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History Repeats

by SaddlesoapOpera

Chapter 9: Epilogue

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HISTORY REPEATS
By Saddlesoap Opera

EPILOGUE

ONE MONTH LATER
Katherine - not Kathy, thank you very much - slowly inched closer to the stall. Her white and pink runners scraped on the dirty stone floor and her freckled hands wrung her long ginger braid in a nervous habit she firmly denied having. She was wearing her favourite tattered blue jeans under her favourite pink sundress. Several gel-bracelets hugged one wrist; a hospital ID bracelet hugged the other.

Katherine took a breath. Her nose wrinkled. The air in the stable smelled heavy and damp and kind of icky, but also grassy and warm. It made a nice change from the boring conditioned air on the long car ride.

She looked over her shoulder. Daddy was there, just outside. The sunlight behind him turned him into a black paper cutout.

There was a noise, and a blonde grown-up dressed like a cowgirl stepped out in front of her. Katherine turned back around and looked up at her.

She was wearing jeans too, but the knees weren't tattered like Katherine's. The sleeves of her plaid shirt were rolled up to the elbows, and her hair was tied back with a red ribbon and covered with a light brown Stetson. She had little marks on her skin here and there - faint scars.

Katherine straightened to look her tallest.

“Well hey there,” said the woman. “I’m Megan. You’re Kathy- no wait. Katherine, right?” She smiled.

Katherine nodded and inched a step closer to the stall the woman had come out of.

“He…” Katherine paused, and worked up a bigger, more grown-up sounding voice. “He’s in there, right?”

“He sure is,” Megan said. “Do you wanna meet him?”

Katherine’s eyes brightened. But she folded her arms and put on a cool, grown-up pose. “Sure, I guess, yeah.”

“Okay. I figured I’d ask because you’ve been in here sightseeing for a while. And some people get a little nervous around ponies, you know. Nothing wrong with that.”

Katherine’s eyes darted to and fro. “I’m not nervous!”

Megan smiled again. “Nah, of course not. You’re brave. I can see it. TJ will see it, too.”

Katherine looked up at the girl again. She took another step.

“That’s it,” Megan said. “You take your time. Just so you don’t startle TJ, of course. He’s getting on in years a little.”

Katherine smiled. Bit by bit, she inched forward until she reached the stall’s opening.

The horse was there, all sand-coloured and big and chewing up hay and flicking his long, floppy pony-tail. He had big eyes, like shiny marbles.

Katherine looked at the animal in wonder for a long moment before she found her voice.

“Is he… friendly?”

Megan rested a hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“He sure is. Believe me, if you do right by them, Ponies can be the best friends you’ll ever have.”

THE END

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