James and the Pony Express

   One day, a dog named Flounder, a girl named Anelise, and a boy named James were playing in the haystacks by the road when a pony express rider rode by them. One day I will be on that route, bringing mail to all the people. they will all come rushing to me, saying things like, “oh thank you “ and, “you have just made my day”. James thought. Flounder jumped out of the haystack he was in and over the fence to chase the horse and rider. Anelise and James chased after him, half trying to catch Flounder and half trying to beat the townsfolk to the mail.

   “You’re late”, James father grumbled. “You had to be home before I got home for my lunch.” he was sitting on his chair in the family room. “Sorry sir.” James said , not meaning a bit what he had said.

   “I was just so exci”-

   “No excuses”

his father interrupted. “ Where’s Mama ?” James quietly asked while his father muttered something under his breath. “ She’s in the kitchen, makin’ tuna casserole for supper “. James made a face, he hated tuna casserole as much as he hated getting a beating from his father.  I wish I could live with Flounder. James thought.

   Flounder was the dog that Anelise and James found on the side of the road two years ago. He had been dumped out by his family and was severely injured. Anelise’s mother had lived on a farm with 14 dogs that each had about 5 puppies every year. They took the dog to Anelise’s mother hoping that they could have him if he survived. Right away Anelise started calling the dog Flounder. He had survived but sometimes limped on his front right paw. He lived in a old hunting shack on the edge of the field.

   Meanwhile, back at Anelise’s house, Anelise was having a lesson from her mother about doing the dishes “ Make sure you hold the spoon at the right angle so you can see your reflection, and if you can, then you will know that you have the spoon cleaned properly” Dishes this, dishes that. Anelise thought. I want to be with Flounder.

Oh no! Flounder! I must tell mama about Flounder in the storm! “Gosh, the storm is mighty bad out there.” Mother muttered.

   The town was flooded the next day, and there was no one to deliver the taxes! Then, James stepped forward, and volunteered! He said, “I’ll go! I can ride a horse and battle hostile indians!”. Most people laughed, his mama cried, and his daddy just stood there with his face beet-red, then his daddy yelled,

“ Boy! You were supposed to be shipped off in a week to be a marine! You are just trying to get out of going to combat because we both know you will get killed!”

his mama started crying even harder.

   “I hate you! You have had enough of me for the last sixteen years! You just want me to be killed so you don’t have deal with me!”

James yelled back. James’s mama wailed even louder and ran up the steps and straight into Anelise’s house. Meanwhile, the people who were watching started to mutter things to the people around them. James’s father just stood there, statue still. Anelise ran into her house and tried to help her mama calm down James’s mama. James ran to find Flounder, who was floating on a raft that he had jumped on while it was floating by during the flood last night.  

   That night, James was sitting in the pony express office, filling out a form to be a rider. Boy, he thought, Pa really don’t want me goin’ an’ ridin’ horses like a cowboy. I could tell from the first time he gave me a beatin’ that he hated me. I am useless ta’ him . That day, Anelise begged her mom to keep Flounder in the house so he would be safe, and her mama and daddy let her. So she lay with Flounder on her bed, listening to one of the stories from her mama’s storybook. “ And they all live happily ever after.”   Anelise sighed, she loved it when her mama read her stories and ended them that way. Flounder whined, looked at Anelise, and hiccuped. Anelsie’s daddy came into her bedroom and said, “Gosh, that dog sure does love living here” then  he gave Flounder a treat.

   The next day, James headed out to the Pony Express station wondering if he would really make it out in the wild. Maybe Pa was right, maybe I am still just a little boy. “No” he said to himself, “You can’t let yourself think that”. Just then, Flounder and Anelise jumped out of the bush behind James and scared the living daylights out of him. Flounder barked, and parts of a doughnut came out of his mouth. Anelise and James laughed. Flounder always made awkward moments better with a doughnut.

   “Well, I guess that this is goodbye?”

   Anelise asked,

   “I am kind of more of a so long kind of guy”

   James replied.

   “Well then, so long”

   Anelise said quietly.

   “Yeah, so long”

   A tear rolled down Anelise’s cheek and she raced back into her house, Flounder barked once, and then ran in after Anelise. James was fighting back tears the whole time they had talked, and when his mama came out to bid him farewell, he let them out. “ Mama, I love you” he said between sobs. She had tears in her eyes too, but wouldn’t let them out, at least not now. James’s father just stood in the window of the sheriff’s office with a smug look on his face. James started crying even harder. He really does hate me! James realized. With that, he pulled away from his mother and ran straight into the barn where the pony express horses were kept. Inside the barn, a horse was being saddled up for James and then he overheard a man talking on the phone “ Don’t worry, Mr. Flann, I made sure that I gave him the most dangerous horse in the barn”. The man was talking to James’s father! Then the door slammed on the barn and the head of the station came into the room where the horse James was supposed to ride was standing.

   “WHY IS THIS HORSE, THE MOST DANGEROUS HORSE, BEING SADDLED FOR OUR NEWEST MEMBER TO RIDE?”

the head of the pony express hollered,

   “Oh s-s-sir”

the man who was talking to James’s father stumbled over the words he spoke.

That afternoon, at exactly two o’clock, all the townsfolk bid James goodbye and his father stood in the window with the same smug look on his face. His mama stood hunched over like she had a real bad stomach ache. Anelise cried in the corner, and Flounder sat with sad eyes and watched her.  

   After about an hour or two, James rode by a huge cave. By the cave was a huge bush. The bush rattled when they passed it. Boy, I sure hope it’s a rabbit. I’m mighty hungry right now. James thought. Machi, the horse James was riding, thudded to a stop. A wolf jumped out in front of them. As if it were on cue, five more wolves jumped out and surrounded them. James snapped the reins, and Machi broke into a breakneck speed gallop. Just as Machi started running, the leader of the wolves jumped out, nearly missing the mochila, the square saddle covering that held the mail.

   That night, Anelise sat on her front porch wishing on every shooting star that would come by. Although she didn’t know it, Flounder was wishing on all the stars too, hoping that James would come back to them and give him more doughnuts and ice cream. That Anelise would regain the sparkle in her eyes when she was with him, and the town would stop talking about the big fight that happened just before James had left. Anelise’s mother would start to cook for her and her father again, not for James’s parents. Flounder sighed, hoping that Anelise would give him some attention and play with him, as James had done when he was still there.  

   James found a cave to sleep in while he had to wait the rain out. He sparked a fire, and snuggled up close to Machi to keep warm. Even though Machi was asleep, he did not stir when James lay against his side. Then the ground thundered, and James jumped to his feet. There is something out there. James thought. A huge dog and fox jumped out and blocked the opening of the cave, their backs to James and Machi. A giant bear appeared from the trees, bearing it’s teeth at the fox and dog, clearly missing James and Machi. The dog snarled, the fox swished its tail, and the bear ran away.

   The fox and dog turned to James an Machi, wagging their tails. “ You saved us.” James whispered. They weren’t going anywhere, and James didn’t mind that. He turned to the fox and said, “ I’ll name you Runner” and turned to the dog and said “ I’ll name you Jumper, together you’ll be R.J.”. The dog yipped at the thought of having a name. The fox just ran in circles, chasing its tail. Then, James lay back down on Machi, who was clearly aware of what just happened and wasn’t going to sleep anymore, and Runner and Jumper, or R.J. , lay with him. They seemed to remind James of flounder, but he was sure they would never accept one of his doughnuts.

   The next morning, Anelise woke up early to make breakfast for her and her father. But, her father had already beat her to it and was cooking eggs and bacon, a special meal. She started to cut oranges in halves to squeeze into orange juice. Flounder raced down the stairs, smelling the bacon and instantly wanting some. Her mother was already making sweet potatoes for James’s parents supper. Why can’t they just make their own meals? It’s not like they’re royalty or something, we are just as special as them, not their servants. Anelise thought, clearly annoyed. Her parents stopped everything when they saw her annoyed look. Her mother looked at her father with a “ what now?” kind of look. Anelise sighed, and went back up the stairs and back to bed. They were keeping something from her, and Anelise didn’t like it.

   James woke up and the first thing he saw was R.J. staring right at him. Machi was over in the corner of the cave drinking the water dripping from a crack in the cave. James relighted the fire and pulled out the last of the cookies he had, a special treat from the old ladies in the bakery. His kindergarten teacher gave him a warm sleeping bag and a nice pillow so that he wouldn’t get those cramps in his neck like she always would when he was little.     

   Anelise strolled into the pony express station with confidence, hoping to find a job working with the horses. The head came out of his office, eating a cookie. “ What do you want?” he asked, chewing with his mouth open. “ I want  job working with the horses.” Anelise replied with an even snobbier tone than the man had used. A horse reared in it’s stall. Anelise came to its side and it calmed down immediately. “ I see you have a thing with horses.” the man said, impressed. He led her into his office and gave her a job.

   The rain stopped, and James rode on the trail into the woods. he had to get that mail back to the government. Within 14 miles or so, James saw the city. He had never seen a huge city before, just his hometown.

An indian jumped out in front of Machi and waved his club. He yelled something in his language, but James didn’t understand. Two other indians jumped out and James rode off, hoping they would be too happy about finally catching someone to notice the someone that they caught was gone.

   Brinnley threw her rag on the counter. She sighed, now, I have to go home and help Gran with supper. Great. Brinnley’s mother and father were murdered last year on October 28. Their murderer was still being hunted by the police, whom had to come by the house every night to see if Brinnley had gotten any threatening letters that day. She had received one two weeks ago. It read,

   Brinnley,

You are my next target. Watch out for anyone who looks suspicious. I will be waiting at your house in exactly twelve weeks.         

                          BE THERE,

                    your killer

   She was escorted everywhere and was never left alone. She hated having no privacy but at least she was safe. When she wanted some privacy, though, a lady police officer would come into the room and two males would stand outside the door.

   As Brinnley was walking home, the most handsome man she had ever seen rode up on the most beautiful horse she had ever seen. “Might I ask whom you are?” James asked Brinnley politely. “My name is Brinnley” Brinnley replied daintily. “Well, you must be very important if you are escorted everywhere” James said, clearly impressed.  “No, I am just trying to be murdered by someone who means business.”  Brinnley replied, looking behind her to make sure she still had security on both sides of her.

   James followed Brinnley back to her house. When the policeman opened the door, a man with a cloak over his head jumped out with a macchetto and screamed. James grabbed Brinnley and pulled her up on his horse. They rode off to the Pony Express Station and waited until the police came and told Brinnley she could come back to her house. “No.” James said sternly. “I will get a room at the finest in.” The police let him get the two a room.

James proposed in the hotel room that night even though he didn’t have a ring. Brinnley said yes and they arranged to be wed the next day. They picked out a dress that night and arranged to be wed in the main hall at the hotel.

   The day after they got married, James and Brinnley rode back to James’s hometown and Anelise was the first one to see. She had hoped that James would come back and marry her. But her dreams failed her and she would have to find someone else.

          Proulouge

   After two years of being married, James and Brinnley had four little children. One boy, and three girls. All of them twins. Anelise found love with another man named John, and the two of them had 12 lovely children. The police from Brinnley’s hometown found out that the killer was James’s father.  He was sentenced to death or, torture. Flounder ended up living with Anelise and her family. Runner and Jumper lived with James and Brinnley. Anelise found out what her parents were keeping from her, her mother was dying. Machi was promoted to being a war horse and served for 8 years in combat before retiring to a stable and then a petting zoo.