Grief
With a loud clank the final dish was placed on the dining table. Granny Smith sighed before running her hands under the tap. She glanced back at the table with a small smile, another meal prepared and waiting for her family. She walked outside and up to the triangle that hung by the back steps and rang it three times. The high pitched gongs echoed throughout the empty orchard far farther than most would think possible. When nothing came running she huffed and went to sit at the table. With a drawn out sigh sat there waiting for her three grandchildren to run through the door. Something she knew was never to happen, something she knew never happened. Not today at least.
But, like all of her offspring and their offspring after them, she was stubborn and refused to accept defeat. With angry steps, she marched over to the open screen door and with a loud shout she called out, "Kids! Come and get it!" Again only silence was her answer. "Apple Bloom?" She yelled out. Her hands began to get clammy as she began to think of why Apple Bloom wouldn't come when she called. "Where in tarnation is that girl?" She asked herself "AJ? Macintosh!? Someone answer me dang it!" Granny whipped off her apron with a frustrated grunt. She looked back at the table. Whole carrots, chopped cucumbers, beef and cheese casserole. All of it wasted. Again! She pulled out the chair forcibly and sat back down with a huff. For an elderly gal, Granny Smith was many things. Cheery, athletic, a loving grandmother... But one thing she could never say about herself was that she was docile when upset. Her frustration and disappointment at her grandchildren, however began to leave her after a short while sitting in the chair. In it's place came a familiar feeling that, like clockwork, struck only on this day every year.
Her fists clenched in anger, sadness and loathing, as memories flooded back to her. Twelve years. Twelve years should be enough right? Why was it never enough! She shouldn't have to keep seeing his face in her dreams. She shouldn't have to bear the looks of the town's folk when she walked with her family! She yelled. She yelled as she swept her arms across the table, throwing food, drinks, and dishes onto the ground. She yelled as she fell to her knees and clutched her stomach. Finally after what seemed like an eternity fighting. The Apple Matriarch succumbed to the war she was fighting internally. A single tear fell on to food stained dress... just as it did twelve years ago. Followed by what can only be described as pain in it's truest form. Or in other words. A grieving mother's wail.
Apple Bloom walked among the orchard her hands shoved into her overalls. She never liked ignoring Granny on any occasion, least during times when Granny was in pain. But today was different. She once came when she was called, back when she was first learning how to help with the farm chores. If it wasn't for Big Macintosh's timely intervention who knows what would have happened. All she knew was that she never wanted to see her grandmother like that again for the rest of her life.
Out of all of her family, Apple Bloom was perhaps the least affected by the day. She still didn't know all the details, she was only one when it happened. She stopped by a seemingly random tree. In the bark there were two sets of letters surrounded by a heart: HS+HA. She knew who those belonged to. She placed her hand on the rough bark as she tried to remember anything about her parents. She only got a single image of two people. She could make out red hair, bright green eyes and a slightly crooked smile that made the cheeks with all their freckles grow... Her father. The other figure had golden blond hair that seem to glow with pink bow tied in, a smooth face broken by a single mole on her right cheek. Add the fiery orange eyes that seemed to grab hold of you. It was no mistaking that woman. Apple Bloom smiled, it was her mom. She tried to remember their voices but nothing made itself known. She gasped as the images began to fade.
She smacked the tree as she began to sniff. Even though she had no episodes like her family she was still affected. Applebloom was raised without the secure foundation of parental guidance. She wasn't a little kid. She knew that if the Government were to deem her family unsuited to take care of her she would have no say. Sure, Big Mac took care of her like a dad. And would more likely die then give her up But... It just wasn't the same. A girl has to have parents... heck one of them would be better than none. Apple Bloom choked out a breath. She did nothing for a few seconds as she continued to think. Then she exclaimed, "It's not fair!" and slammed her small fist into the trunk of the tree she stood next to. She pulled it back as the pain started to register. She looked at it, nearly all of her knuckles were bleeding from small insanifagent cuts. Her eyes began to get watery as the tears that she held in for her mom and dad threatened to break free. She fell back against the tree and curled up her knees to hide her face away from the world as she opened up into her arms and knees. She would stay like that until the next morning when the sun rose over the mountains.
Big Macintosh was a man of routine. He did the same thing sun up to sun down with enough time in between for his family and friends. Some who him would often call him a rock because of the way he did things. He was a simple farmer, born of the Earth and would someday be buried beneath her. He was known by everyone in town, not because he was social. Lord only knows what would happen if someone found him attending a party. They might see that as a sign of the apocalypse. No he was known in town because of something that happened twelve years ago. Something that he did that helped a town heal. Now he wasn't the kind of man to show emotions, that another reason why he was called a rock. That didn't mean he wasn't emotional. On the few accounts where he was known to show emotion it was only because of his family. But unlike his normal rare emotional bursts the town was used to, every year on the same day he had a different emotional brust. One that anyone close to him or anyone old enough in town knew what it meant. Unlike his normal work day, Macintosh avoided the town, instead he ventured into the nearby Everfree forest with an axe and rope. Usually there were a few worried glances from people new to town or visiting family. No matter how many times it happened there were always questions. The town's folk who remembered the event would all shy away from the story letting the newer members of the community tell the tail. Each retelling was more dramatic than the next and it was always one brave older man or woman who would correct the exaggerations.
It would be hours later, after most of the town was home and resting, that he would return dragging the trunk of a tree that he had cut down. He grunted as the weight forced him to dig his feet into the ground only to move it by a few inches. His usually unreadable expression was etched with pain and anger. Letting out a shout he pulled the tree with enough force for him to continue to go. This would continue as he would continue on the path to his home. Once he past the main gate he angled his body to the outskirts of the west orchard. As he neared the old wood cutting station set up for dead apple trees he pushed himself further to get the log closer to his destination. Finally after hours of pulling he stopped and let go of the rope. With a tired sigh he looked down at the past imprints of logs that sheared in its fate. Each one was closer then the next. Silently he grabbed the axe still lodged inside the trunk and yanked it out. He looked to the sky and watched as the dark clouds drifted past. With a shout only heard only by himself, he began the long task of chopping the wood. It would be past midnight when he would be finished. But he felt he needed to do this. It was the last thing his father had told him to do.
Like her family, Applejack was stubborn. Unlike her family she didn't know when to stop and accept defeat. She would put on a fake face and refuse to acknowledge both that fact and the fact that she was hurting. If she was pushed to acknowledge anything she didn't want to accept, she would throw punches just to escape. In order to run away she would head to the archard to kick trees. At first it was just to get rid of her pain and frustration but after a while she felt like she could be doing something productive while she did so. She had accepted the lie, that the only reason she kicked the trees was to get the apples down due to her not having a ladder for picking them, long ago.
Applejack grunted as she kicked the tree again. She took a suddering breath, It was well past midnight and the only light was her lantern she brought with her. It would be easier if the task wasn't so tasking on her body. Still, she lifted her leg and gave the tree another kick, instead of a solid thump of a tree trunk however, her foot missed and she twisted down in a heap next to it. She let out an involuntary sniff only to grab a handful of grass in anger. "Ah' ain't gonna cry. No! Yer' fine AJ. Yer, not upset!" Her hat had fallen off her head sometime during her annual kicking session with only the string keeping it from blowing away in the chilling winds. She pushed herself up and tried to kick the tree again. the kick connected and her steel toed boot left a noticeable indentation. The sweat that pooled on her brow and fell into her eyes forcing her to close them as she kicked again. her foot went wide, missing the tree again. This caused her to lose her balance and fall forward. This time however instead of falling onto the ground she fell into something firm. Shocked, she opened her eyes to stare into the same emerald ones of her older brother. Her own eyes flashed with anger and she tried to shove off of him. But the moment her chest left his he grabbed hold of both of her arms, and held her close to him.
"let me Go Mac!" she yelled at him as she struggled to free herself. He, however, didn't and instead took a seat that forced her to sit with him. The sudden movement freed one of her arms from his grasp. With a roar of rage she started to pound on his chest screaming for him to release her. He didn't let go, nor did he try to block her hits. Applejack didn't know when her shouts of anger turned into pleas of freedom, nor did she notice when her brothers free arm insnare her into his hold. She didn't know when her fistfalls began to lose strength or when her tears started to fall. All she knew was that the distant repressed memories she had fought for so long to keep down began to resurface. Memories of a terrified little girl, a black dress, and cold unforgiving stone, after being forgotten, assaulted her without remorse. Finally with a defeated sigh she let out a pain induced choke and let her head fall on her brother's chest. Her free hand fell onto his chest one last time and instead of raising up it gripped the fabric of his shirt. When Applejack heard Macintosh hum the tune that her mother sang to her when she was little, she finally broke. With a pained cry she began to sob into his chest. He let go of her other arm and brought her tighter into his hold. Slowly he began to rock forward and backwards trying to sooth his sister. They stayed like that until the early morning hours. Applejack, her head resting on his chest crying onto him, Macintosh, his strong arms wrapped protectively around her. Then after a few moments of her shuddering in breaths of air he forced her to stand and made her climb onto his back. He then began to carry her back to the house. All the while her tears continued to flow onto his shirt.
Big Mac sighed as he closed Applejacks bedroom door. Applejack always needed someone to break her. It wasn't healthy to keep it locked away unseen and allowed to fester. The only person he trusted to break through her walls without damaging her was him. He tried to convince her to see a shrink but he doubted the poor guy would even get her to talk about the farm let alone the emotional trauma that plagued her dreams. Every year he did the same thing. After finishing with his yearly chore, he would help AJ, whose own stubborn attitude to do work to ignore the pain, would usually sprain, twist or in the worst case scenario fracture her ankles due to the pressure she inflicts upon them. After her he would spend time to clean the dining area. Throwing broken dishes into the trash, cleaning up broken glass from the floor and tossing the same uneaten meal for the 12th time into the compost bin. Then he would search for Apple Bloom. She was the hardest to care for. Sometimes he would find her in the barn with the photo album over her face other times under a random tree. When he found her this time, the sun was starting to break over the mountains, casting ghostly shadows upon the orchard. He gently picked her up and carried her off to her own bed for her continued sleep. When everything was said and done he would sit in his father's chair and let the day's work take him to sleep.
The end.
