Ten years later

        Emma Roland brushed steady strokes on her one-year-old colt. As she brushes him, dirt flows off of him reviling his silver-white coat underneath. The colt happily gives her a joyful whinny. Emma giggles as she hums her song, soothing the young horse.

        The song she was humming escaped her lips.

Rise,

bloom like a flower

deep down I know it's my time.

when I rise.

            "When I rise." Emma sighs, deep in thought as she was lost in her tune. A few horses in the barn started to neigh and cheer at the fourteen-year-old's melody. They all seemed to be in sync with the girl whenever she sang and Emma never felt closer to the equines. There was something in these creatures that Emma couldn't shake as if she was always meant to be around and care for them.

            She loved them so much, she wished they could talk back so she could have conversations with them and not with people at all. If only.

            The colt shook his ebony black mane, leaned his head toward Emma and nibbled her hair. "Wings, stop that." Emma giggles as she pushes her short ponytail away from the feisty horse. She then strokes his long nose, not wanting this feeling to end. It was the only free time she would get until she goes back to her chores.

            Emma hums again.

            The hot humid summer afternoon turned cool and crisp around Emma and Wings the moment she finished singing. To Emma, it was almost as if it was magic.

            Magic. What is magic anyway? It can't be real, it never was. If it was, then her father and his favorite broodmare would still be alive.

            Her father's memory still lingers at the thought of him. A single tear falls down her cheek. It's been one year now.

            The memory of that faithful day still lingers in her mind as if it was yesterday. She remembers the storm and how Dowager got out. Her father went after the pregnant mare. But all that was left of that day was a tiny silver-white foal and two bodies.

In one year, the Roland farm changed forever. Emma looks around, still remembering the smiling faces of every person who worked at the barn and all the names of every horse. Now all she sees were empty stalls and collected dust as the memories faded.

            "What was that awful noise?" A blonde boy hollers as he enters the barn, interrupting Emma's deep thought. The coolness that surrounded Emma soon faded and so did her sorrow. It turned sour and bitter when she heard her cousin. The fifteen-year-old boy passed by her with a cocky grin as he strolled to the stall next to her. "Hey Soot, how's my favorite boy doing?" He soothed to the black colt.

            Anger continues to boil inside Emma as she hissed. "It wasn't noise, it was a song."

            "Well, it was the worst song I ever heard."

            Emma rolled her eyes even though she knows he didn't see it. "What are you doing here anyway? Don't you have a ton of chores to do?"

            The brunette heard a small chuckle next to her. "Yeah, I do, but I wanted to see Soot before I go back to them."

Raising an eyebrow, Emma asks, "Oh really? I saw you earlier practicing on your fencing instead of spreading the manure."

Colm groans. "Manure is gross and stinky. I rather be riding Soot all day and practice my fencing," he then added. "May I ask you the same question?"

           She sighs, letting the anger flow out of her like the steady flow of a river. She couldn't argue with him, no matter how much she hates him.

            "Same as you I suppose." If there was one thing the two cousins had in common was their love for their horses. "But I finished my chores early and Wings needed to be brushed anyway." She added quickly.

            "What are you two doing?"

            The deep voice startled both teens that they swiftly left the horse's stall as quick as lightning. They stood in front of a tall man in blue jeans and a button-up long sleeve shirt. He had a small mustache on his face that curled around his lips, which were pulled back into a snarl.

            Emma grabbed her lip with her teeth and began to chew knowing she was going to get a lecture. Her cousin, on the other hand, kept his head down and rubbed his arm in a repetitive movement, waiting for the same torture to fall on him as well.

Instead, the man pulled out a piece of paper. "Since you finished all of your chores, I have more for you to do." He told Emma.

            The girl felt her ears grow hot. "W-what? You can't do that!"

            "You said it yourself and I need extra help around the ranch for the next following days."

            Bewildered, Emma let her anger out. "Uncle Morgan, I did all my chores already. You wouldn't need extra help if you haven't fired all your ranch hands!" She caught her cousin staring at her in the corner of her eye as if he was telling her to shut up. She ignored his warning.

            Morgan shot back at his niece. "Ever since the accident last year, I couldn't keep up with demand so I was forced to lay off our ranch hands. We are low on money."

            "Ha, that's rich! You and Aunt Cynthia keep spending all the money faster than we can earn it!"

            "Emma you should know better by now."

            She kept on going, "And is that also the reason why you sold half our horses?"

            Morgan's face turned sour. "Emma, stop this nonsense. You live under my house and you go by my rules-"

            "I live in the barn, don't you remember? Ever since Aunt Cynthia decorated the house after dad died, it doesn't feel like home again." Emma interrupted; arms folded across her chest.

            "My brother has nothing to with this Emma! We all know that was a freak accident, and he should have never gone after that mare during the rainstorm."

            "A freak accident? We all know it wasn't! And I can tell that you are happy he is gone! None of you care that dad's gone!" Suddenly Morgen's backhand collided with Emma's face, sending her head to the side as she gasps in reaction. Emma puts her hand on the side of her head and turns to face her uncle, looking at him a little incredulously as she lowers her hand. As long as Emma has been alive, her uncle had never raised a hand against her or anyone before.

            Colm, who had remained silent during this disagreement, let out a small gasp.

            Still, in disbelief, Morgen finally gets a word in. "For that little outburst, I am grounding you, young lady and you will be doing Colm's chores for the rest of the month." He placed the paper in Emma's hand. "Now if I was you, I'll get started."

            Clutching the paper, she stomps away from her uncle and Colm, still chewing on her lip. Emma felt sorrow tugging at her heart as she walked by the empty stalls that once homed her favorite horses. Tears fell down her face as she passed by Dowager's.

....................................
Emma

Colm