//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Ring Ring // Story: Pretty Horses // by Starblazer225 //------------------------------// Hours went by and I managed to find a motel farther into town, a little beat down place with broken in and cracked windows and dirty walls. I had stayed here plenty of times before, I knew I could afford a higher end place right now but I don't want to be spending too much on me. It's to important that I get as much of it home as I can. The room was grungy and the walls were painted two unfinished colors, a lima bean green and an ocean blue. There was no TV and the bed felt like any old bed to me. I haven't slept in a comfortable bed in forever. I had the case sitting next to me, the black box's cold metal exterior rested against my flank, on my other side I kept my pistol under my hoof. The night began to pull its beautiful embrace over me, I could feel my mind relaxing and my body being pulled down. That song began to play in my head as I slept... Blacks and Bays Dapples and Greys... And all the pretty horses It was like a memory, a far off picture formed with the lyrics Long fields of apple orchards and green groves. When you wake you shall have cake A large red barn emerged in the distance, a beautiful little scene. Go to sleep you little baby. In front of the barn Applebloom danced around with her friends, I myself hauling in apples from a previous harvest, and Mackintosh bucking trees in the south orchard Way on down yonder The barn walls fell over in four directions and the apple orchards disappeared into the ground. In their place, miles and miles of gravestones. Down in a meadow Big Mac stood next to me, along with all of our family, or what was left of it, stood around a hole in the ground. All of us in tears and a coffin sat next to me. Lies a poor little child Everyone there was dressed in black, the only one I didn't see was... The bees and the flies are picking out its eyes Applebloom Crying for its mother RING RING RING The phone began to ring next to my bed, it was early, before the sun was even up. I stretched my back, I had slept vertically sitting up most of the night. After the satisfying crack of my shoulders I moved to the phone beside the bed. I picked up the phone and brought it to my ear, it took my a second to clear my throat and adjust to being awake. "H-Hello?" I managed out of my mouth. There was a pause on the end of the line. "H-hiya Appl-" There was a lot of coughing on the other line. "Applejack." My sister said over the phone. "Applebloom," I said quietly. I looked over to the clock perched on the other side of the bed. "Applebloom, what are ya' doin awake at four in th' morning? And how did you get this number?" I asked into the phone a little worried. "I was worried bout'cha sis." She managed out before coughing again. "And I tried all the other places you've stayed in." I chuckled a little. "Where's Big Mac?" I asked. "I think he's asleep on th' couch." She answered. "When you gonna be back?" She asked. "Soon, could ya' go and get Big Mac for me?" I asked. "Sure thing." She said. I heard a little call go out on the phone. "Macintosh!" I heard her call out before coughing. I heard mumbling on the other line then a muffled voice. I heard Applebloom say Applejack wants to talk to you then some scratching. "Applejack?" I heard Big Mac ask over the line. "Mac, I found somethin'!" I said eagerly. "Somethin' that can get us out of where we are." I heard a sigh on the line. "Sis, what did you do?" I heard him ask in an angry tone. "Macintosh, you'll never believe i-" "What did you do Applejack, and why are you callin' this early?" He asked sternly cutting me off. "No, I found money. A lot of it." I said. Another long silence was on the phone. "How much and how did you find it." I heard on the phone. "A couple thousand bits, and I found it in the desert." I said, I didn't tell him the whole truth but it was better than telling him a lie. "Applejack, don't you lie t-" "I'm not!" I yelled into the phone. "I was drivin' in the desert when I found 'n empty truck with a case inside an I took it." I explained. "Ya' stole it then?" He said angrily. "No." I responded timidly, now here's the part that I hate to have to do. "I saw him next to th' truck with a rattlesnake on him, he'd been there for awhile." I heard Big Mac sigh on the other line then. My heart broke a little as I said that, I hate to lie but when I have to I have to. "Just get back home, Applejack." I heard him say. "Don't worry, could ya put-" Click "Applebloom on." I took a deep breath and put the phone down. I fell back onto the bed staring at the ceiling. I can save her now, I can bring her back to Ponyville and start from where we left off. I looked at the briefcase again. "Finally we can have it back." I said aloud beginning to shut my eyes. The Cold of the night began to slip in again, I gently closed my eyes and began to dose off still sitting up. Ring Ring Ring The phone went off again, kicking me from my sleep. I picked it up off the stand. "Hello?" I asked into it. "So, Applejack, interesting we meet this way." "Who- Who is this?" I asked. "How do ya know my name?" "You own that little four-by truck in the parking lot of the lazy days motel outside of Tuscan, correct? License plate 'R-D-F-1-2-2-5', registered in Texas?" He asked, his voice was monotoned and scratchy and sounded like he had something stuck in his neck as he spoke. "It doesn't really matter who I am at this point, what really matters is that you have something that doesn't belong to you and it is my job to make sure that I get it back and wipe away anyone who gets in the way." He said. "I don't know what you're talkin bout." I spat into the phone "Oh, come now." He said reassuringly. "I watched your truck drive into the desert this morning." My heart sank as he talked. "I watched you drive into town, I saw what you had for breakfast." As he said that the picture of that one at the diner with the black hat pulled over his eyes. "By that long pause I think you're trying to precess what you are hearing." He said smoothly this time. "Now, I'm going to tell ya this as plainly as I can." I said into the phone. "I will not give up this briefcase, no matter what you say, no matter what you do." I slammed the phone down, hanging it up on the receiver. I sat there watching the phone. It rang again, I watched the phone shake as it rang, Ring Ring Ring He's not going to get that case, ever, not even from my cold dead hooves. Ring Ring Ring I don't care who he is. Never, no matter what, he won't take it from me. He won't take away that dream that is almost real away now. Nothing is going to stop me. Ring Ring I picked up the phone. "Well, that was very uncalled for." I heard the same stallion say. "You are not going to take it from me." "It's for your sister, isn't it?" He said blandly. I stopped moving, a chill ran down my spine and my body froze. "Well, how about this. Give me that case and I won't kill you and I won't go after your family afterwards. You have four hours to give me the package and my deal will be null and void and your family can live happily ever after" The the phone clicked. I dropped the phone down to the floor, ripping the other half with it. I could feel the tears beginning to form under my eye. "So close," I said under my breath. "So damn close." "But nothing ever happens the way it's supposed to!" On that I picked up the phone and hurled it across the room, it smacked the wall with a loud crack and exploded into pieces that peppered the room. My rage boiled deep inside as I slumped to the floor. I won't be able to save her now, if I try he's going to go after them, if I hand it over I'll have to watch her die slowly and painfully. She's gone through so much and she still has the courage to smile. I felt water run down my cheek as the tears rolled down my face and dripped to the floor. With a single hoof I wiped away the tears. The pain was still there, but a new kind of hurt was there, a new kind of pain deep down and cut like knives. It's not the feeling of sadness, It's the feeling of desperation, no matter what the two paths are unavoidable and either way no one will win. There are those who make calls, write messages and deliver words of hope. Those who bring that fire that might be able to bring a bigger flame and melt away the ice that is desperation. I tried to peel that thick skin, that cold embrace and melt it away, the truth is though, it will always be there. The paths may be different but the end will always be the same no matter how long it takes you to get there. Now the bigger question arises. Am I willing to give up my life for my sister... Yes, Yes I am.