Categories > Original > Drama > Beat of Their Own Drums
Into the Fire
0 reviewsKeefe was born and raised in the city. He's hardly ever seen very many horses in his lifetime, much less ridden one. Song used: Thirteen Senses' "Into the Fire"
0Unrated
A/N: Okay, so Keefers is becoming more and more popular with me. I tried something a little different here, but I'm not sure how well the lyrics fit.
Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to "Into the Fire".
Song Used: Thirteen Senses' "Into the Fire".
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Twenty-Nine: Into the Fire
Puppet: Keefe O'Kane
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Come on, come on,
Put your hands into the fire,
Explain, explain,
As I turn and meet the power,
This time, this time,
Turning white and senses dying,
Pull up, pull up,
From one extreme to another...
“So you've really never ridden before?”
At first, I didn't answer. I pressed my lips together for a moment thoughtfully, considering the idea of lying and saying I knew exactly what I was doing. I blinked slowly at her, masking my embarrassment as best I could (which was pretty well, I'm told) and deciding that it was probably a better idea just to tell the truth. “No.”
Casey Thane laughed and my knees nearly gave out from underneath me, despite the fact that I had the nagging thought that perhaps she was laughing at me. She reached up and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, leaning her head gently on my shoulder while walking with me all at the same time. “Don't be nervous,” she chided, “it's fun!”
I stiffened sharply at the idea of anxiety. “Nervous?” I repeated, unable to keep the irritation out of my voice, “Who said I was nervous?”
She giggled, and I wasn't sure if that was because she was completely oblivious to my agitation or if she had simply chosen to ignore it. “You never said anything,” she drawled, patting my chest fondly, “but your heart's beating a little fast.”
That's because you're hanging all over me and I really just want to kiss you, cowgirl. I thought to myself, thinking it better to keep that to myself than say it out loud. “I'm not nervous.” I insisted, sticking my chin out a little.
We said nothing more to each other on the way to the barn. The door was big and broad with peeling black paint and slightly splintered wood, and it creaked pitifully on its hinges when I pulled on it. Instantly there were several horses that whinnied out a greeting to us, and Casey greeted them all with a wave. “Hey gang!” she called cheerfully, “I brought a friend!”
“Come on!” she turned to me just as eagerly, “I know just who you should meet.”
I cocked an eyebrow. The way she talked about these animals, one would think that they had been lifetime friends of hers. I followed her to one of the stalls, out of which a massive horse with a blood-hued coat poked its head out and nickered a welcoming greeting. “This big guy is Russell. Russ, meet Keefe. Keefe, meet Russ.”
I reached out to touch Russell's soft muzzle, but the huge animal snorted and flinched away from my hand. Startled into silence, I glanced tensely at Casey. “Um...okay. So I'm nervous.”
From the summer to the spring,
From the mountain to the air,
From Samaritan to sin,
And it's waiting on the end...
Casey tilted a skeptical eyebrow, the tiniest hints of a smirk tugging at one side of her mouth. “Oh really?” she teased, “You aren't gonna chicken out on me now, are you?”
I bit the inside of my cheek, glancing from her to Russell. “Well...”
The chestnut's ears flickered at a fly that happened to be buzzing around them, but otherwise he didn't budge an inch. He was a tall animal, with big, thick, well-defined muscles tucked safely underneath a coat that was as bright and fiery as flames themselves. His large, round dark eyes looked questioningly into mine, partly hidden underneath a wispy, well groomed mane that was black as coal. He had a broad stripe of white streaking down his muzzle that seemed to tilt slightly to the left, and I could swear that his boxy head was tilted slightly to one side as if he too, was confused and anxious.
Even in the warm, cozy feel of the barn, everything about him just seemed to scream power and sheer size. I wasn't sure if I would be entirely safe up there.
“Aw, Keefe,” Casey scolded again, making me feel very much like a five-year-old frightened of the Bogeyman hiding under the bed, “there's nothin' to be afraid of! Russell's a sweetheart, just wait and see. I'm gonna go get Trooper ready. You two can get acquainted, all right?”
Wait, she was going to leave me here with him? What if I did something wrong? What if I hurt him? Or worse, what if he hurt me? I kept a calm expression, but I could feel my act starting to slip. “Sure. Don't take too long.”
I added a little wink after that, putting on the air that I was far more confident than I was feeling. Oh, I'm so good.
She giggled, but she didn't say anything else and I was left to listen to her departing footsteps on the hard wooden floor of the barn.
I looked helplessly up at Russell, wondering how I was going to pull this off. I was supposed to be Keefe O'Kane, the guy who never flinched away from anything, and here I was, frightened of a horse that obviously wasn't going to do any harm. And if I bailed out in front of Casey...she wouldn't be so impressed with me then, now, would she?
I hated being afraid of things. No matter how small or unimportant a matter it was, if I let it scare me, it just made me feel as if something inside had died. Maybe it was my courage, which I valued more than anything in the world. Maybe it was my pride, which I've been told was easily bruised and more fragile than I wanted to admit. I don't know.
It was kind of like how summertime droughts dried up the water and thus killed the plants. Fear became like the suns rays, dried up my bravery and therefore slew my pride.
Maybe I just needed it to rain.
Come on, come on,
Put your hands into the fire,
Explain, explain,
As I turn and face the power,
This time, this time,
Turning white and senses dying,
Pull up, pull up,
From one extreme to the other...
I slowly sucked in my breath and tilted my head back so I could look Russell in the eye, wondering if animals could feel the supposed intensity of my gaze the way people did. I'd always wondered, but I'd never really been interested in creatures with fur, scales, or feathers, so I'd never really gotten a chance to experiment.
The chestnut's massive head bobbed gently up and down and he nickered softly as if saying hello, seeming much more welcoming than he had been just a few moments ago. I felt the beginnings of a smile, but forced myself to keep a level head. I didn't know much about horses, and for all I knew that could be some sign of aggression.
Cautiously I reached out to him again, this time being sure to move very slowly so as not to startle him again. Gently so as not to scare him with the sudden pressure, I rested my hand on his velvety muzzle. As soon as I had touched him, his head stilled, accepting my hand with nothing but a slight flare of his nostrils and quick blink of his soft eyes.
“Um, hi,” I mumbled awkwardly, unsure as to why I was talking to him as if he could understand me, “like Case said, my name's Keefe.”
The muscles on his right shoulder twitched and sent a frustrated fly buzzing away.
“Look, I need you to behave once we get out there, okay?” I told him, experimentally rubbing up between his eyes and down his blaze, “I...I really like Casey and don't want to be made a fool of. I'm kinda afraid of horses, see...”
Russell tossed his head a little, flipping his mane out of his eyes.
“Hey, hey, hey! Don't take it personally, big guy,” I was slowly beginning to realize that if I talked to him like he was a regular person, it somehow made him seem a lot less intimidating, “it's just that I've lived in the city all my life and have only seen about three real horses, much less ridden them. I'm not like the other people here.”
“I'll say! Most folks talk to them like they're babies!”
I hid my surprise rather well, glancing coolly over my shoulder in acknowledgment to Casey. She had a fully tacked gray with a dappled coat standing next to her and a saddle in her arms. “I don't think anyone could get away with treating Russell like a baby.”
She just laughed and without giving me a chance to help started tacking up Russell for me. I watched, sucking in courage with every new breath, and awaited the moment of truth.
From the summer to the spring,
From the mountain to the air,
From Samaritan to sin,
And it's waiting on the end...
Once Casey was finished, Russell looked even larger and even more intimidating. The saddle only made his back seem that much farther from the ground and the long reins made his long neck seem even longer. I wasn't sure if I was entirely comfortable when she handed me the reins so I could lead him outside, but I couldn't make it seem like I was as scared as I felt.
“It's real easy,” Casey assured me for what seemed to be the millionth time that day, “just steer him with the reins, like in a car. If you need him to stop, just tug back on the reins a bit, and when you want him to go faster, ya' give him a little nudge with your heels.”
I swallowed hard. And if he bolts, I just hold on and you notify my next of kin, right?
I slid the barn door shut behind me and I blinked in the sudden sunlight. It had been a little dark and musky in there, but I couldn't say that I wasn't glad to be rid of it. Just as I was about to shield my eyes with my hand she had appeared at my side. “You'll do fine. Just follow me,” she murmured comfortingly in my ear, standing up on her tip toes and pecking me lightly on the cheek, “I can show you all the secret trails.”
Encouraged by the promise of discovery as well as some time spent alone with her, I felt my bravery return. I watched carefully as she mounted Trooper and, though it was hard considering Russell's height, followed her example.
There was my thunderstorm right when I needed it.
And now I'm alone I'm looking out, I'm looking in,
Way down, the lights are dimmer,
Now I'm alone I'm looking out, I'm looking in,
Way down, the lights are dimmer...
All at once my senses faded to white and a feeling of raw power rushed through every fiber of my being, surging into my muscles like wild water being released from a dam and coursing through every small vein under my skin, taking momentary control over my heart and completely replacing blood. There I was, in total command of a creature much mightier than I, sitting high and tall, half expecting to notice annoying clouds brushing over my shoulders or high-flying birds to be swooping around my hands. The feeling was so intense, so demanding of my utmost attention that I was temporarily unaware of anything and everything that was going on around me.
Not only that, but I'd conquered my fear. It didn't matter that it had only been a small touch of anxiety and it could've been a huge phobia I'd had all my life for all I cared. I'd beaten it. I'd gotten up on a horse, and now there was nothing anyone or anything could do to stop me. I felt invincible. Untouchable. Powerful.
I chuckled in gleeful satisfaction with myself and glanced downward, realizing just exactly how far off the ground I was. This must be how God felt, peering down at all us small, dim souls.
Oooooh...
“I had a feeling you were gonna like it.” Casey told me, suddenly drawing me away from my own mind. I glanced up at her, smiling broader than I had in a long, long time, just in time to see her wink knowingly.
“Like it?” I repeated, “I haven't even gone anywhere yet and I think I've discovered a new favorite pastime.”
The golden-haired girl laughed and flicked her hair out of the way with a toss of her head, almost matching the way the horses did. I couldn't help but wonder if she had learned it from them. “Don't get ahead of yourself, greenhorn,” she joked, a mischievous smirk slithering across her pretty face, “you still have to keep up.”
Eager to give it a try, I gently prodded Russell's sides with the odd-feeling boots I'd been forced to put on. Obediently the burly chestnut started forward in a slow, even walk, then when he reached Trooper's side I tugged back on the reins as she'd instructed. My right leg brushed against not only Russell's flank, but Trooper's too. I grinned over at her, the feeling of absolute control intoxicating my senses and clouding my brain. “What? You'd really make the poor inexperienced city boy take a crash course?”
“Who said I was going to make you?” Casey questioned, “I think you're gonna come all on your own.”
I cocked one eyebrow. “Oh yeah? What if I -”
I didn't have a chance to finish my sentence. Somewhere in between words, the blue-eyed girl leaned toward me in the saddle and stilled my lips with her own. The kiss, unexpected and dripping with startling passion, pushed me right over the edge. I couldn't help but feel like my senses were overwhelmed by everything all at once. I felt like a computer drive trying to process more information than I was capable of.
Then it all went white and I was free.
This morning when I got up, my life had been completely normal, unremarkable; boring, even. But now, everything felt like it was spinning out of control. It was moments like this, these instances where black and white were so easily distinguishable that a blind man could tell the difference, when I found peace.
I wasn't sure how much time had passed by the time she broke away, but I knew that it was far too soon. She was smiling still, trouble and mischief glittering in her eyes. “You'll get another as soon as you catch me!”
With that, she clicked her tongue and Trooper broke away in a haphazard gallop.
I watched in silence for a moment. “How do you feel about a run, Russ?”
Come on, come on,
Put your hands into the fire,
Come on, come on.
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A/N: I really liked the dialogue for this particular bit. Keefe and Casey are a new experiment of mine and I really like how they're turning out. Still, I'm not sure if I managed to make the story fit with the lyrics very well.
Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to "Into the Fire".
Song Used: Thirteen Senses' "Into the Fire".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Twenty-Nine: Into the Fire
Puppet: Keefe O'Kane
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Come on, come on,
Put your hands into the fire,
Explain, explain,
As I turn and meet the power,
This time, this time,
Turning white and senses dying,
Pull up, pull up,
From one extreme to another...
“So you've really never ridden before?”
At first, I didn't answer. I pressed my lips together for a moment thoughtfully, considering the idea of lying and saying I knew exactly what I was doing. I blinked slowly at her, masking my embarrassment as best I could (which was pretty well, I'm told) and deciding that it was probably a better idea just to tell the truth. “No.”
Casey Thane laughed and my knees nearly gave out from underneath me, despite the fact that I had the nagging thought that perhaps she was laughing at me. She reached up and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, leaning her head gently on my shoulder while walking with me all at the same time. “Don't be nervous,” she chided, “it's fun!”
I stiffened sharply at the idea of anxiety. “Nervous?” I repeated, unable to keep the irritation out of my voice, “Who said I was nervous?”
She giggled, and I wasn't sure if that was because she was completely oblivious to my agitation or if she had simply chosen to ignore it. “You never said anything,” she drawled, patting my chest fondly, “but your heart's beating a little fast.”
That's because you're hanging all over me and I really just want to kiss you, cowgirl. I thought to myself, thinking it better to keep that to myself than say it out loud. “I'm not nervous.” I insisted, sticking my chin out a little.
We said nothing more to each other on the way to the barn. The door was big and broad with peeling black paint and slightly splintered wood, and it creaked pitifully on its hinges when I pulled on it. Instantly there were several horses that whinnied out a greeting to us, and Casey greeted them all with a wave. “Hey gang!” she called cheerfully, “I brought a friend!”
“Come on!” she turned to me just as eagerly, “I know just who you should meet.”
I cocked an eyebrow. The way she talked about these animals, one would think that they had been lifetime friends of hers. I followed her to one of the stalls, out of which a massive horse with a blood-hued coat poked its head out and nickered a welcoming greeting. “This big guy is Russell. Russ, meet Keefe. Keefe, meet Russ.”
I reached out to touch Russell's soft muzzle, but the huge animal snorted and flinched away from my hand. Startled into silence, I glanced tensely at Casey. “Um...okay. So I'm nervous.”
From the summer to the spring,
From the mountain to the air,
From Samaritan to sin,
And it's waiting on the end...
Casey tilted a skeptical eyebrow, the tiniest hints of a smirk tugging at one side of her mouth. “Oh really?” she teased, “You aren't gonna chicken out on me now, are you?”
I bit the inside of my cheek, glancing from her to Russell. “Well...”
The chestnut's ears flickered at a fly that happened to be buzzing around them, but otherwise he didn't budge an inch. He was a tall animal, with big, thick, well-defined muscles tucked safely underneath a coat that was as bright and fiery as flames themselves. His large, round dark eyes looked questioningly into mine, partly hidden underneath a wispy, well groomed mane that was black as coal. He had a broad stripe of white streaking down his muzzle that seemed to tilt slightly to the left, and I could swear that his boxy head was tilted slightly to one side as if he too, was confused and anxious.
Even in the warm, cozy feel of the barn, everything about him just seemed to scream power and sheer size. I wasn't sure if I would be entirely safe up there.
“Aw, Keefe,” Casey scolded again, making me feel very much like a five-year-old frightened of the Bogeyman hiding under the bed, “there's nothin' to be afraid of! Russell's a sweetheart, just wait and see. I'm gonna go get Trooper ready. You two can get acquainted, all right?”
Wait, she was going to leave me here with him? What if I did something wrong? What if I hurt him? Or worse, what if he hurt me? I kept a calm expression, but I could feel my act starting to slip. “Sure. Don't take too long.”
I added a little wink after that, putting on the air that I was far more confident than I was feeling. Oh, I'm so good.
She giggled, but she didn't say anything else and I was left to listen to her departing footsteps on the hard wooden floor of the barn.
I looked helplessly up at Russell, wondering how I was going to pull this off. I was supposed to be Keefe O'Kane, the guy who never flinched away from anything, and here I was, frightened of a horse that obviously wasn't going to do any harm. And if I bailed out in front of Casey...she wouldn't be so impressed with me then, now, would she?
I hated being afraid of things. No matter how small or unimportant a matter it was, if I let it scare me, it just made me feel as if something inside had died. Maybe it was my courage, which I valued more than anything in the world. Maybe it was my pride, which I've been told was easily bruised and more fragile than I wanted to admit. I don't know.
It was kind of like how summertime droughts dried up the water and thus killed the plants. Fear became like the suns rays, dried up my bravery and therefore slew my pride.
Maybe I just needed it to rain.
Come on, come on,
Put your hands into the fire,
Explain, explain,
As I turn and face the power,
This time, this time,
Turning white and senses dying,
Pull up, pull up,
From one extreme to the other...
I slowly sucked in my breath and tilted my head back so I could look Russell in the eye, wondering if animals could feel the supposed intensity of my gaze the way people did. I'd always wondered, but I'd never really been interested in creatures with fur, scales, or feathers, so I'd never really gotten a chance to experiment.
The chestnut's massive head bobbed gently up and down and he nickered softly as if saying hello, seeming much more welcoming than he had been just a few moments ago. I felt the beginnings of a smile, but forced myself to keep a level head. I didn't know much about horses, and for all I knew that could be some sign of aggression.
Cautiously I reached out to him again, this time being sure to move very slowly so as not to startle him again. Gently so as not to scare him with the sudden pressure, I rested my hand on his velvety muzzle. As soon as I had touched him, his head stilled, accepting my hand with nothing but a slight flare of his nostrils and quick blink of his soft eyes.
“Um, hi,” I mumbled awkwardly, unsure as to why I was talking to him as if he could understand me, “like Case said, my name's Keefe.”
The muscles on his right shoulder twitched and sent a frustrated fly buzzing away.
“Look, I need you to behave once we get out there, okay?” I told him, experimentally rubbing up between his eyes and down his blaze, “I...I really like Casey and don't want to be made a fool of. I'm kinda afraid of horses, see...”
Russell tossed his head a little, flipping his mane out of his eyes.
“Hey, hey, hey! Don't take it personally, big guy,” I was slowly beginning to realize that if I talked to him like he was a regular person, it somehow made him seem a lot less intimidating, “it's just that I've lived in the city all my life and have only seen about three real horses, much less ridden them. I'm not like the other people here.”
“I'll say! Most folks talk to them like they're babies!”
I hid my surprise rather well, glancing coolly over my shoulder in acknowledgment to Casey. She had a fully tacked gray with a dappled coat standing next to her and a saddle in her arms. “I don't think anyone could get away with treating Russell like a baby.”
She just laughed and without giving me a chance to help started tacking up Russell for me. I watched, sucking in courage with every new breath, and awaited the moment of truth.
From the summer to the spring,
From the mountain to the air,
From Samaritan to sin,
And it's waiting on the end...
Once Casey was finished, Russell looked even larger and even more intimidating. The saddle only made his back seem that much farther from the ground and the long reins made his long neck seem even longer. I wasn't sure if I was entirely comfortable when she handed me the reins so I could lead him outside, but I couldn't make it seem like I was as scared as I felt.
“It's real easy,” Casey assured me for what seemed to be the millionth time that day, “just steer him with the reins, like in a car. If you need him to stop, just tug back on the reins a bit, and when you want him to go faster, ya' give him a little nudge with your heels.”
I swallowed hard. And if he bolts, I just hold on and you notify my next of kin, right?
I slid the barn door shut behind me and I blinked in the sudden sunlight. It had been a little dark and musky in there, but I couldn't say that I wasn't glad to be rid of it. Just as I was about to shield my eyes with my hand she had appeared at my side. “You'll do fine. Just follow me,” she murmured comfortingly in my ear, standing up on her tip toes and pecking me lightly on the cheek, “I can show you all the secret trails.”
Encouraged by the promise of discovery as well as some time spent alone with her, I felt my bravery return. I watched carefully as she mounted Trooper and, though it was hard considering Russell's height, followed her example.
There was my thunderstorm right when I needed it.
And now I'm alone I'm looking out, I'm looking in,
Way down, the lights are dimmer,
Now I'm alone I'm looking out, I'm looking in,
Way down, the lights are dimmer...
All at once my senses faded to white and a feeling of raw power rushed through every fiber of my being, surging into my muscles like wild water being released from a dam and coursing through every small vein under my skin, taking momentary control over my heart and completely replacing blood. There I was, in total command of a creature much mightier than I, sitting high and tall, half expecting to notice annoying clouds brushing over my shoulders or high-flying birds to be swooping around my hands. The feeling was so intense, so demanding of my utmost attention that I was temporarily unaware of anything and everything that was going on around me.
Not only that, but I'd conquered my fear. It didn't matter that it had only been a small touch of anxiety and it could've been a huge phobia I'd had all my life for all I cared. I'd beaten it. I'd gotten up on a horse, and now there was nothing anyone or anything could do to stop me. I felt invincible. Untouchable. Powerful.
I chuckled in gleeful satisfaction with myself and glanced downward, realizing just exactly how far off the ground I was. This must be how God felt, peering down at all us small, dim souls.
Oooooh...
“I had a feeling you were gonna like it.” Casey told me, suddenly drawing me away from my own mind. I glanced up at her, smiling broader than I had in a long, long time, just in time to see her wink knowingly.
“Like it?” I repeated, “I haven't even gone anywhere yet and I think I've discovered a new favorite pastime.”
The golden-haired girl laughed and flicked her hair out of the way with a toss of her head, almost matching the way the horses did. I couldn't help but wonder if she had learned it from them. “Don't get ahead of yourself, greenhorn,” she joked, a mischievous smirk slithering across her pretty face, “you still have to keep up.”
Eager to give it a try, I gently prodded Russell's sides with the odd-feeling boots I'd been forced to put on. Obediently the burly chestnut started forward in a slow, even walk, then when he reached Trooper's side I tugged back on the reins as she'd instructed. My right leg brushed against not only Russell's flank, but Trooper's too. I grinned over at her, the feeling of absolute control intoxicating my senses and clouding my brain. “What? You'd really make the poor inexperienced city boy take a crash course?”
“Who said I was going to make you?” Casey questioned, “I think you're gonna come all on your own.”
I cocked one eyebrow. “Oh yeah? What if I -”
I didn't have a chance to finish my sentence. Somewhere in between words, the blue-eyed girl leaned toward me in the saddle and stilled my lips with her own. The kiss, unexpected and dripping with startling passion, pushed me right over the edge. I couldn't help but feel like my senses were overwhelmed by everything all at once. I felt like a computer drive trying to process more information than I was capable of.
Then it all went white and I was free.
This morning when I got up, my life had been completely normal, unremarkable; boring, even. But now, everything felt like it was spinning out of control. It was moments like this, these instances where black and white were so easily distinguishable that a blind man could tell the difference, when I found peace.
I wasn't sure how much time had passed by the time she broke away, but I knew that it was far too soon. She was smiling still, trouble and mischief glittering in her eyes. “You'll get another as soon as you catch me!”
With that, she clicked her tongue and Trooper broke away in a haphazard gallop.
I watched in silence for a moment. “How do you feel about a run, Russ?”
Come on, come on,
Put your hands into the fire,
Come on, come on.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I really liked the dialogue for this particular bit. Keefe and Casey are a new experiment of mine and I really like how they're turning out. Still, I'm not sure if I managed to make the story fit with the lyrics very well.
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