What Lives in the woods?

.. Tales of vampires and ghosts can only be seen in movies or in mystery books created by authors with deep imaginary thinking. They are Made up stories and nothing more. Maybe I was wrong!

I tried to control my nerves but heavy fear gripped me. I shined the torchlight towards the direction of the noise but nothing looked odd. I swallowed hard and took a minute to gather my nerves before taking another step forward.

I heard  growling sound closely behind me, this time, louder! I froze, all my breath trapped. I hesitantly turned my face to the direction of the noise clenching my eyes, with my hands up, surrendering completely. I could feel eyes on me. I imagined a green eyes, or maybe red eyes peering behind the bushes... A monster ready to jump out and dig it claws in to my skin.

      "Mummy!" I screamed out before taking to my heels. "Monster! Monster!"

I ran back to the Ranch panting heavily. I crouched, my hands on my knees inhaling and exhaling to steady my breath. I startled when I saw a shape in the darkness.

"don't kill me! don't kill me.. please don't kill me..." I screamed squeezing my eyes tight.

"Hailey are you okay?" A familiar voice asked. I  opened my eyes to see Mr. Schuyler standing in front of me. "who wants to kill you?" he asked inquisitively.

"sir... a monster!... I saw a monster in the woods" I said, still struggled to catch my breath.

He chuckled and gave my shoulder a soft squeeze. "Take a deep breath... breath!" He rubbed a hand on my back and I did as he said. "There is no monster in the woods or even anywhere... by the way, what were you doing in the woods so late at night"?

How am I going to tell him that i could not care for his horse?. I had one job ... Just one job, and I failed. "sir! I am so sorry" I nervously started squeezing my fingers.

          " what are you sorry about?... go on, talk to me" He gave me a soft fatherly smile.

     " Burly ran away. I looked a way for a second and when Iooked back she was gone. I was in the woods looking for her"... tears walling in my eyes.

He laughed.  Shocking! It doesn't look like he cares. He quiets down and clears his throat. "Burly didn't run away. Is that why you look so worried?" I nodded without saying a word.

"Go home Hailey. Bay left on Burly's back when you were napping. It's late and it looks like is about to rain" He clapped a comforting hand on my shoulder and stalked off still laughing softly.

Burly didn't run a way? a wave of anger rushed down my spine. I watched him drive off in his loading truck. "Until I see Burly and give Bay a piece of my mind, I will sit right here." I swept a dust off a bench in the porch with my hand before sliding on top. My body vibrating with rage.

Moments later, I saw a reflection galloping in the darkness, and Bay emerges on Burly's back. He slowed down, and hopped down when he got to the wooden railing. I stood up and jogged up to him in anger. 

 He rubbed on Burly's neck affectionately, "Good girl" Burly makes a happy neigh sound kicking her hooves backward.

" how dare you?" I bloated angrily.

He ignored me and led Burly into the railing.

        "I am talking to you Bay" I yelled, following him closely behind. " do you know what I went through thinking I lost her?"... I caressed Burly's mane and dropped a soft kiss on her nose.

"baby, did you get hurt?" I asked, checking to make sure she was okay. She nuzzled her head closer and I petted her.

Bay scoffs " grow up Ms. Hayes, you are not 8 anymore... " he said and stalked off with his hands in the pocket of his pants.

I was still checking every inch of Burly's body when Bay called out to me.

"hey poop head"... he called. A name he calls when he want to get under my skin.

I reluctantly turned to face him.

       "what? I have told you to quit calling me that" I said sarcastically. I watched as mischief spread across his face, one of his hand behind his pants.

"Duck!" he yelled out

before i could make sense of what he meant, he swing his hand forward and horse poop landed on my face.

"nice catch farm girl" he laughed his way to his car.

I stood still drenched. I thought we'd grown past this level but I guess somethings never gets old with Bay Schuyler. I looked down on my dress soiled, I could cry, but I won't... He won't get the better of me, not today and not any other day.

***

It started to pour slowly and I jogged towards Bay's car just as he was about to drive off. I knocked on the window and he winds down. "please can you give me a ride home?"

     He chuckled "you are not serious, right? What makes you think that I will let you into my car" he hissed and start to wind up.

     "Bay please! it's raining... and I can't walk home this late at night".

"go sleep with the horses. I believe they'd  enjoy your company"... he winds up and took off. I stood surprised. How can he be so cruel? sometimes i wonder why I fell in love with him. but I guess, we do not tell our heart who to choose. Mine chose wrongly.

It began pouring heavily. I couldn't sleep in the farm house even if I wanted to because I was hungry and my father would be worried sick about. Mr. Schuyler left a while ago, so there is absolutely no one to open the door for me. I decide to walk home under the rain.

Bay came back for me... He came back not because he wanted to. He came back to ravage me. I have become his play thing.  Someone he teases for laughs and, nacks when he is hard and horny.

*****

      "Hailey, what happened to you?” my father asked me that morning as I stepped out of the barn, with a bleary eyes. one can visible see that I did not get enough sleep. Bay didn't take his hands off me throughout the night. I could tell from my father's voice that he was not angry, he was deeply concerned. It has just been the two of us after my mother woke up one morning and decided to leave us. We only have each other, and I can't bear to see him sad.

I didn't have my mother in the picture like most of my Friends, I only have my father. memories of my mother is blurry and that is because she left when I was much younger. All the clear image I have of her are pictures my Dad took of us building a snow man together. 

I am grateful to have my Dad. our little time together often seemed so short, and it do make me sad. Although, he is all I have he is hardly available to spend a lot of time with me, and that is okay, I got use to that very early in life.Clearly he has to work seriously long hours to make ends meet. 

  "did you sleep in there?” He looked at me questioningly. so I sigh and attempt to explain.

“yes dad! But, Bay was with me. He could not find the keys to the rambler and he had a flat tire. He did inform you, right?”…

“yes! He called to inform me, But I thought you’d be in the farm house, not the barn?” I quickly summarized what led to us sleeping in the barn and he enveloped me into a tight hug.

    “ Glad you are okay” he said. leaving a soft lingering kiss on my forehead. “you should go home and wash up, I will see you after school"...

I tilted my head up and left a soft kiss on my Dad's cheek and walked to the porch to pick my backpack from where I left it last night. My eyes caught Bay's staring at me expressionlessly leaning on his car with his phone glued to his ears. He hold my gaze for a second before looking away.

I hung my bagpack on my shoulder, casting a nervous eyes towards the woods that boarded the fence of Ranch, before setting off.

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