Chapter Seventeen



These last weeks at the stables have certainly been very eventful. With the possibility of Jason’s horse being a killer wild stallion and the massive catfight taking place between Marissa and Jennifer, Mike wonders if there will ever be a return to normalcy. Strolling out of the house, he spots Jason sitting on the ground by the stable door. The old Mike Schaefer would have made fun of him and called him a “pansy” but the new Mike Schaefer views this as an opportunity to try and help his friend out.



“Hey J. How’s it going?”
“Fine.”
“You shouldn’t keep things from you’re friends, bro.”
“(sigh) It’s Dante. I can’t help but think.....what if that guy was right? What if Dante did break out of the stable and got into a fight with that mare and killed her? I understand that....it would be the best thing to do if he is deemed a threat to people around him, but how will I deal with the pain of losing him?”



“Jason...you’ve only been here for a few weeks, while I’ve been working here for many months. Let’s just say that Roy Peterson is not the best role model for up-and-coming horse trainers. I’ve seen him break stallions before and the way that he treated some of those horses made me want to jump over the fence and K-O him. He claims to be the best horse trainer in Crystal Falls and better than Jack but that’s complete bullsh*t. He punishes the young colts and stallions way too much instead of training them using compassion and sensitivity like you’re supposed to. He claims to be the best horse trainer, and yet it seems like every 3 months he’s putting another “unruly stallion” to sleep.”

“Are you serious?! What a f***ing scumbag!”



“Unfortunately, what I’m saying is 100% true. Just a week before we met, Roy acquired an absolutely beautiful Clydesdale stallion and he was going to train him to pull wagons, like in the Budweiser Superbowl commercials. During one of Roy’s “breaking sessions” after being viciously beaten several times with a studded whip, the young Clydesdale stallion starts to freak out and he literally BODY SLAMS Roy and tries to trample him. He was able to escape before he was seriously injured though. Obviously, it’s just natural that when you beat the living crap out of a horse for no reason, he or she is going to become aggressive, but that cocksucker believes that it’s good to beat horses so that they ‘respect’ their master. F*** that! Instilling fear and teaching respect are NOT the same things. Just a day after the incident, I found out that Roy put the colt down. I was ready to go up to his door and beat the f***ing sh*t out of him. He was such a gorgeous horse and he was incredibly young at only three and a half years old.”

“OK. I am NOT a violent person, but I would love to carve him a new asshole. That kind of sh*t pisses me off and to know that there are more guys like him killing horses when they too lazy to train them the PROPER way. I know enough about horses to know that Clydesdales and Shire horses are NOT naturally aggressive, there is a reason why draft horses are considered “gentle giants” This guy CLEARLY doesn’t know sh*t about training horses.



“But my point is, I can’t help but wonder.....what if Dante really did it?”

After days of holding back tears, Jason finally lets it all out in front of Mike

“I.....I DON’T WANT TO LOSE HIM, MIKE!!!!!!”

Mike can’t help but think of the way he used to be. Before he got the job at the stables, he would have most likely would have made so much fun of Jason for crying. But that Mike is dead; the Mike that is currently living consoles his good friend.



“You need a hug J. Come here...”



“Jason. I have an idea. Tonight, we will spend the night at the stables. You need sleep, ok? I can just tell that you have been sleeping like sh*t lately. I will keep an eye on Dante for you. Ok?”
“...Ok.”

And they did do that....but around 11:55 at night. It happened.







“JASON!! WAKE UP!!! DANTE ESCAPED!!”
“F*** ME!!! WHAT DO WE DO?!!?!”
“I GOT AN IDEA, FOLLOW ME!!”






Mike unlocks Fury’s stall and puts a bridle on him.

“Come on, buddy...we need to go for a ride.”

Meanwhile, Jason rhythmically mutters nervously....

“Please don’t let it be true...please don’t let it be true...please don’t let it be true...”



“You ready, J.?”
“Yes....yes I am...”

“HYAHH!!!!!”




Gently kicking Fury’s sides, Mike and Jason riding tandem, the bay stallion darts out of the stable so fast that Mike could swear he heard a sonic boom. Jason however, is absolutely heartbroken, as he makes the assumption that they are going to witness Dante kill another horse for no reason. Soon enough, he finds the stallion galloping twoards a valley and AWAY from Roy Peterson’s horse farm.




Soon, Mike stops Fury as he looks out and sees a sight so incredulously beautiful he almost cannot describe it in words.

“Jason...you really should see this....”

“What?....Oh my God!”



Jason is in absolute awe as he sees Dante gently nuzzling a wild palomino mare....

“That’s the reason why Roy saw Dante gallop away from his ranch, Don't you see?Dante's got a GIRLFRIEND!”