Responsibility - Part 2

Good morning FFFFs!

The sun is shining here and it looks like it's going to be another hot, humid day. We had to water our flower garden yesterday and our lilac bush because things have been so dry. We've had chances of rain, and even some lovely lightning storms, but no rain here. I knew there would come a time this summer when I wished for some wonderful rain. ;)

This week has been good. I worked two days and had training for the upcoming election. The more I work in the county clerk's office and see all the work that goes on behind the scenes of an election, the more I want to tell people to GET OUT AND VOTE! I know every state does things a bit differently, but I'm 99% certain that we do not have any dead people, dogs, or illegal persons voting in my county. So, if you are old enough to vote, please make sure you do! And if you aren't encourage your parents or older siblings to get out and vote. Make a difference in this country one vote at a time. Those votes add up.

I've been doing more work on Writing Camp stuff this week. Plus signing up 4 more campers. I've also gotten back to the 3rd book in my Woodbreak series. I'm doing some serious editing. Hopefully, this will enable the ending to actually come together like it's supposed to. ;)

Here's the next part of your story. I hope you enjoy it.

Responsibility

Part 2

    Out by the stables, Preston, Levi and Raymond were saddling their horses. “Dani better have a good reason for not getting back on time,” Raymond remarked. “She sure has Mother worried.”
    “Not to mention chores that haven’t been attended to. Preston,” Levi eyed his brother over the back of his horse as he tightened the cinch, “if you don’t turn that child over your knee when we get her back home—”
    “Easy Levi,” Preston remonstrated, “I thought I was going handle her.”
    “You are. Just don’t be too soft on her.”
    Mounting his horse, Raymond put in, “Worrying Mother and skipping her chores four days in a week shouldn’t be taken lightly, Preston. If I had tried that even twice when I was her age—”
    “You did,” Preston laughed. “As did Levi.”
    “Hmm,” Levi grunted, “seems as though I remember something about that.”
    As the three brothers were about to ride out of the gate, one of the men from the ranch came into view and Levi called out to him, “Jacobson, have you seen Dani?”
    The man shook his head and cradled the sling his right arm was in a little closer to himself. “Not since she left.”
    “Did she say where she was going?” inquired Preston.
    Scratching his head in thought, Jacobson at last shook his head again. “No, she didn’t say anything to me. Is she missing?”
    “Yes. We’re going out to look for her.” Then struck with a thought, Preston instructed, “Jacobson, tell Hawkins that if we aren’t back in an hour, he’s to get the men into search parties and start looking. If she’s not in the few places she usually goes, there’s no telling where she is.”
    The man nodded and the horsemen rode off. For several minutes they rode together in silence. At last Raymond remarked, “If we’re to check her favorite places, we’d better split up.”
    “I was just thinking the same thing,” Levi nodded. “Ray, head up to the promontory. Preston, why don’t you take her fishing hole and I’ll head over to the south pasture. Fire two quick shots if you find her. If we don’t hear the shots we’ll meet in the meadow near the creek. The sun won’t set for another hour, so there should be plenty of time.”
    This was agreed on and they each set off in a different direction. Preston noticed that he had been assigned the most likely place for their little sister to be, while Levi had chosen the most unlikely place. Smiling to himself, he realized that Levi was not in a mood to deal with Danielle and he sincerely hoped that he or Raymond would find her.
    The late summer sun was warm, but Preston was grateful for its light. It would make tracking her horse a little easier if she wasn’t in her usual haunts. But if she wasn’t there, where could she be?
    The evening stillness was descending on nature as Preston rode up to Dani’s favorite fishing spot. “Dani!” he called.
    There was no answer save for the sound of the water tumbling over a small waterfall some fifty feet away.
    Swinging down from his horse, Preston dropped the reins and looked about. There was no sign of a light colored horse anywhere. Upon hearing a movement on the other side of a large oak tree near the bank of the stream, Preston frowned and his long strides quickly carried him across the few separating yards; however, the only thing there was a squirrel who, on catching sight of him, scampered up the tree and scolded.
    “Dani?” he shouted, and again there was no answer.
    “Well, it’s pretty clear she’s isn’t anywhere around here.” With a shake of his head, Preston remounted, turned the horse’s head towards the meadow and nudged him into a canter.
    He reached the large pleasant meadow only minutes before Raymond arrived. “No sign of her?” he asked as his younger brother rode up.
    Raymond shook his head. “No, she hasn’t been up there since last week.”
    “Last week? How do you know?”
    “There’s no new notch.”
    “Notch? Ray, what are you talking about?”
    On seeing that Preston was confused, Raymond quickly explained. “Didn’t you know she puts a new notch on that old dead tree near the promontory every time she goes there? She told me that in the spring when we went up there together. I was up last week and counted the notches as I always do; it’s the same number it was then.”
    Preston sighed. “Hopefully Levi will find her. While we wait for him or the signal, let’s ride around the meadow and look for any sign of her coming this way. That way if Levi doesn’t find her . . .”
    “I was just thinking the same thing.”
    Each taking a different direction, Preston and Raymond started off around the meadow, hoping to find something or hear the signal shots from Levi announcing Danielle had been found. There were no shots and in another five minutes Levi rode into the meadow.
    “Any sign of her?” he called to the others.
    “No,” Preston shouted back.
    “Dani!” Levi bellowed.
    A sudden shout from Raymond brought the other brothers to him at a dead run. Raymond was out of the saddle and down on one knee in the shadow of the surrounding woods by a small but distinct trail. “Hoof prints,” he pointed out as Preston and Levi joined him. “Fresh ones too and the right size for Dani’s horse.”
    “You really think she’d try exploring these woods alone?” Preston wondered. “Without permission?”

Have you had sunshine or rain this week?

Do you get to vote this year?

Where do you think Dani is?