Ethereal | Free Rein [Pin]

//Chapter 1//

Celestial; (adj)

/sɪˈlɛstɪəl/
1.
positioned in or relating to the sky, or outer space as observed in astronomy.
"A celestial body."
synonyms: (in) space, heavenly, astronomical, extraterrestrial, stellar, planetary, in the sky, in the heavens;

-
Excitement thrummed through the classroom like a livewire ready to explode. The clock ticked on the wall and all eyes were glued to it. You see, it was the last few minutes before the summer holidays started and the whole school was ready to get out and enjoy whatever the summer could bring them.

As soon as the bell rang clear through the hallway, everyone broke out into exited chatter and fervour to leave the school building. Before some people walked out the door, they said goodbye to Harper.

That night, Harper was moving to the same island where her mum was buried. Her dad had wanted to transfer over there for his work, to be closer to where they met and closer to the grave.

Although Harper thanked them, she didn't think that she would miss many of them. Most people didn't like Harper for no other reason than wanting to. The only people she would miss were her close friends Maria and Daniel. The three of them were always seen with each other and always got along well.

When she walked out into the corridor, some people were throwing their ties on the floor in some act of rebellion. When she turned the corner towards her locker, she saw Maria and Daniel doing the same.

"You guys look mad doing that." Harper chuckled as she walked over to them and unlocked her locker. She pulled out everything that was left in there and shoved it all into her bag.

Daniel snorted, "It's the holiday spirit!" Daniel then tied his tie around his head, which forced his blond hair to stick up in every direction.

"It's summer, not Christmas." Harper snorted as she loosened her own tie and pulled slightly at her school skirt.

Harper and Maria watched in astonishment as Daniel yelled a swift goodbye and ran after the person he saw walk down the stairs. Harper wasn't bothered as she would see him later on at the stables, she had to pick up a few last-minute things.

"Ah! Young love." Maria sung before the two girls burst into giggles.

The two girls walked out of the school and towards their respective bus stops. They squeezed each other tightly in a hug with promises to call and text before parting ways.

»«

Harper put her key into the lock and turned it. The door to her house swung open and she was faced with the harsh reality. She was leaving tonight.

She pushed the thoughts away and called out for her dad, "dad? I'm home!"

There were a few moments of silence before she heard her dad reply, "finish packing and go down to the stables, I will pick you up from there."

Sadly, Harper knew that was all she would be able to wrestle out of her father. Before the death of her mother, he was withdrawn enough, but after? Harper wasn't so sure it was the same man anymore, it felt like she saw her teachers more than him.

She took off her school shoes and put them into the box labelled, 'shoes' and ran up towards her room. Harper changed quickly into comfortable travel clothes which consisted of black leggings, a big white shirt and a warm jean jacket.

There were scarce pieces of furniture in the house now, most of the boxes had been moved to their new house on the island. Harper's room that was once overflowing with light and proof of someone living in there, now seemed derelict and devoid of any light.

She finished loading up the last two boxes she needed to, with mostly her essentials inside, and took them downstairs. Harper loaded them into the back of the car and shut the boot. After double checking that she has her phone in her pocket, she sets off walking for the stables.

Normally, Harper would ride her bike to the stables, but her bike was on the island. So, she took the time to observe the way to the place she had been riding for most of her life. A painful pang rung through her chest thinking about the fact she would no longer go there every day.

When she arrived at the stables, she rounded the corner and saw no activity in the yard. No one teaching, no one mucking out, no one doing grooming, no one. A few horses poked their heads out at her, she gently stroked their noses as she walked past them.

She paused for a moment looking at the stable that her horse, Robin, used to live in. His sign was now gone from the door as he had been taken to her new stables earlier that week. When she looked inside, she saw that there was no sign he had ever lived in there.

"Hello?" Harper called out into the silence, while she still looked around, "Is anyone here?"

Still puzzled, she walked past Robin's old stall and pulled open the door to the reception and café area. The light was off, and after fumbling for it for a few moments, she found the light switch and turned it on.

"Surprise!" Several voices blended into one shouted at her. Harper jumped slightly as she saw all of the yard workers, riders and her rider friends gathered in the reception. They all laughed when they saw Harper get scared, a few of them rushed forwards to pull Harper towards the middle where there was a big table.

"You know I can't stay long, why did you go to all the trouble to do this?" Harper asked them with a huge grin on her face. She was so grateful for everyone at the yard making her experience here so lovely and homely.

"We can't let you go without a proper send off!" The yard owner, Willow, said cheerily as she put her hands onto Harper's shoulders. "It would be like abandoning a child we raised to live with the wild horses."

"We went through the liberty of packing your locker, just so you don't have to." Daniel smiled as if he accomplished a great feat. "We've cleaned your tack for you too, just as one final present."

"You really didn't have to go to all this trouble guys!" Harper's eyes travelled all around the room, some faces she had known since before she could remember. Others, new faces that she would never get to truly know.

"We had to do at least something!" An instructor from the Saturday group that Harper helped with exclaimed, "You've been here longer than most of us!"

Willow smiled at her and handed her an envelope, "this is from all of us, it's just photographs. There's a few from competitions, some of Robin and you, and loads of group photos."

Harper's hands shook slightly as she placed the envelope into the box, "I really don't deserve you guys."

"Just remember that Robin is waiting for you on that island. We are waiting for you here too; you'll always have a home here Harper."

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

[PARTLY EDITED]

Hello! I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit boring or slow, I'm just trying to do a bit of world building before she gets onto the island.

Next chapter she will be on the island, I promise.

- Angelica