Half Moon Ranch

Harry POV
“Earth to Harry, earth to Harry.”
A large hand waved in front of my face. Liam’s voice sounded distant. My eyes drooped tiredly as I sat motionless on my bed. His voice looked concerned but his face was so blurred I wasn’t exactly sure.

“Fine I’m headed down. Come down when you are ready.”
I mumbled something in return though I couldn’t have told you what it was. Heavy footsteps told me that Liam had left the room. I rubbed my hands over my eyes trying to clear them. The room came back into focus. Liam and I had been assigned as roommates. Our room was at the back of the house with a view over the fields of the ranch. The double twin beds, quilted bedspreads and antique wallpaper gave the room a quaint feel. I fell back on the bed considering just staying here. The afternoon sun flooded into the room through the gauzy curtains and my eyes drooped from jet lag. Buzzing distracted any ideas of sleeping. Groaning I rolled onto my side and grabbed my phone. The caller id on the text message said Liam.

From: Liam
Get to work

I sighed and rolled out of bed onto my feet. Pulling a shirt over my head I tromped slowly down the stairs to the kitchen. Luke stood leaning against the island in the middle of the kitchen. The others were nowhere in sight. I peered around the kitchen and living room trying to find the others.
“Ready to get started?” Luke asked rubbing his hands together.
I shrugged and stuck my hands into the pockets of my jeans.
“So what am I going to be doing?” I asked.
I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to know the answer. Thinking of working on a ranch/farm had always brought up thoughts of gross smells and dirty animals. I think it was the 5th year field trip that had ruined it. I had been so excited to go. In my mind it was going to be a day off of school where I could run and play. The day instead had been stinky, boring and utterly traumatizing. The farmer had proudly showed us his slaughterhouse and I don’t think I’ve ever been able to get the sight out of my head. The teachers had wondered when afterwards half of the girls had gone vegetarian.

“You can help Van.” Luke answered. “Head out towards the barn and Van will tell you what to do.”

I nodded tight lipped and took it as a cue to leave. Using the door I had seen the girl come in earlier I made my way outside. I squinted in the bright daylight. I was at the back of the house a small parking lot was spread out before me. Several cars idled in the lot. The one that caught my eye was an older beat-up truck. The paint was peeling and flaking from the age but you could tell it was well loved. I spotted the barn about 300 paces from the parking lot. Still reluctant I let my feet travel towards the brown building. It was even less attractive up close. The wood was mismatched and through knots in the wood you could see the inside. The whole structure looked ancient and it was obvious because of discoloration that it had been repaired.

Movement caught my attention near the entrance of the barn. A figure was bent over messing with a large pile of hay by the door. From the figure of the person I could tell it was a girl. My suspicions were confirmed when the person stood up and I could see the pink color of her shirt. My eyes were riveted on the figure as I approached. Her long brown braid hung down her back and she kept swatting it when it fell over her shoulder. Her muscles rippled as she strained under a pitchfork to restack a hay pile. The sun kissed glow of her skin shimmered with sweat. The color reminded me of earlier and with a start I realized the figure was the girl from earlier.

I approached the girl slowly my hand still deep in my pockets. She either didn’t hear me or didn’t bother acknowledging my presence. Only when the toes of my boots were at the edge of the hay pile did she look up. Her sharp blue eyes bored into my face. A light smattering of freckles edged over her nose and cheeks. This was definitely the girl I had seen earlier. She leaned against the pitchfork and crossed one of her boots over the other.
“Can I help you?” Her voice broke the silence.

I wasn’t sure what to say. I had been sent to find Van but starting a conversation with her sounded so much more interesting. I opened my mouth to say something and shut it again. I rocked back on my heels trying to find the right words. A look of annoyance crossed her face at my silence. I opened my mouth to reply and ended up spitting out the first words that came to mind.
“I’m looking for Van?” I stated sounding more like it was question then a statement.

As soon as the words left my mouth I regretted them. Way to start a conversation Harry I chided myself. The girl raised her eyebrows and an expression I couldn’t read crossed her face. I was beginning to think I had made an utter fool of myself. Maybe she and Van didn’t get along.
“Why?” Her voice asked. “Why what?” I asked my eyebrows knitting together.
The girl gave a sigh her tongue poking at her cheek slightly.
“Why are you looking for Van?” She asked and this time I could detect an annoyed tone in her voice.
Trying to save myself from sounding like a simpleton I squared my shoulders.
“Luke told me to find him and that he had some work for me.” I stated semi-confidently.
“Perfect.” I heard her mutter shaking her head. I still wasn’t sure what was going on. I wasn’t sure what exactly I had done to annoy her.
“Can you work a pitchfork?” She asked.
I shook my head wishing in the back of my mind I did maybe it would impress her slightly? “Shouldn’t I……” I started thinking in the back of my head that maybe leaving and finding Van would be a good idea about then. “Can you work leather?”
I shook my head again. “Tack a horse?”
“Stack bales?”
I shook my head at her barrage of questions. “Then what can you do?” She asked throwing up her hands. “I can sing.” I said a cheeky smile on my face.

She shook her head her expression dark. She walked with steady steps to a rack of tools on the wall. Grabbing a shovel she shoved it at me. I took it wondering what exactly she was doing. The girl gestured towards the line of stalls. “Even a newbie should be able to muck a stall right?” She asked in a questioning tone.
I shrugged holding the shovel in both hands. “The wheelbarrow is at the end of the stalls. Put the old bedding in the wheelbarrow and afterwards you can put fresh hay down.” She instructed.
With that she turned back and bent down to start working again. “Um.” I stated shifting slightly on my feet. I had been sent to Van and now I was being given a task by an attractive but bossy girl.“What?” She asked not bothering to stand up.
“I’m supposed to find Van to work?” I asked hoping she would get my drift.
She rolled her hands as she scooped another pile of hay.
“I am Van.” She stated before turning away from me.

Notes

so yeah :)
-Cassidy