Outlast (1) - The Walking Dead

Chapter 10

Flashback

"Chey honey! What day is it?" My mum burst into my bedroom smiling and giggling like a child.

"It's Saturday mum." I groaned and pulled the pillow over my head. Then something caught my attention. Saturday, but that was-

"My birthday!" I yelled and threw the duvet off.

"That's right, why don't you come down for a nice breakfast." My dad walked through the door and stood by my mum, kissing her on the cheek.

I nodded vigorously, not even changing out of my pyjamas before I ran downstairs to where my brother and a stack of pancakes were waiting for me.

"Happy birthday Chey!" Jimmy bounded over and wrapped his arms round me.

"Thanks spud." I smiled and hugged him back.

That morning we sat down to have a big family breakfast. My brother gave me my present, a book I had been on about for ages.

"I hope you won't be hiding away with your nose in that all day." My dad smiled and gave my mum a knowing wink.

I looked at the book, for my 12th birthday I'd hoped to get something more than an encyclopedia of horses. Getting dressed into jeans and a shirt I began to read.

A while later my mum's voice brought me out of the book. I was just reading upon the Dutch Warmblood, a breed of horse which was founded in the Netherlands. It also happened to be my favourite breed of horse.

"Coming!" I yelled and dog-eared the page. Jogging down the stairs I saw my mother standing in the doorway of our farmhouse.

"Get your boots on and come down to the barn!" She said excitedly and took off across the grass towards our one barn. Dad had promised I could have a day off from looking after the cattle as it was my birthday.

Slightly sulking, I pulled on my boots and followed my mum down to the barn. When we get there I noticed and 4x4 with a horse trailer hooked up behind it. My heart fluttered slightly.

"You didn't..." I grinned like the Cheshire cat as I heard a whinny come from inside the trailer.

"I know you hate us for putting you up to the job of looking after the cattle everyday for almost a year, but we had to know you were dedicated enough to look after the animals. And now we've seen that, your father and I decided..." My mum trailed off as my dad began backing the animal off the trailer. First a black hind leg and tail, then flank, body, withers, neck and front legs, and finally the head.

"Her name is Sol." My dad held the majestic horse proudly. The mare snorted, taking in all her surroundings and let out a high pitched whinny.