Chapter One

The chestnut stallion kept nudging the pocket of Kurt’s old hoody, attempting to get at the pony nuts that he knew were in there…he just couldn’t quite reach them. “Max, the more you attempt to eat my clothing, the more you are not getting them” Kurt chuckled softly at the horse as he pulled the saddle off his back. The stallion clearly not taking need to Kurt’s warning, carried on nudging Kurt’s pocket, until Kurt relented. “Fine, Fine, take them you greedy thing” Kurt said pulling a couple of the treats out of his hoody and shoving them towards the horse’s muzzle, laughing as he did so. The horse took them eagerly and shoved his head over his stable door as Kurt gathered the horse’s tack and left the stable. “Night, Max” Kurt called out, the horse let out a soft whinny in reply.

Kurt hung up the tack in the barn and checked everything was in order, before heading back outside – where it had started to rain. “Great” Kurt thought to himself. He dove back into the barn before his hair got wet and pulled out his cell phone. “Dad?” he said into the speaker.
“Kurt? What’s up?”
“Have you not seen the weather? Any chance you could come and pick me up?” Kurt said hopefully.
“Sorry, son, but the rain is coming down hard now, there will be so much traffic, and it will be quicker for you to walk home, than waiting for me to come get you! Sorry!” Burt answered.
Kurt sighed in annoyance, but understood. “Fine, just make sure there is a cup of tea with my name on it for when I get back, Dad! See you later” He hung up the phone and gathered up his bag. He turned back to the barn, making sure the horses were settled in their stables before pulling his hood over his head and venturing outside.

Kurt had two options – go the long way round the houses or the shorter way back round the fields where he first had experience with horses. He looked up at the sky in dismay; the grey clouds showed no sign of going and the rain wasn’t leaving off either. He turned towards the fields knowing, at least he would get home quicker.

Even though, the weather was terrible, Kurt still slowed down when he walked past Socks’ old field, it was where his love for horses began and his mood always lifted when being back there.

But this time, there were something wrong. There was a black horse in the middle of the field, rearing up, it’s brown eyes filled with terror. There were two men just about holding it on a thin piece of rope, shouting abuse at the animal and pulling it sharply. Running on autopilot, Kurt leapt over the fence and ran towards the group, shouting “What do you think you are doing? Stop that!” The men turned towards him “Get outta here, kid! You don’t know what you’re dealing with” one shouted at him, pulling the horse’s tether sharply.
The horse let out a roar and attempted to rear up again when the second man hit the horse on the flank with a whip. Kurt’s anger was bubbling up inside him. “Leave him alone, he’s done nothing to hurt you” Kurt said as calmly as he could, looking the taller man in the eye. “Well, we’ve only been paid to get rid of him, kid” here, the man looked to his companion “Name your price, and we will leave him alone” the man said with an evil glint in his eye. Kurt breathed in deeply and replied “I’m a 17 year old guy, where am I supposed to have the money to buy a horse? Just don’t hurt him”

After a pause Kurt suddenly recalled what the man said “Wait! What do you mean get rid of him?”
“Well, this here horse’s owner had paid us to ‘get’ rid of him” the man said leaning his face closer to Kurt’s with an emphasis on the ‘get’. Kurt knew exactly what this man was going to do and it sickened him to the core but all he had on him was one dollar, there was no way the men would hand over the horse to him for that tiny amount. Kurt looked at the ground, not knowing what to say next. “Suit yourself kid” the man said, straightening up and pulling the horse’s lead one more time, dragging him after him. The other man, who had yet to say anything, turned round to Kurt, gave him an evil smile and preceded to hit the horse sharply on his left back leg, three times. The horse screamed and reared up once more.

“WAIT!” Kurt shouted, not bearing to see the horse hurt anymore. “All I have is one dollar, please just let me take him, I won’t bother you again, I promise, please” Kurt knew how desperate he sounded but for once, he didn’t care, he just wanted to make sure that horse was safe. “What the hell kid, his owners already paid us, one dollar ain’t gonna make a difference and he is a right little fucker anyway” the taller man shrugged and handed the rope over to Kurt. Kurt handed over the one dollar, eying the man warily as this seemed far too simple. But sure enough, they began to back off from the horse “Bye kid” the man who had done all the talking so far, walking away. The other man, however, looked Kurt in the eye, and hit the horse twice more, once on his back, once on in the cut he had already made on the horse’s left leg. He then smiled at Kurt and walked off.
“You bastard!” Kurt shouted, trying not to let the tears in his eyes spill over the edge.

The horse had calmed down considerably now that the men had gone but it was clear how painful his leg was and the horse was keeping as far away from Kurt as possible. Kurt knew it would take a while for the horse to trust him but he would get there. They would get there together.

Kurt regarded the horse and somewhere, deep in his heartstrings, something pulled, he recognised this horse but he didn’t know why. Then he noticed the cut on the horse’s leg, which was spilling out fresh blood by the minute. Kurt pulled out his phone again and scrolled down to Rachel Berry. He never forgot, Doctor Berry, the vet who helped Tessa and Socks and now his daughter was in Glee club with Kurt and as much as he hated to admit it, she was one of his best friends. “Kurt?” she said happily as she answered the phone. “Rachel? I need your dad I’m with a horse and no!” Kurt suddenly shouted when the horse collapsed to the ground, his eyelids slowly shutting. “Rachel! Tell him to hurry!” He quickly rattled off where he was and Rachel promised him her dad would get there as soon as possible and she was coming too. “Come on , buddy” Kurt said soothingly to the horse as he lay groaning on the wet grass. “You can make it”