Part 3

The next day dawned bright but storm warnings had been posted. But Michelle wasn’t going to worry about that, especially with the sky looking blue and the sun warm. She only had a class of two this morning, Angie who actually owned her own pony, and Brian. Angie was one of the older girls, just turned thirteen and she thought the world of herself and her pony. Michelle knew Angie was wanting to go to the top and her riding proved it.

But the forecast for storms were proving right when by the end of the lesson, dark storm clouds were making their way over the farm.

“Miss Hill, can I take Patch on a trail ride?” Angie asked after the lesson.

“Well, I guess. But I want you to only walk him around and do not go out on the major trails. Just take the small trail around some of the paddocks. Patch has been worked hard today and you don’t want to tire him out.”

“Thanks Miss Hill.” Angie said, smiling and she rode her pony down the well worn path. Michelle chuckled to herself as she followed Brian to the barn. She admired little Angie. The girl looked younger then she was with her red curls and bright green eyes. But she had a heart and the courage of a grown up.

After Brian was taken care of and his mother had taken him home, Michelle walked to where Travis was grooming his great white horse.

“Have fun?” Travis asked, grinning when he saw Michelle walk up.

“Oh yes. Angie is one of my prized students and Brian is coming along well. Oh, can you keep a look out for Angie’s mother? I have to run into town to get some supplies before this storm hits. Angie knows what to do.”

“No problem.” Travis said, putting the soft brush back in the grooming box.

“I won’t be long. Thanks a lot.”

Travis smiled and waved her off. He sighed as he watched her get into her sports car and drive down the dirt road. “Maybe she’ll take me into town someday, huh boy?” Travis muttered, rubbing a hand down the smooth coat.

Star nickered and bobbed his head. Suddenly a crash of thunder rocked across the hills and the wind picked up, blowing twigs and dead leaves across the grass. Star whinnied and pinned his ears. When more thunder rolled, the big horse half reared and struck the ground hard with his hooves, pawing nervously.

“What is wrong boy?” Travis asked, looking up at the sky. He went to lay a hand on the horse to comfort him down. That’s when he felt it. White light blinded him and he saw something. A flash of someone in the bushes. More blinding flashes of light surrounded him, sending more frighting pictures at him. It was a little girl, crying for help. He couldn’t hear her voice, but he could feel her fear and pain.

Jerking his hand away, Travis stood in shock, staring at Star. The horse looked at Travis, as if waiting for him to make a move.

“It’s Angie. She’s hurt!” Travis didn’t stop to question what had just happened. Opening the stall door, he ran outside with Star on his heels. He had to get help. But as he stepped outside he remembered it was Marco’s day off and Vincent was no where to be found.

“We have to help her ourselves, boy.” Travis said and easily lept onto the horse’s broad back. Gripping the long silvery mane, he clung to the horse’s back as Star took off. Travis didn’t know where they were going but he knew, for some reason, that Star was taking him to Angie.

Branches and bushes reached out, scratching at man and horse. One branch caught Travis’ sleeve and ripped a hole in it but Travis didn’t stop. He could feel the girl’s fright and pain more and more as they got closer. “Angie! ANGIE!” he yelled as Star continued on. The path they were following widened and then suddenly dropped off! Star slid to a halt but Travis stuck to him like a burr. Sliding off, Star’s nostrils flared from his run. “Angie? Where are you?” he yelled again, looking down the steep decline on the trail. He knew that this trail was only for experienced riders. Angie shouldn’t be on this trail. Just when he was beginning to think Star was wrong, he heard a feint cry.

“Hellpp!”

“Angie, is that you?” Travis called, looking down. That’s when he saw some bushes move and a gray pony immerged, limping. “Angie, I’m coming down, hold on and be still.”

It took great difficulty to maneuver the steep path. With the wind blowing ever harder, tree branches whipped back and forth, as if trying to hit him off the steep trail. Another crash of thunder erupted with a flash of lightning not far off.

Rocks cut into his hands as he grabbed the jagged rock edges to help him down. As soon as he hit the level path, he saw her. Angie had tears running down her dirt streaked face and her leg was bent at an odd angle. “Help me.” she cried, her voice almost in a whisper. “My leg...it hurts...so bad.”

“Shhh. I’m here now, sweety. Everything will be fine.” Travis cooed to the frightened girl as he knelt down next to her. He could hear Star’s whinnies above. Star wanted to come and be with him. Star didn’t want to be left up there.

As Travis stripped off his sweatshirt and put it around the girl’s shivering shoulders, he suddenly realized he was actually hearing Star. Star was speaking through his mind. Star was frightened. Star couldn’t see Travis and wanted him to come back.

*Star, you have to go for help. Go back to the farm and wait for Michelle. Bring her back here!*

Star screamed and reared. Star didn’t want to leave Travis.

*Go now!*

Travis prayed Star would obey and he sighed with relief when the white horse snorted angrily but trotted back down the path towards the farm. Turning his attention back towards Angie, he saw her green eyes wide and staring at his chest. Looking down he saw the jewel glowing beneath his tee-shirt!

“That is very pretty.” Angie said, pointing to it, her leg forgotten for the moment.

“Thanks. Now Angie, can you move your leg?”

Angie squinted her face in pain and cried out. “It hurts too bad.” she whined, tears popping out again.

Travis ran a hand through his hair. Suddenly a big fat rain drop fell on his face. Just great. They didn’t need rain on top of it all. “Am..am I going to die?” Angie’s voice was small and she was shaking viciously under his hands.

“No sweety, you’re not going to die. But your leg may be broken. Star, my horse, went to go for help.”

That made Angie look frantically around until she saw Patch standing a few feet away, his head hanging and his right foreleg suspended off the ground. “How...how is Patch?”

“His leg is hurt too, but we’ll get help.” Travis said, sitting closer to the girl.

“It’s all my fault.” Angie sobbed and buried her face into Travis’ chest.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because,” Angie sniffed and looked away. “I didn’t obey Miss Hill. I took another trail and decided to try him down that steep hill. But...but Patch tripped and we flipped. Now he’s hurt.” That sent the girl into another sobbing fit and Travis could only hold her and let her cry on him. He didn’t know what to do. Should he try to carry the girl up the steep incline and back to the barn?

Suddenly a crack of thunder shook the earth. Angie cried out and clung to Travis’ shirt, her body trembling. The flash of lightning that followed made Travis jump himself. But that flash brought something back. He remembered a flash of lightning. Star rearing up with him clinging on. Then the explosion.

The cold rain falling on him and Angie brought him back. Luckily the trees shaded them from some of the downpour but Angie was shaking more and her skin was cold against his. “Here, put my sweatshirt on.” Travis said and helped the girl into the comfortable sweater. It was way to big for her but Angie didn’t care and wrapped her arms around herself. Travis hugged her close and felt her flinch as more thunder rolled across the gray sky. The rain was now washing some mud and debris down the steep incline, making it even more treacherous then before.

“Don’t worry Angie. Help will come.”

“You...you won’t leave me?” her reply was feint but Travis could still hear the fear in her voice.

“No. I promise I won’t leave you.” Travis tried to protect the girl against the rain that, despite the canopy of trees, pelted down on them hard. He was getting colder but he knew the girl was in worse state. Shaking his wet hair from his face, he looked up at the cold sky. ‘Michelle, please find us. And hurry.’

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ “What do you mean Angie isn’t here?”

“I’ve looked all around the barn for her!” Mrs. Dunville, Angie’s mother cried out. The older woman was near hysterics and the lightning and thunder were getting worse.

“She was only suppose to go on a short trail ride. Something must have happened.” Michelle noticed that Star and Travis were no where to be seen. Before she could run to the barn to mount on of the school horses, a whinny and the sound of hooves on cobble made her turn to look back where the trails began. A giant white horse that could only be Star, came galloping up, sliding to a stop a few feet away. Mrs. Dunville cried out in surprise and backed toward her car, but Michelle walked up to Star.

“What is it boy? Where is Travis?”

Star shook his head and half reared, then quickly turned around and trotted back towards the trail path. He stopped after going only a few feet and looked back. Michelle knew that que. Star wanted her to follow!

“Mrs. Dunville, go into the house and wait for us. My dad should be coming home very soon and when you see him, tell him what happened. I shouldn’t be long.”

Angie’s mother seemed startled and scared but obeyed Michelle and disappeared inside the house. Michelle ran to the barn and slipping on a bridle of one of the school horses, she trotted him outside to see Star pawing the ground and nickering to her. “I’m coming boy.” Not caring that she didn’t have a saddle on, Michelle sprang aboard Nickle and clucked the pony into a canter. Star snorted and galloped on ahead, but always keeping with in seeing distance so Michelle could follow him. Dread and fear swept over her as she pushed the bay pony faster. Fear for Angie and Travis mixed with shock that she was following a horse to god - knows - where and galloping a pony in a bad thunderstorm enveloped her but Michelle couldn’t let those thoughts in. Angie was in trouble and Michelle knew that Travis had gone to help her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The wind howled around then and the rain hit their bare skin like a dozen needles. Patch had even moved closer to where Travis and Angie huddled together under a tree. Travis tried to protect Angie as best as he could but his whole body was growing numb from the cold and bitter wind. The rain wasn’t helping matters either. Angie whimpered and shivered beside him.

“I...I’m so cold,” she whispered and Travis could tell by the blue tint of her lips that she could go into shock if help didn’t come soon.

“Don’t think of the cold. I’ve heard that if you think about something nice, then whatever is happening around you won’t seem so bad.”

“Does...it work?”

“Well,” Travis bit his lip. How should he know? He couldn’t remember anything about his past. That phrase had just popped into his head. “Sure,” he lied. “What other hobbies do you like to do besides horseback riding?”

“I like swimming and I love playing with my dog, Bingo.” Travis smiled when he heard the feint lift of Angie’s voice. “Bingo is a Jack Russell and he is so funny. He likes to jump in the pool with me, but mom..she says that I need to watch out for him because Bingo could drown.”

“Ah, your mother is right.”

Angie sniffed. “What about you? Do you like to do anything?”

“Well sure.” Oh great, he thought. How could he get his way through this one? ‘Just stick to what you do know, Travis.’ he said to himself. “I really love spending time with my horse most of all. I hardly spend any time away from him. We are like brothers.”

Angie giggled. “Brothers. That is funny.”

Suddenly a whinny filled the air and Travis could feel Star’s presence like a warm blanket. The huge horse, slick with rain, slid to a stop at the trail edge and reared up neighing to Travis.

“Your horse...is here...” Angie said, her voice barely above a whisper now.

“Yes, hold on Angie, you’ll be out of here very soon.”

“Angie! Travis!” a shout was heard behind Star and Travis felt his heart leap in his chest. Michelle was here! Star had gotten help.

“Michelle! We’re down here!”

Then he saw her. Her hair was soaked and her clothes equally wet, but he could see her smile of relief from down there. “Be careful. The rain has made the path slippery!”

“Okay, I’ll come down. Is Angie okay?”

“She needs help fast. I think her leg is broken. Patch is also hurt.”

Michelle slowly made her way down, her boots slipping in then mud. But by a miracle, she made it down without falling. “Oh god.” she said as she knelt by the shivering girl and boy.

Angie was barely conscious but she recognized Michelle. “Hi, Miss Hill. I’m sorry for disobeying you.”

“That’s okay honey. Let’s talk about that later, okay?”

Angie just nodded and closed her eyes. Her hands were white as she grasped Travis’ soaked tee-shirt. “She may go into shock, if we don’t hurry.” he muttered to Michelle.

“Okay, let’s get you two standing. Our main problem is getting up this bank. Once Angie’s up, we’ll get her pony.”

Travis nodded. His legs sent sharp pains shooting up to his thighs and waist. He felt like crying out as the pain shot up his legs like hot iron pokers being stabbed into him. Michelle noticed his discomfort and shot him a worried look but Travis ignored it as he took Angie into his arms. She cried out in pain as her broken leg was jostled. Her hands held onto to him tightly as if he was her lifeline from the pain. He was glad to have Michelle on his other side, helping to steady him and keep him standing as they slowing started the climb.

They could hear shouts and Star nickered and half reared, ears turned in the direction of where the voices were coming from. They were half way up the steep embankment when two riders appeared. Mr. Hill stuck his head over the side. “Is everyone okay?” he called.

“Yes dad. But Angie may be hurt. We need to get her to a hospital.”

With the help of Marco and Mr. Hill, Travis and Michelle got Angie up the rocky trail path and back on sure footed ground. She cried out when she put weight on her leg but she was relieved to be helped. “Marco, take Angie back to the farm and get her mom to take her to the hospital.”

Marco agreed and mounted his horse. Mr. Hill handed a shaking Angie to Marco and the young man rode off towards the barn. Mr. Hill turned back around to see his daughter and Travis trading smiles, both wet and dripping but relieved to see Angie rescued. Star was wuffling into Travis’ wet shirt and rubbing against him, happy to see him.

“Dad, Patch is still down there. He’s favoring his right foreleg.”

Mr. Hill frowned. “This is going to be a bit harder. He’s going to fight but I don’t know of a short cut to get back to this trail without traveling for miles.”

The tall man went back to his horse and grabbed a rope. “Put this around Patch’s girth and I’ll have my horse help pull him up. Do you two feel up to pushing from behind?”

“Of course.” Michelle said, taking the end of the rope and slowly making her way down, Travis right behind her. The pony didn’t seem to care as they looped the rope around his belly. But when Mr. Hill started his horse to pulling, Patch pinned his ear and planted his feet.

“Come on boy!” Michelle called as she and Travis pushed from behind. Finally Patch submitted and went forward, but again stopped dead in his tracks when he found out he had to go UP the hill!

With Mr. Hill encouraging the pony from above and with the two teens yelling from behind, the pony bravely started up the hill. With only three good legs, Michelle and Travis knew it was going to be a dangerous trek back up the hill. The pony was scared and confused and not helping one bit.

Another crack of lightning lit the sky and when the thunder rolled, Patch screamed in fear and reared up! Michelle cried out as the pony began to slip. Mr. Hill shouted “Whoa!” to the frightened pony. And Travis closed his eyes and talked to Star. *I need your help! Calm the pony down!*

Star nickered and appeared, his ears pricked. By some miracle the pony calmed and pricked its ears at Star. Very carefully, the two teens urged the pony up the hill. With one last lung, Patch was up. Star nickered softly and nuzzled the pony as if telling it how good it was.

It was a long and wet journey back to the farm. By the time they got back, the rain was letting up some and Angie’s car was gone. The vet’s truck was parked and he lept out when he saw them making their way through the rain. “Marco called me. Luckily I was nearby.” The vet said. Mrs. Hill came out and insisted that Travis and Michelle come out of the rain. Once they were inside, Mrs. Hill covered them in blankets and towels and sat them by a fire that was freshly made. After bringing cups of steaming cocoa, Mrs. Hill went to fetch them dry clothes to change into.

“This is good stuff,” Travis said, smiling at Michelle.

Michelle smiled back, surprised at how good she felt just hearing his voice. They hadn’t spoken to each other after the incident with the pony. “Yes, my mom makes it like no other mom can.”

“Angie’s going to be okay,” he suddenly said, setting his cup down.

“I know. God, I was so scared for her and...well, I mean anything could have happened to her.” Michelle tried to take a sip but nearly choked on it. She knew by the way Travis smirked at her that he realized she had been worried about him also. “May I ask you, how you find her?”

“Star took me to her.”

“Oh.” Why did she always have to sound like the stupid one whenever she talked to him? Her mother’s entrance interrupted them.

“You need to get out of those wet clothes. Travis, you can use the shower downstairs. I already have set out some clean and warm clothes for you there.”

“Thanks Mrs. Hill.” Travis said and smiling back at Michelle, stood up to take the welcomed shower. Michelle sighed and got up herself. Why couldn’t she figure out Travis? ‘Maybe it’s because he can’t even remember who he is. How are you suppose to know?’

Michelle pounded upstairs with the beating of her heart. She knew she shouldn’t get involved with the young man, yet her whole body wanted to get closer. Michelle sighed as she let the hot water pound her troubles and tension out of her. No, she couldn’t stay away from Travis. She was attracted to him and she knew he felt the same towards her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next day life was back to normal. Michelle was just finishing up her ride on Gulliver when a familiar car pulled up.

“Hi, Miss Hill!” Angie cried as she got out of the car. Michelle smiled but she felt her heart sink when she saw the white cast on the girl’s leg.

“Well hello, Angie. How’s the leg?”

“It’s broken. Doctor says I won’t be able to ride for a long time.” Angie’s face dropped.

“Well, you can still come by and visit Patch. He’ll be laid up for sometime too, but you both will be able to ride again.”

Angie’s smile broke through the frown. “I’m going to see him.”

“All right but don’t be long.” Mrs. Dunville said smiling.

“Oh, Miss Hill. Where is Travis?”

“He should still be in the barn.” Michelle answered and shook her head smiling when the girl giggled and limped toward the barn.

“You know, she is in love with that Travis.” Mrs. Dunville said. “Lucky for me he is too old for her.”

Michelle laughed. “Why don’t you come inside and have a cup of coffee?”

Travis, meanwhile, was finishing up his stalls when he heard the tap-tap-tapping of crutches. “Well, well, look whose come by!”

“Hi Travis!” Angie cried out in delight and practically ran, or as best as she could do with crutches, to Travis.

“How’s the leg?”

“It still hurts and I won’t be riding for awhile but I guess it could be worse.”

“That is true. Lets visit Patch, okay?”

Angie eagerly followed Travis to where Patch stayed. The pony nickered and blew in Angie’s hair. “I missed you too boy. I’m so sorry.”

The pony bobbed his head as if accepting her apology. For the next fifteen minutes, girl and boy talked and stroked Patch. When Mrs. Dunville called for Angie, the girl hugged Travis tightly. “Thanks for rescuing me.”

“You’re welcome.” He sighed as Angie waved good-bye and limped back to the waiting car. He needed to get some air. His work was done for now. Whistling to Star who was out in the paddock, he watched the big horse neigh and come galloping towards him. “Want to go for a ride?”

Star snorted and vision of Travis and Star together came into his mind. Travis laughed and lightly lept aboard. He felt himself drawn to the place where Michelle had found him. Maybe he would find some answers there.

The sun felt wonderful on his face and body as Star trotted through the field of clover and brush. The wind wasn’t as cold as it had been yesterday. His jaw clenched as he saw the island of brush and trees where he had been laying when Michelle had found him. Sliding off of Star, he made his way closer to the brush. He felt heat under his shirt and immediately set his hand on the jewel necklace. It was glowing again but this time a strange green hue. Star snorted uneasily. Star didn’t like this place.

Travis swallowed his disappointment. All he saw was grass and brush. No indication that he had ever been there. Walking back outside Travis was about to mount up and leave when suddenly there was a rumble. Star snorted and half reared. Travis looked toward the sky but only blue and fluffy white clouds met his gaze.

Then the pain hit him full force. Travis cried out and clutched his head in his hands as he sank to the ground. Images and bright colors merged into one, like a movie in fast forward. He saw people he recognized, his mom and dad. Star. An explosion. The a bright light came towards him like a comet and everything went black.

Part 4