PEOPLE: Kirsten Jade & Benjamin Mackenzie
PLACE: Akita Rose Stables Office
Posted on July 3 2012.
JANUARY Y11 (LAST BREEDING SEASON)
Kirsten hummed as she looked over the papers on her desk. It was January first, the day where all her horses age yet another year. She frowned and laid her head in her hands. She was sooooo frustrated. She wanted to return to the GHF track so bad but they just couldn't yet. It wasn't the right time. In June they may be able to return if all goes well. She bit her lip to prevent from crying. It meant that her horses would have to suffer yet again a miss for the prestigious Triple Crown.
She stuck her head in her arms and laid across her desk. Oh if things could have turned out differently... Everything was going so good for Akita Rose Stables... then Aaron and Melanie had to go screw up. Their bank manager went and screwed up. Emma had had her accident and Kirsten just recently found out that her husband had never left her, he had been killed in a plane crash, heading to visit his mother in the hospital. Her mother in law had passed away just two hours before her only son. Everything had just happened all at once. Kirsten had had no choice but to temporarily close their doors.
It wasn't as though she wasn't still working though. They were doing anything to keep their business afloat. That way when they made their re-appearance then they would be able to get into the game. It was probably going to be tough but Kirsten was not a quitter. She had been through tough times before, this was no different. She was a survivor.
She raised her head and looked over what she had written down so far. It was breeding season and she was going to breed her horses this year. She had even had some phone calls about using her stallions even though they were still out of the racing circuit. It was fine. She needed the money. In fact she even had two of her mares booked for another stable, Charisma and Blanchette for Intrepid Racing.
"Auntie Auntie Auntie!" Kirsten looked up from her papers towards her five year old nephew who was running in from outside. "Hi Benny, Auntie is busy right now." The young boy smiled and plopped down on her couch. "Okay" Kirsten smiled at him and went back to her papers. Ten minutes later the phone rang. Ben was looking at one of her picture books she kept out for the kids. "Hello? What do you mean you can't find Night Stalker? OMG! Get off the phone and get looking!" Kirsten slammed down the phone in a fury and jumped off her chair. Her face was beet red. She grabbed her jacket off the rack and raced out of her office.
Benny stared at his angry aunt and jumped off the couch and ran after her. She was running through the mare and foaling barn at top speed. "Auntie! Stop!" The poor child was out of breath and tired. He stopped and stared after his aunt's retreating figure and burst into a screaming cry.
Kirsten turned around and flinched at the sight of her bawling nephew. Argh, she did not have the time for this. She ran back and picked up the boy. He was getting heavy. "Come on Benny stop crying. Auntie is just in a hurry. Clark lost Night Stalker. I have to find him before he hurts someone. You should probably stay here." He shook his head stubbornly. "No. Night Stalker is nice. I saw him hugging horses." Kirsten raised her eyebrow. What was he talking about? "No Benny, Night Stalker doesn't hug horses." Benny's eyes flashed. "YES he does! I saw him. That's why I came to see you before. I wanted to say he was nice now." Realization dawned across Kirsten. It couldn't be... not again... She put Ben down and knelt in front of him. "Ben. Look at me. When did you see Night Stalker hugging horses?" The five year old grinned. His aunt believed him now. "Before I came to see you. In the paddocks."
Kirsten groaned. This was not good news. She didn't have any more time to waste. She kissed Ben on the forehead and raced outside faster than ever before. She could hear her nephew running after her but she didn't have any time to wait. If Blanchette and Charisma were out there with Night Stalker, all her hope for income this year was lost.
She raced to the paddocks to find Dash of Sugar, Fleet Goddess, Charisma and Night Stalker mounted atop Queen of Hearts. Great, just great. She knew Queenie would be having a foal from Stalker next spring, she just hoped she wasn't too late for the rest...