Altered Affection

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### Chapter 1

Calypso sat on her bed braiding her brown hair. Her freckled cheeks were a rosy pink and her brown eyes were twinkling in the dawn light. She tied the braid off and placed a dark green beret over her head, angling it gently. Her black coat went down to her hips and then curled upwards.

She had black leggings on and a pale redish-pink, knit scarf. She slipped her black riding boots and stood up. She grabbed her phone and her survival pack that her mother insisted she always carried with her when she went out riding.

Calypso opened the door of her room and walked into the hall. She walked through the dark hall until she got into the bright living room. Her mom was laying on the couch rapped in a blanket like normal and her dad was sitting in his recliner.

Her mom's eyes didn't twinkle anymore. All she ever did was sit on the couch watching television. A shiver went down Calypso's eyes as she stared at her sick mother. Calypso stood in the center of the room waiting for dad to notice.

"Morning, honey." Dad turned his head and smiled. His eyes were dark brown pits of nothing. He stayed up all night with his wife.

"Morning dad." Calypso murmured as she stiffed a yawn.

"Are you going out on a ride?" Dad asked. Calypso nodded. "Have fun then." He turned his head back to the television and Calypso took a deep breath, walking to the door. She exited the house and onto the wooden front porch.

She jumped from the porch and landed beside the bush. Calypso raced through the snowy grass to the red barn. She opened the door and dashed to the stall labeled *Rage.* She looked in to see a beautiful ginger horse.

"Hey boy." She laughed as Rage shoved his nose into her hands. "Ready for a ride?" She grabbed his halter and opened the stall door, leading him out into the barn. She clipped his halter to the ropes and began to brush him down.

Calypso went into the saddle room and brought out a leather saddle. She placed a brown saddle blanket on Rage's back before placing his saddle on. She pulled the buckles tight and buckled his harness. She ran her fingers through his long, ginger mane.

"Come on." She cooed and led him out of the barn, making sure to close the door. She placed a foot in the stirrup and hoisted herself upwards, swinging her leg over Rage's back and into the opposite stirrup. She made a clucking noise and Rage began to walk.

Calypso made another clucking noise and Rage began to trot. They entered the snowy pine forest. She ran one finger through Rage's made again.

"Lets go, Rage." She yelled as she clicked her heals against his sides. Rage let out a neigh and took off running through the snowy forest. Snow kicked up behind the ginger horse as he ran through the pine trees.

She pulled his reigns gently back and he began to slow. She looked round, realizing that they had ventured farther than Calypso recognized. She pulled Rage to a stop and reached back to the saddle-pack. Calypso felt around and pulled out a map.

Calypso looked moved her finger across the paper to a red circle around the words, *BEAR RIVER RANCH.* She followed a small line that marked the path she had taken. She estimated that she had road about two miles.

"Calypso?" Calypso jerked her head up as a boy on a silver horse trotted through the screen of trees. *Grant.*

### Chapter 2

Calypso stared at Grant as he trotted closer. She tried to recall his horses name, thinking of all the times he bragged about his horse at school. She concluded that the horses name was Bolt.

"Nice horse you got there. What's his name?" Grant asked. Calypso over it when people complimented her horse.

"His name is Rage. What's your horses name?" She asked as she ran her fingers through Rage's silky mane.

"Rage. I like that name." Grant announced. "This is Soap."

"Cool." Calypso responded. "No!" She yelled as the map flew out of her hands. She reached her hand out to grab it and slid off of Rage's back. She let out a cry of pain as she hit the snowy ground. Clutching her knee, she watched as the map flew away.

"Are you okay?" Grant leapt off of Soap and ran to her side.

"Yeah. I just fell." She responded and sat up, still clutching her knee. "Help me up." Calypso held onto Grant's arm as she attempted to stand up. She pressed her foot against the ground seeing if her knee would hold her and let out a cry of shock, falling into Grant's arms.

"Here, lets sit down. You should be fine after some rest." Grant lead Calypso to the base of a tree and helped her sit down.

"Thanks." Calypso sighed. Grant tied Soap and Rage to a tree and sat down beside Calypso. Calypso was silent with embarrassment as she stared into the endless pine trees.