Rain clattered against the window dripping slowly through the leaking roof, plopping gently into the bucket that sat on the dusty carpet. Monday morning had come, as it did so often, too soon. The sky was dark marking the prelude of a day that would remain rainy and dull. The only sound was the expectant kicking of hungry horses.
The sign at the end of the drive had once proudly announced the presence of 'The Redbridge Riding School', now it stood at an angle, its letters faded. The pride had gone, and as the water ran across the muddy yard, it was easy to see why.
Here was a place that prided itself on not being special; it was just 'another' riding school. With all the common factors, the riding school horses and ponies. A team of staff, living in uncomfortable and damp accommodation, working long hours for little money and a head girl, Amanda King, who at twenty-four years old was a perfect host to her customers. The staff however felt that she was bossy, but generally fair. Amanda had bought the yard from the previous owners some years before.
The alarm clock bleeped loudly announcing the unwelcome start to another week. Adam reached up and clutched the small clock, staring at the faint green numbers through bleary eyes. Six o'clock, it was time to drag himself out of the relative warmth of his bed and into the real world.
Adam Bishop was nineteen years old and had worked at the yard for two years. He was an instructor and by his length of service and instructor's status, he was supposedly second in command. The rank meant that more often or not he was the one who had to take most of the customers' lessons, whilst Amanda sat behind the large desk in the office. She was always there to supervise, but as she was the boss, she believed that she was fully in control. However, today she was not.
He shuddered as the shower drenched him in freezing water. This was not one of the better mornings. Towelling himself dry Adam quickly put on a clean pair of jodhpurs and sweatshirt. He couldn't think what he had done the night before, but he imagined that it had involved rather too much alcohol. Snippets of the evening came back to him briefly. . .
Adam walked into the kitchen and filled the kettle, the door opened, Kate Grimshaw walked past him.
Kate was eighteen. She groaned, rubbed her bloodshot eyes and sat on one of the long bench seats beside the wide pine table, the kettle clicked, steam rose clouding the inside of the window.
"Coffee?"
"Thanks. . . No milk please, I'll have it black." Kate took the mug and gingerly sipped the hot liquid.
"You look as bad as I feel!" Adam slurped his coffee.
"Thanks! I'll take that as a compliment!" Kate grinned weakly.
"What did I drink last night?"
"Too much. . ." Kate frowned. "I can't remember a thing about last night. I don't even know why we went to the pub!" She glanced at her watch. "The others are late getting up this morning."
"Never mind them, I suppose we had better start feeding, I'm sure they will come down when they're ready." Adam took his mug and walked down the hall, grabbing an old wax jacket on the way. He plunged his feet into a pair of well-worn green Wellingtons before going out into the blustery rain.
Adam unlocked the office, normally at this time of the morning Amanda would be sitting in the office, today the door was locked and there was no sign of the head-girl.
"Isn't Amanda there?" Kate stepped into the office, sweeping her hair back from her eyes.
"I don't think that she was with us last night. I'm sure I would remember if she had been." Adam smiled. "But. She's the boss, and if she wants a lie-in, that's up to her!" He picked up the feed room key.
"What's her car doing here?" Kate walked towards the rusty red car that was sitting in the middle of a muddy puddle. She peered through the frosty glass. "Well she's not in there!"
"I didn't expect that she would be! That car is terrible; it's probably broken down again. She'll walk in soon, no doubt mad as hell!"
The feed room was little more than a badly built shed, which offered little shelter against the elements. The musty smell of bran and pony nuts filled the room as Adam opened the steel bins and started to scoop bran into the first feed bucket.
"Hello. . ." Caroline stepped through the open door. Caroline was seventeen years old, with scruffy brown hair and a fair complexion.
"You're late. . . Where are the others?"
"They're on their way down. . . Is Amanda cross?"
"Cross? No, she's not here yet. . ." Adam noticed that Caroline was frowning. "What's up?"
"Is she not here? Now that is odd. . ." She paused. "Are these feeds ready to take?" Caroline grabbed a pile of buckets and dashed out of the feed room.
"She's acting strangely. . ." Kate laid out another line of feed buckets on the floor.
"I would ignore her if I were you. . ."
Slowly the rest of the staff appeared and started taking feed buckets round the yard. The horses became quieter as they ate. The rain started coming down with more vigour.
There was no sign of Amanda.
Before the first lesson of the morning, Adam stepped out of the office. Amanda had not made an appearance. In the centre of the yard, there was a gaggle of staff standing, staring into the distance. Adam closed the office door and slowly walked towards them.
". . .No. . . I didn't want to get involved in the first place. Now look what's happened." Caroline shook her head.
". . .Didn't want to get involved? That's rich. You were there! You can't say that you weren't involved." Karen, one of the younger grooms, span on her heels. Seeing Adam standing there, she stopped dead and smiled nervously.
". . .I wasn't the one who came up with this idea. . ." Caroline ranted.
"Caroline." The other staff edged away from her.
". . .It was you lot that did this. . .."
"Caroline. . ." One of them tugged her sleeve.
". . .But what should we do about it. . .?"
"Do about what Caroline?" Adam stepped forward. Caroline stopped "Come on Caroline. Do about what?"
"Shall we go inside and talk about this?" Caroline put her hand on Adam's shoulder.
Kate walked towards them and stopped.
"Hi Kate. Caroline is just about to tell me what is going on." Kate froze and pointed. "What's up?" Adam stopped and turned round. Suddenly it all became clear...
~~~