Riding On ~~:~~ A Free Rein Fanfiction || Completed

Chapter 13

Ann woke up, groggy with her body feeling like it was made of lead. She yawned, turning her face into the warmth her cheek has imprinted on her pillow.

She was home... She didn't remember leaving the cliffside or the walk, let alone getting home and into bed.

She groaned loudly, the incidents of yesterday coming to fruition. This was problematic....

She was scared to go to the stables. How would they all treat her? But Soleil... She felt guilty. Very guilty. She hadn't even gone back to take care of him after their training.

She wanted to be next to him, to ride him and escape from it all.

She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. After blowing a quick and deflated raspberry, Ann sat up and greeted the day, in a mood most foul.

A quick shower and dress change later and she was out the door, apple in hand.

She looked around her house; where was her bike?

Deflated and dejected, Ann realized she must have left it at the stables.

The blonde sighed and jumped up and down, hoping in a circle as she childishly pouted.

After her sulking fest, she began the trek.

It took much longer than usual, and Ann found her legs were a bit sore when she reached the sign to Holloway.

She inhaled shakily, stopping to look at the sign.

"Soleil, for Soleil..." She whispered.

Taking the first step was the hardest, every step, therefore, was just muscle memory.

She approached the main entryway, the stone arch towering over her. Her eyes drifted to follow it until it was gone from her field of vision and then she found herself in the yard.

Marcus was facing away from her, brushing down his mount, unknowing of her arrival.

Becky and Jade were across the yard from Marcus and when Jade saw Ann, she elbowed Becky, the blonde letting out an exclamation, then shushing upon realizing its purpose. They began to whisper.

Ann felt herself beginning to shake and her eyes drifted everywhere a human was not.

Ann felt glued to the ground, then heard a neigh in the stables and, freed from her stationary being, was able to move, to almost float to Soleil.

Marcus however, began hearing the girls whisper. He still felt slightly uncomfortable, after all, they nearly stalked him and nicknamed him something so god awful embarrassing. He turned to look at them and saw gold in his peripheral.

Ann.... He thought and looked, watching her disappear into the stables.

He never found her yesterday and wanted to see her face, to hold her and.....

He turned. She didn't need to see his face right now.

Inside the stables, Ann was just about to open Soleils stall when, from the tack room, Pin appeared.

The pair stared at each other, then with a flash of pain across Ann's face, she thrust open the stall door, slightly frightening the draft inside and slamming it shut behind her.

Pin rubbed the back of his neck and sighed softly and exited the stables. He didn't know how to face her, and Zoe hadn't spoken to him yet.

When Ann found herself alone she stood up, realizing she had coiled herself up into a fetal position when she had enclosed herself in Soleil's stall.