"This lanky weird dude turns around and is like 'you like face-to-face'?" -Rian Dawson
Chapter Eleven: Buy Me Some Kool-Aid
I gave my uncle and aunt hugs goodbye before jumping onto my motorbike again. I made my way down an old back road that Bryan and Karen lived on. It was sometimes cool that everyone I had to visit this week lived close by, but it also kinda sucked.
Imagine having all of your family live about two minutes away from you. Yeah, it definitely was not all that great.
I pulled into the driveway and parked quickly. Karen said she would be in the stable. I quickly made my way to the stables and went to the office area. I opened the door and found Karen to already be there.
"Hey Ash." She said softly.
I took a seat across from her and smiled weakly.
"I take it that Angie told you what's up Luke?" She asked.
"Actually my uncle did. Why didn't the vaccines work? Every horse is supposed to be on vaccines for this." I questioned.
"We were a week late. Just a week, that's all it took. We didn't even know he had it until his spine was inflamed, he hadn't been eating and I ran my hand along his back. I'm really sorry, Ash." She explained quietly.
I nodded my head.
Karen looked uncomfortable now.
"I'm not mad at you. I don't blame anyone. Everything dies eventually, right?" I said sadly.
"It'll be okay, honey." She said soothingly, coming around the desk to hug me.
"Can I see him?" I asked.
Karen nodded and lead me to his stall.
I walked the familiar pathway to where the horses were kept, I remember walking this pathway multiple times when I first got Luke, I remember trying to train him, it was a lot of fun then. When I was younger I had a different horse, his name was Buddy. However, he died of old age when I was twelve.
When I was fourteen, they wanted to invest in a new horse. I got to go with them to see what the choices were. We found Luke then, he was only about three years old. Now he was eleven. We made our way past several different horses before coming up to Luke's stall.
Too say he looked bad would be an understatement, there's no way he was going to make it through spring. He was a common Chestnut Thoroughbred, a great racer and jumper.
He was laying down in the stall, he looked so uncomfortable. All we could do is try to make him more comfortable.
"Hey Luke." I called softly.
He turned his head at me slightly and tried to get up. I walked into the stall and put my hand on his nose. We stayed like that for a while, me standing and stroking his nose and him half standing allowing me to pet him.
"Hey Ash." Bryan called behind me.
I stepped out of the stall and gave him a hug.
"How ya' been?" He asked.
"Well, other than this, I've been okay." I said, smiling softly.
"How's guitar?" He added.
"I got switched to lead guitarist in my band, our old one had to leave. Somehow I got replaced as a singer, and well, here I am." I said, trying to maintain my smile.
"Everything will work out eventually, Ash. You just gotta get yourself out of this rough patch." He said, smiling at me.
I merely nodded, just standing there.
YOU ARE READING
Straight Up Hustler (REDOING)
Fiksi PenggemarThis story is being moved to my other account! (mattresstags) This account is pretty much dead and I'm tired of writing for a non-existent audience. If you do actually read this story, please read it on my other account. It will be continued there...