only talked on the phone for a minute before she hung up. “That was Allen and Trish,” she said to Joel, who was standing at the door waiting for her. “They were wondering what was taking us so long. They’ve been ready for hours apparently.”
“Did you tell them we’d already be gone if they hadn’t phoned?” asked Joel.
“No,” said Kalene, flashing an exasperated look at him. “Because it isn’t true.” Kalene reached out and gave Sophie one more hug. “You’re sure you don’t mind us leaving you tonight?” asked Kalene.
“We don’t mind if you want us to stay,” added Joel.
Sophie smiled. She could tell that Joel wasn’t as excited about going to the play as Kalene was. “You just want to get out of going,” she teased him, then she added, “No, really. I want you to go. Max is here and I’ll call you if I need you to come home early.”
“All right, but remember Max’s mom is just a few minutes away,” Kalene said. “You remember the number?”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Branson,” said Max from behind Sophie. “I remember the phone number.”
“Of course you do,” laughed Kalene.
“Come on, honey,” said Joel. “We’re going to be late. Allen and Trish are going to start hitchhiking if we don’t get there soon.”
“And you remember our cell phone number?” Kalene asked Sophie as she moved toward the door.
“Yes. And I have it written down, too.” Sophie smiled her most reassuring smile at Kalene. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Max and I are just going to watch a movie and eat the popcorn you made us.”
“Well, you two have fun,” said Joel as he herded Kalene out the door, then turned to press his foot against Twixie’s chest so she couldn’t follow them.
“Have fun!” the girls called as the door shut behind them. Twixie stood beside it and whined for a moment, then trailed after Sophie to the living room.
Max collapsed on the couch with a huff of exasperation. Her short black hair swung around her head like a fringe as she shook her head. “Your mom is major paranoid,” she said to Sophie.
“Kalene’s great,” said Sophie, as she scratched Twixie’s back. “I’ve never had anyone worry about me before. Not like that, anyway. It’s awesome.”
“Well, I’m glad you like it,” said Max, arching an eyebrow. “It would drive me nuts.”
“Too late. You’re already nuts,” countered Sophie and pulled her long hair behind her head with her hand. “Help me with this, will you?” she asked Max. “I need to braid it and I can’t do it myself.”
“Why do you need to braid your hair?” asked Max, rising from the couch. “We’re just going to watch a movie.”
Sophie took a deep breath. “I’ve got something to tell you, Max,” she said, her eyes serious as she looked into the dark eyes of her friend. “But before I do, you have to promise you won’t say anything to anyone. Ever. You can’t even act guilty.”
“I can’t tell anyone why you’re putting your hair in a braid?” asked Max as she pulled Sophie’s hair back and divided it into three pieces. “You make it sound so serious.” She laughed, then fell silent when Sophie didn’t laugh with her. “You’re not joking, are you?” she asked when the braid was finished and Sophie turned toward her.
“No,” answered Sophie. “And I’m only telling you because I have to. I need your help. No one else knows and no one can ever, ever find out.”
Max paused for a moment and looked into Sophie’s eyes, her expression puzzled. “Okay, I promise,” she finally said.
“Are they gone for sure?” Sophie asked as she hurried to the window. They had taken Kalene’s car. Only Joel’s truck stood in front of the house. Sophie turned back to Max.
“I’ll tell you quickly, then I’ve got to go,” she said to her friend.
“What? You can’t go anywhere. You have a broken arm,” said Max, her eyes wide. “Where’re you going?”
“I’ll tell you everything, but I have to start at the beginning, okay?” said Sophie as she sat on the couch. Max sat beside her. “It happened last spring, a few months after I got here,” started Sophie, her left fingers picking at her cast. “Joel and Kalene let me ride Aria because she was the only horse they had that wasn’t in foal or didn’t have a foal at side, and I can’t ride Rolly. He’s too, well, he’s a stallion and they knew I couldn’t handle him.”
“So what happened?” asked Max.
“We were out on the desert one day. It was really hot and I got off to let Aria rest in the shade. Anyway, I did something so stupid! I fell asleep.”
“Oh no,” breathed Max. “And when you woke up, I’ll bet Aria was gone. But that doesn’t make sense. She didn’t disappear until a few months ago.”
“But, you’re right. She was gone when I woke up,” said Sophie. “But it was even worse than that. She was with the wild horses. They didn’t know I was sleeping in the shade of the canyon and they weren’t very far away. When they spotted me they ran, but Aria turned back when I called her. I was so lucky. I never took anymore chances with her, but then…” Sophie took a deep breath as Max patiently waited. “Then, late in the fall, Kalene said something about Aria getting fat. They cut back on her feed a bit, but she just kept getting bigger. That’s when I realized she was in foal.”
“She was in foal to the wild stallion?” asked Max.
“Yes,” said Sophie. “He’s pretty cool, but he’s not an Arabian and now the best, most expensive mare Kalene and Joel own is in foal to him.”
“But what’s wrong with that?” asked Max in a puzzled voice.
Sophie sighed. “The foal will hardly be worth anything at all, and Joel and Kalene are having such a hard time with money. They borrowed money to buy Aria, and Kalene works at the library because the farm doesn’t make enough yet. If it never does, they’ll have to sell everything, including the horses, to pay their debts. Aria’s foals should be worth thousands of dollars, not just a few hundred.”
“You sure know how to get in trouble, Sophie,” said Max, shaking her head. “This is worse than anything I ever did.”
“Don’t rub it in,” said Sophie, rolling her eyes.
“So what happened next?”
“I couldn’t let Kalene and Joel find out what I’d done. They’d be sure to send me away,” said Sophie. “So I decided to borrow Aria for a while.”
“What? You mean that Aria is still around here somewhere?” asked Max, incredulously.
“Yes,” admitted Sophie. “I made a corral for her in one of the willow canyons back in the foothills and then, one night, I took her there. I tried to make it look like she had been stolen, and that’s what Joel and Kalene and the police think. No one suspects me at all. Joel and Kalene were even worried about me when Aria went missing. They kept telling me they would find her and bring her home.”
“So you’ve been sneaking out there to take care of her,” concluded Max.
“And that’s why I had to tell you. I have to go to her now. She hasn’t eaten since before my accident. You’ve got to cover for me. Kalene is probably going to phone a few times during the night to see if I’m okay. You’ve got to stay here and watch the movie and answer the phone and tell her I’m sleeping.” She paused when she saw the doubtful look on Max’s face. “Please, Max? I promise I won’t call you Maxine anymore.”
“Of course, I’ll help,” Max said. “I just hope they believe me.”
“It’ll be easier over the phone,” said Sophie. “They won’t be able to see your face. You won’t have to look anyone in the eye.”
“Okay,” said Max. “But I have one more question. What does all this have to do with me braiding your hair?”
“So it doesn’t get so much hay stuck in it,” said Sophie, smiling as she stood. “It’s hard to brush my hair with a broken arm. I might have to cut it short like yours.”
“I’ll help you get the hay ready for her,” Max said, following Sophie toward the front door. “Kalene won’t phone this soon. They’re p
robably just picking up their friends now.”
“Thanks,” said Sophie. “Really. I couldn’t do this without you.”
“Hey, no prob. That’s what friends are for,” replied Max with a grin. “It’ll be fun. I just wish I could go with you.”
“Me too,” said Sophie and wondered why she hadn’t told Max about Aria before.
The two girls pulled on their shoes and boots and within seconds they were out of the house, walking toward the closer of the two small barns. The green irrigated fields beside the buildings glowed in the pink sunset. Sophie couldn’t stop herself from slowly turning in a complete circle. The house and the barns, the sunset washed fields with the desert stretched behind, and the distant mountains all looked like a scene from a fairytale. Sophie drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. It was so glorious. Living in the desert still gave her that funny feeling in her stomach as if butterflies were fluttering their wings against her insides.
“Isn’t it wonderful, Max?” she asked her friend, who had stopped and was looking at her strangely.
“Yeah, I guess,” Max said.
“You just don’t see it the way it is because you’ve lived here your whole life,” replied Sophie. “I remember the first time I came to the ranch. I was so amazed. It was like something out of a movie.”
“Speaking of movies, when you get back, remind me to tell you what it was about in case Kalene and Joel ask you,” said Max.
“You’re always so practical,” said Sophie. She laughed and started walking again. “It’s a good idea though, even if I’m supposed to be sleeping through it.”
“Hey Soph, you still haven’t told me everything,” said Max, as Sophie struggled to get the barn door open and fumbled for the light switch. “What are you going to do with Aria? You can’t just leave her up the canyon forever.”
Desert Song (Horse Guardian) Page 2
