The Trench

Chapter 36 - Calm Before the Storm

"So do you have everything packed?" Austin questions as he fiddles with something under the hood of my truck, he pulls a wrench tight and a cloud of breath escapes into the frigid air.

I sighed and shook my head, he gives me a disapproving look before turning his attention back to the motor. I leave tomorrow to spend Christmas with my family back home, I was nervous about flying alone since Taylor had decided to stay here but I figured I'd have to get over planes eventually. They make me feel trapped, which leads me to boarder line panic.

"You know, you could have waited to do this until I got back." I nodded towards the truck and he shrugged. I had told him yesterday about a squeaking noise coming from under the hood, so he is changing the belts as I stand there handing him whatever tools he might need. Earlier today it had started snowing pretty hard, and we were standing in the parking lot getting covered as we speak. I didn't mind, I love the snow and I know there won't be any back home so I'm soaking it up while I can.

"Oh I don't care, I've always been hot natured I don't get cold easily."He grins before leaning up and wiping his grease stained hands on his rag. I rolled my eyes at his lack of gloves, I had bought him a pair but he insisted he couldn't work well with them on. Satisfied with his work, he walks back over and hops in the drivers seat, cranking the motor on. The engine roars to life and he gives it a few revs to check the belts.

At that moment the old grouchy woman on the first floor opens her window, clutching her robe at her neck she hollers something at Austin. He lets off the gas so he can speak.

"I'm sorry, what was that ma'am?" He yells politely. As she starts screaming at him again he presses his foot against the gas, the engine drowning out her protests. His face was astounded, bewildered at the sudden revving of the engine and he throws his hands up in the air.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am, I think it's broken! I can't hear you!" He lets off the gas and presses it again, mockingly shaking his head in a perplexed manner. I turn my back to the poor woman and bite my lip, trying to keep myself from laughing. This woman is your worst idea of a neighbor. You talk too loud? Noise complaint. You move furniture? Noise complaint. You're in the lobby too late? She comes out and complains you're making too much noise.

She shakes her fist angrily and slams her window shut, closing the blinds leaving Austin and I in a fit of laughter.

"You're awful." I choke out between laughs, he gets out of the drivers seat and shuts the hood.

"Yeah yeah, I know. Just get in." He gives me a wink before getting back in the truck.

-

A few minutes later we pull into the long drive of the barn property, the owner had called me asking if I could come help get the horses in for the night. Most of them are fine outside with their heavy winter coats, but the temperature is supposed to drop at least ten degrees lower tonight and it will continue to snow until tomorrow morning.

We pull in as the sun is starting to set, casting a golden hue onto the snow covered property. The truck bogs down and he shifts it into four wheel drive to continue. We creep up the hill and park beside the barn in the open gravel lot, sandwiching the truck between the indoor arena and the field on the other side of the drive.

The barn owner wasn't there yet, her and her husband had run into town to get some more heated buckets for the stalls due to a few being broke since last season. The property was eerily quiet with the snow muffling any noise, once I got inside the barn and closed the door behind us I could hear a few nickers and shuffling of hooves in straw.

"So how many horses are there here?" Austin asked as he pulled off his sock cap and tossed it on a trunk beside him. With the barn being heated we can shed some layers in here and be pretty comfortable.

"The property has twenty horses total. She has the acreage for more, but she only boards as many horses as there are stalls in case of bad weather. There's eight that come in every night, a few are more expensive horses used for showing and a few are older and can't handle the cold air as well as the younger ones can. It looks like there's only the four older horses in so far so we still have sixteen horses to bring in from the fields.

There was Hallow, who greeted me as I went in her stall. I couldn't help myself and I gave her one of her Christmas gifts early, she scarfed it down and nudged me for more. Then there was the old crabby black mare next to her and the two bay sister mares towards the end of the isle.

I look around at the empty stalls, they're all stacked knee deep in straw and most already had water buckets filled. All that was left to do was put in the two new buckets, put hay in the feeders, and bring the horses in. I pull four halters from the tack room, I tell Austin to go catch the two horses in the side field and bring them in while I go across the drive to bring in two more.

I've brought in four horses while Austin is still trying to get the two in from the side field, I laugh to myself and shake my head. It had never crossed my mind that Austin didn't know how to bring in horses, I holler at him to come back in.

He stomps up to me, clearly frustrated with his hands on his hips a halter in each one.

"I don't know what their problem is, shouldn't they want to come inside since it's so damn cold?" He spits exhaustingly. I duck my mouth inside the top of my coat, trying to cover the laugh that's threatening to escape.

"Okay I'll tell you what, go inside and start throwing a couple hay bales down from the loft into the isle. Once you have a few, start cutting them open and put two flakes of hay into each feeder in each stall. You don't have to go in with the horses, just open the small door on the right hand side. It swings open and has the metal holder on the door." He nods reluctantly, probably irritated he wasn't able to handle the first task I gave him and sulks as he walks towards the barn.

I make six more trips until all sixteen horses are bedded down safely inside with the others, the barn owner showing up right as I was bringing in the last two. Her husband fills up the last two buckets and puts them in the stalls as Austin uses the large broom to sweep the hay debris from the concrete isle. Mary, the barn owner, and her husband Kyle head up to their house for the night leaving Austin and I watching the snow fall from the indoor arena gate.

"It's very quiet here." Austin whispers and he leans on the black gate, looking out into the dark snowfall.

"Not always, just at night. During the day there's usually a tractor running, dogs barking, horses neighing, hoof beats in the dirt or on the concrete, instructors yelling at their students." I chuckle remembering my days under the wing of a riding instructor. She wasn't afraid to tell you what to do an when you were doing it wrong, but she was never mean.

"I want a place just like this when I'm older. Maybe not as many stalls and horses, I would be happy with six." I smile as I can imagine Titan in my own barn, probably retired at that point living his life out in happy retirement. My heart aches for a moment realizing Hallow wouldn't be there to celebrate with me, Mary had called me about a month ago saying her owners just up and left. I offered to buy her but Mary just told me I could consider her mine, my heart had swelled. I love her like I love Titan.

My thoughts are interrupted by a few irritated whinnies coming from inside the barn. I furrow my brows and jog over to the door and slide it open, I look around and I don't see anything out of place but the horses seem agitated and pacing the length of their stalls.

An odd scent came to my nose that made my stomach drop, a smell you never want to encounter anywhere near a barn.

Smoke.