Darkness

Keeley stretched out on her couch, shucking her boots and tossing them aside. It had been a hard day indeed, as her father went from one rant to another, often times forgetting who she was and what the events of the day were. She tipped her head back for a moment, resting. The days when he was volatile and combative drained her physically, but they took a toll mentally and emotionally more so. She hated the thought of having to change the dosage in medication again, but it might be a road they would need to take in the near future.

After a few quiet moments passed, Keeley got up and flipped on her television. She made her way to her tiny kitchen, poking around to see what she had left to eat. Time to make a grocery list and slip away to the store. Keeley made a note to call and ask their neighbor, Mrs. Evans, if she could sit with Dad for a couple of hours one day soon. It was easier to leave Dad at home to run errands and do the grocery shopping. Keeping track of him in a store was like trying to keep tabs on five three year old children, all set loose to run amok.

She settled in on her couch, munching popcorn and trying to watch her favorite show. Her mind kept drifting to the dream horse, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. After catching herself on the verge of dropping the popcorn bowl, Keeley decided enough was enough and she dragged herself towards bed. Before she could reach her bedroom, she heard a strange scratching at her door. Curious, she cautiously approached to listen again. The last thing she wanted to do was open the door to a nosy raccoon and have him invade her apartment. The scratching sound came again, this time accompanied by a loud, rusty sounding meow. It was Bad Ass. Keeley opened the door to the old cat, and ushered him in.

"What brings you in old man? Are you getting soft in your old age?"

Bad Ass merely stuck his crooked tail up in the air, and let lose with a rumbling purr. He blinked at Keeley, and paraded past her, taking over the apartment in about twenty seconds flat. He unerringly made his way to Keeley's bedroom, stopping in her doorway to look over his shoulder at Keeley.

"OK then. Seems like I have a guest for the night. Let's turn in old cat, but don't you dare make a mess in here while I'm sleeping."

Bad Ass flicked his tail at Keeley, and marched regally to her bed. "Make a mess indeed!" he thought to himself, as he hopped up on her mattress, his agility belying his age. The old black cat settled in a ball, purring, looking for all the world as if he was there to stay for the night.

"I guess stranger things have happened. But I never thought you would turn house cat on me BA. Sleep tight old man." Keeley gave the cat a rub, and curled up under the covers.



The quiet night settled in around them, with moonlight streaming in through the window. Bad Ass laid still, but wide awake watching over Keeley. He knew the instant she began to dream, as it was the only time he saw her smile these days. In times past, Keeley was always smiling and laughing. The big cat listened to her breathing change, and heard her quiet laugh. He knew she was well and truly in the midst of an amazing dream once again.



The big gray gelding came to Keeley in her sleep again, as she had come to expect. She eagerly threw her arms around his big, muscular neck and buried her face in his mane. The scent of horse was pure Heaven, and Keeley breathed it in greedily. She vaulted up on his bare back, content for the moment to sit and breathe with the horse. He turned his head towards Keeley, peering at her from underneath an unruly mop of incredibly long forelock. With a soft nicker and a shake of his great neck, they were off at a sedate trot. Keeley sat back and enjoyed the feeling- his trot was like floating on air. It was a gait that a real horse could maintain all day long, ground covering yet energy conserving, and Keeley was eager to see where it carried them this night. To her surprise, they were trotting around the farm. From field to field, Keeley saw the old trees and fences bathed in pure white moonlight. She saw silvery forms of horses from the past. The ride paused in the pasture where her mother was struck and killed. Keeley could see the bent form of her father in the tall grass where he'd found the love of his life. She could hear him crying, crooning her mother's name over and over again. "Katherine... Katherine... why did you leave? I can not continue on with out you..."

The tears welled in Keeley's eyes, as she tried to sort out what was a dream, and what was reality. Had her father made his way there in the grass, calling out for her mother? Or was it a dream?

Keeley was startled by the appearance of a figure next to her father. Not just any figure- but that of her mother's horse. The shining bay stood over her father, muzzle resting on the back of his neck. Keeley watched her father turn, and use the horse to help him stand. Grasping the mane of the horse, he slowly made his way towards the main house. His shoulders were bent, and his head was down, his spirit as broken as his heart. The bay paced the man, seeming to take care to watch over him and guide him carefully.

Bad Ass watched. His emerald eyes unblinking, he watched. And he too heard the crying in the night, and the sound of hooves carefully making their way across the yard. He knew it would not be long now, before the black mare came to collect another soul. But before that time came, there was work to be done. Yes- much work to be done.