Starlit

Chapter 3

  Caroline wiped the sweat from her forehead. She and her mother had been working all day. They had started earlier than usual, and were now finishing up. They were standing in the processing room.

"Caroline, why don't you go have fun. Maybe, go to town and see some of your friends," Eva suggested, "Just be back by sunset, okay?"

"Okay," Caroline replied, and happily left. She went out of the processing room and looked up the hill. She saw the horses and the few ponies.  

"Gold Mine!" Caroline called.

A dark brown pony who had a yellow mane and tail came trotting to Caroline. She climbed onto her steed, and rode bareback to the barn. Once there, she went into a back room that had tack in it. She grabbed a saddle and reins, and then went to put the tack on her pony. After that was done, she mounted Gold Mine.  

While on the dirt road, Caroline had her pony gallop, but as they crossed a bridge they slowed, and once they reached the cobblestone rode on the other side of the creek, Gold Mine was at a trot.  

The first thing Caroline saw in the town was the police and fire station. It was one building with a field in the back for the horses that worked there. The police officers consisted of the sheriff and his deputy, while the fire station had only three real employees. During a fire, the whole town helped out. The next building was the hospital. It was never very busy, and didn't consist of many employees. As far as Caroline knew, it had only one doctor. Going deeper into town, Caroline came to the town hall. It was also a library. Next to it was the school. The school was a rather small building, with only several rooms and a large yard for recess. There were two teachers, and no real grades. There weren't enough children for individual grades. Not only that, but most children stopped going to school at the age of thirteen. Those who decided to go on learning went to school during the summer, for a higher education. 

There were some kids playing in the yard, so Caroline directed Gold Mine to the school. She then dismounted, and left him at the white fence that surrounded the schoolyard. Caroline went in the gate and closed it behind her.

"Hi everyone!" Caroline greeted.  

"Hello," Candace replied. Everyone called her Candy. She was a very pretty girl with her orange curls that she wore in pigtails, she had bright blue eyes and freckles. She always wore dresses; today she wore a pink one with light blue frills. She was a year older than Caroline.  

"Good day," Finny replied. He had silky black hair that was always neatly cut and nicely combed. No one could tell what his eye color was from behind his glasses, which he was never seen without. His parents were the doctor and one of the nurses. He was two years younger than Caroline, but already smarter than her.  

A second boy gave Caroline a slight nod in greeting. It was Heath; an adventurous and curious boy who had messy light brown hair and brown eyes. He was nearly Caroline's age, only a month or two older, and they were best friends. His father was the deputy, and his mother took care of the townspeople's horses.

"Whatcha playin'?" Caroline asked.

"Hide and seek," Finny explained.

"Wanna play?" Candy questioned.

Caroline nodded.  

"Candy's it!" Heath called.

"But I was already it!" Candace replied.

"We all were except for Caroline," Finny pointed out.

"But I was it more than everyone else the last time we played." Caroline reminded them.