Chapter 5 - The Post in the YardHannah backed away.
“What are you doing?”
Clay held the rope.
“Last chance.”
Her skin went cold.
“For what?”
“Tell me where she is.”
“I don’t know.”
Clay stepped closer.
“Where did you sell the horse?”
“I didn’t!”
“Hannah.”
“I DIDN’T.”
Something in Clay broke.
Maybe it had been breaking for years.
Her mother’s death.
The drought.
Debt.
The fear of losing land his father had bought forty years earlier.
Sable’s disappearance.
None of those things made what happened next right.
Hannah would understand that later.
At sixteen, she understood only fear.
Clay caught her arm.
She pulled back.
“Dad!”
“Stop fighting.”
“What are you doing?”
He led her outside.
Hannah saw the post.
“No.”
“Hannah.”
“No!”
She tried to pull away.
Clay was stronger.
He wrapped rope around her torso and the post.
Not her neck.
Not her wrists.
But tightly enough that she could not step away.
The sun stood almost directly overhead.
“Dad, stop!”
“You stay here until you decide to tell me the truth.”
“I AM telling you!”
Clay walked away.
Hannah could not believe it.
At first she assumed he would return in five minutes.
Ten.
Maybe twenty.
The heat climbed.
The wooden post became hot against her back.
Sweat ran down her face.
Flies landed on her arms.
Clay worked near the barn.
He could see her.
She could see him.
Neither spoke.
An hour passed.
Then another.
Hannah called:
“Dad.”
No response.
“I need water.”
Clay looked over.
“Where’s Sable?”
“I DON’T KNOW!”
He turned away.
Hannah began crying.
Quietly at first.
Then from anger.
Then exhaustion.
By early afternoon her lips felt dry.
Her head ached.
She rested her weight against the rope.
Clay entered the barn.
When he returned, he carried a thick wooden stick used for shifting stubborn cattle through loading alleys.
Hannah stared at it.
He never struck her with it.
But he stood several feet away and tapped it slowly into his opposite palm.
The sound frightened her.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
“Dad…”
“Where is she?”
“I told you.”
Tap.
“Where?”
“She went back to the herd.”
Clay’s face tightened.
“Stop saying that.”
“It’s true.”
“You expect me to believe a trained horse broke out and walked miles to find animals she hasn’t seen in years?”
“Yes.”
Tap.
“You contacted people about feral horses.”
“I asked questions.”
“You had a map.”
“I was trying to understand her.”
“You said I couldn’t sell her.”
“I didn’t sell her!”
Clay turned away.
Hannah closed her eyes.
For several minutes she heard only insects.
Then a truck passed on the county road.
It slowed.
Hannah raised her head.
Hope surged.
But it continued.
No one stopped.
Her breathing grew heavier.
Clay noticed.
He walked toward her.
For a second Hannah believed he was finally going to untie her.
Instead he stopped in front of her.
“Tell me the truth.”
She looked up through wet eyes.
“This is the truth.”
“Where is the money?”
“What money?”
“The money you got for Sable.”
“There is no money.”
“Where?”
“Nowhere!”
Clay tapped the stick again.
Hannah flinched.
He saw it.
Something like shame crossed his face.
Then anger covered it.
“That horse was all we had.”
Hannah swallowed.
“I know.”
“Then how could you do this?”
“I didn’t!”
“You cared more about keeping her away from Benson than keeping this farm.”
“That isn’t true.”
“You think land pays for itself?”
“No.”
“You think feed shows up because you love a horse?”
“No.”
“You think—”
“I know we’re losing the farm!”
Clay stopped.
Hannah immediately regretted saying it.
“You read the letter.”
“Yes.”
“That was private.”
“So was my backpack.”
Clay looked away.
Hannah’s voice broke.
“I know why you’re scared.”
“Don’t.”
“I’m scared too.”
“Don’t talk to me like you understand.”
“I understand enough.”
“You understand nothing.”
The words hurt.
But not as much as the next hour.
The heat pressed down.
Her vision occasionally blurred.
Hannah began thinking less about Sable and more about water.
Her pride disappeared.
Her anger disappeared.
Eventually she could only whisper.
“Dad…”
Clay looked.
“Water, please…”
He stood motionless.
Then asked:
“Where’s the horse?”
Hannah’s tears returned.
“It went back to its herd.”
Clay’s jaw tightened.
May you like
He stepped closer.
And Hannah realized he still did not believe her.
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