Horse Therapy [open]

Feather Moon
District 10

doing
thinking
"speaking"
"other people speaking"
dreaming

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[Sorry I was out Labor Day weekend ]

I rush to grab a glass of water for Cyan, glad to help. Plopping back down in my chair, I suddenly see a blotch of crimson out of the corner of my eye. Before I know it, a small pony is on top of me. I look at it confused for a second, then laugh. It was an adorable little creature, obviously eager to meet us. I pat him gently as Cyan and her mom tells us about the cute pony. So Malum's your name. I give the pony one last hug before she bounces over to the next person. But she isn't gone for long. Soon she comes back and gives me a big, slobbery horse kiss. That just makes me laugh more.

I listen to how Malum came to be their pony. "She reminds me of my horse, Chestnut," I say, noticing that their coats were almost exactly the same color. "I found him running stray behind my house. Good thing too. We didn't have any horses, not after my last two.... died." My voice stutters a little at the end as I think about my last two horses. They shouldn't have died; I don't even knwo how they died. But I focus on listening to another person's story to forget about it. The past is the past. And this is now.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Soon it gets dark, and we all get ready to leave. "See ya later!" I call back as I walk through the front door. The cold night air pushes against my face as I head to the stables. There I find Chestnut, happily munching on some oats. Patting his back, I look around for the saddle. It takes some time before I finally find it, hidden in the shadows of the back wall. Saddling the mahogany horse, I soon am ready to go. I hop on to his back lightly, and trotted out of the stable entrance.

Turning to the nearest open window, I walk up to it and look through it, waving Cyan and her friend a goodbye. But as I look, I realize something very strange. They almost look like they're arguing, fighting. I probably shouldn't be spying, but I can't help it. I'm not nosy, well actually I am, but it's because of curiosity. Leaping off Chestnut, I get closer to the window. I can't hear what they're saying, but they were acting... weird. Cyan looked almost cocky, and the other, Lindon I think is his name, is scowling. From what I've seen, I think they have some relationshop going on there. Why would Lindon suddenly seem to hate Cyan's guts? I peer in a little longer but soon turn to leave, not wanting to be caught.

Questions echo in my head as I gallop back home. What was going on back there? Is it just a little argument? Or something more? But the more I think, the more confused I get. Soon I arrive home, and I get ready to go to sleep. Before long I'm in my bed, staring up at the ceiling, the gears in my mind whirling. I ask myself the same questions over and over for what seems like an eternity before I finally succumb to darkness.

I'm back at Cyan's house, peering through the window. I watch just like before as the two argue. Suddenly their eyes turn towards me, and narrow into anger. Cyan gets up, and suddenly she's right by my side. Her hands close around my neck, and I'm unable to breathe. Lindon's at my other side, sneering as I crumple to the floor choking. The same questions that I've been thinking come out in their voice, yet their mouths don't move. "Was it bickering? Or something more?" The world goes blurry and my last breath leaves my body, and still I hear the questions swirling around my head....

I wake up with a start. It's past dawn and I jump out of bed, my head fuzzy. I rush through my everyday chores as always, yet I still can't think straight when I finish. There's only one clear thought on my mind. I need to go and figure out what happened yesterday between Cyan and Lindon.

"GIDDY-UP!" I yell, and Chestnut takes off. I calm down as I feel the familiar wind against my face, and the worn leather reins in my hands. It doesn't take long before I reach Cyan's house. Dust billows up around me as I stop abruptly. Peering through the same window I looked through before, I see nobody. Confused, I turn and spot two familiar faces under a tree near the front door. Smiling with relief, I quickly untack Chestnut and tie him in the stables, running to meet the duo. "Hey, thought I would drop by today," I say, panting from my short run from the stables. Plopping down beside them, my eye focuses on a new bandage. ]"Another horse accident?" I say, eyes focused like knives on her injured sigh. But for some reason, I suspect that it has to do with yesterday's fight.

I need to figure out what happened.

Feather Moon
District 10

doing
thinking
"speaking"
"other people speaking"
dreaming

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I jump at a voice. Turning, I see Wolfsbane. "Oh, hey Wolfsbane," I say, then turn back to study Cyan's and Lindon's faces. Try to find any trace of emotion or look from yesterday evening. Some people say that my persistence will be my downfall. But in my opinion, it's the only way you figure stuff out. Only way you're not just a pawn of the Capitol, only way you figure out knowledge that you shouldn't be figuring out. Sometimes that's the best kind of knowledge. My eyes flicker between Cyan's face and her bandaged thigh. I hate it when things don't seem to click. Hate when I'm missing pieces of information. That's why I need to figure it all out. I may regret knowing, but it's better than not knowing at all.

Feather Moon
District 10

doing
thinking
"speaking"
"other people speaking"
dreaming

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Fell on a nail, sure. That's what I'm thinking. That bandage is WAAYYY too big for a nail gash. But of course that's not what I say. "Ouch. Sorry." is what I choose to say. I try to make it sound genuine, but I know it came out with a reasonable tone of doubt. I look to see if Cyan shows any hint of anxiety while saying this, but her face reveals nothing. Scooting back so my back is against the tree trunk, I stare out at the clouds, saying nothing, only thinking. Why doesn't she just tell the truth? I want to scream at her to just tell me, but I have a feeling she won't even if I beg. A small sigh escapes my lips as I gaze at the light-blue sky dotted with whisps of white. Nothing is easy in this world, is it?

Feather Moon
District 10

doing
thinking
"speaking"
"other people speaking"
dreaming

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I'm suddenly interrupted out of my thoughts by a slobbery kiss. Jumping, I realize that it's Malum. I can't help smiling despite my troubled thoughts. The bouncing pony looked so adorable, nudging everyone with slobbery licks. Once she gave everyone their proper share of kisses, she stopped beside Lindon and went to work. We all laughed when we saw the horse's masterpiece. Lindon's hair was stuck up like a ring around the top of his head. It looked absolutely ridiculous.

"Lindon how'd I trip again?" Cyan's question brings me back to my nagging thoughts.

"I'm not really sure. We were walking and then you just fell. When you got up you didn't even notice the nail. I had to force you to sit so I could check on it." As he said this, Lindon's face went from slightly troubled to almost distraught. I let that sink in, but I still am not convinced that that's what really happened.

After a short pause, Lindon gets up and asks if I can help him with something. Suspicious, I follow. Once we're out of earshot of the others, he turns to me. I have a feeling I know what's coming.

"Look, I need your help. The Reaping is coming and I need to plan some things. Cyan didn't fall-she stabbed herself with a pair of scissors. The accident she had that put those stitches in her head was worse than she knows. She thinks she's having blackouts-she's developed a second, violent personality and she doesn't know it."

What? My head is swimming, and suddenly I feel faint. I put a hand against the nearest tree and take a deep breath or two. "Okay, slow down there. She's developed a second personality? Like, she can't control it at all? Ok, wow, usually I know hwo to solve these kind of things. Are you sure this isn't a nightmare of yours or something?" But seeing Lindon's look as I say this, I know that this is very real.

"Ooooohhhkay. This is bad. Isn't there anything we can do to control this.. this second Cyan? Obviously this can't go on like this, if she's causing the, uh, normal Cyan such serious injuries." I say this hopefully, but my heart is filled with dread. Now I know why Lindon is so keen on keeping this a secret. Just knowing that another person is sharing her body and slowly ripping her apart can scar her mentally as much as it's scarring her physically. "There has to be something we can do, I mumble almost to myself.