Layla's story

Ch9

I looked out the window most of the ride. Everything I saw was mesmerizing.

"Layla when you said your grandma died did you go see her in the hospital?" I turned toward him. I felt the tears trying to come but I forced them down.

"Yah I did. Not all the time but yah when I could." He looked at me then faced foreword. 

"Did you ever have a horse of your own when your grandma was still alive?" I felt the tears rush down my face. 
"Yah I did. She was a pony though. I had this obsession with rainbow. so I named her rainbow."

"What happened to her?" I wiped the tears away.

"She died from a sickness as well. That's how my grandma Suzy got sick. I was at school when they found out she was sick. Then the next day grandma fell sick." The tears rushed out faster. We had just arrived at Chris's house when I looked away from the window.

"Layla we don't have to ride horses today we can hang out instead if you want." I giggled a little.

"No I wanna ride horses today." He nodded then smiled.

"Ok then let's go." I got out of the car and walked around to Chris. He led me inside and toward the back yard. I could feel my heart racing. This was it. I would finally ride a horse. 

First we need to feed her and put on the saddle before we ride." I could see his horse in a little fenced area. She looked so pretty. Her coat was brown. We reached the fence. Chris opened the gate and went inside.

"Come on, She won't hurt you." I walked into the gate and closed it behind me. Chris went into the barn to get a barrel of hey. He offered me a handful.

"Wanna feed her. She doesn't bite." I grabbed the handful.

"Sure, Thanks." I reached it out towards her and let her eat the hey. As she ate the hey I reached to pet her. Her fur was so soft.   

"Ok you ready to ride Phoebe?" I dropped my hand from her coat.

"Yah let's do this." he chuckled then put the saddle on her. 

"Ok time to get on. You know how to get on a horse right?" I felt my face turn red again.

"No I've never rode a horse at all before." 

"Ok that's fine. I show you How to get on." He got on the horse then got back off.

"Ok so that's how you get on?" he chuckled.

"Yah you use your whole body to push your body off the ground and on the horse." I went closer and tried to get on the horse. I could never get my self off the ground. 

" Yah just like that." I fell back on the ground then all of a sudden felt hands on my waist.
"Here let me help." He pushed up as I jumped off the ground. I finally got on the horse. He jumped on behind me. 

"Ok so your going to use the reins to tell her where to go." I grabbed the reins and pulled them. Phoebe did not move.

"No like this." He took them from me and tapped the horse with the reins. I could feel his arms on my waist. My heart beat fast and my cheeks warmed up and turned red. I felt like I could not breathe. When we came back from the first ride he got down.

"Do you wanna try it on your own?" 

"Yah sure." I did exactly as he showed me the first time. I tapped Phoebe with the reins very softly. I felt my legs shaking.

"Pull your feet in more." I pulled my feet in more and felt a rush of joy. I could feel my legs letting go of their grip then I felt a rush of pain in my head. I felt a wet liquid where the pain was. Was I bleeding or had I fallen in a puddle. I sat up and put my hand where the pain was. Like I said I felt something wet. When I looked at my hand I saw red. It was blood. Chris rushed over to my side.

"Layla are you ok." He saw the blood on my hand. 

"Let me see." He looked at where I was bleeding.

"Yah I'm taking you to the hospital, this is bad." He help me up and took me to the car.