You, Me: Us

7. Bob

All the girls were sleeping peacefully in Zoe's room, until she gasped awake. "RAVEN!" She shouted and at once the other girls were awake.

"What?" Lainey asked, squinting her eyes, ready to roll back over and go to sleep.

Zoe shoved off her covers and ran to the window. "BECKY! LAINEY! Bright Fields is on fire!" That got them up.

Within two seconds, each girl, without getting dressed, was running down the stairs and out the door. Zoe called for her mom and her mom shouted for them to stop, but they couldn't, not when their horses were in danger.

They ran across the street and over the fences. "RAVEN!"

"BOB!"

"PRISCILLA!"

Each of them yelled for their horses as they saw a few out in the field, trying to get away from the fire. "Someone's let the horses out."

"They're okay," Zoe said, relieved, looking over. Lainey stretched her neck to count them all. "Raven! RAVEN!" Suddenly, said horse came running from the stables.

"We're still missing three!" Lainey yelled, looking around, trying to find her own horse.

"Bob?" Becky asked quietly as Maggie came running and Lainey's brother, uncle, and cousin drove up.

She looked around at all the horses and couldn't find her beautiful chestnut horse. She ran a hand through her hair and could vaguely make out Mia asking about Firefly.

She kept spinning, looking for her horse before she heard whinnying coming from the stables. "PRISCILLA!" She shouted and started running towards the fire. She had no thoughts. She could only think of her horse, if she was scared, if she was hurt, if she was going to die. She pumped her legs as fast as they could go, which with being in so many sports, was pretty fast.

"LAINEY!" Her brother shouted, trying to grab her, but she pushed past him with Mia and Becky and closer to the entrance of the stables just as Firefly ran from the fire. Though it was closely followed by Priscilla and Bob.

She gasped and followed them back out, tears of joy running down her face as she held onto her horse. "Oh, Cilla, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you so much."

The fire engine arrived and Becky cheered. "Bob let the horses out! Bob must've done his party trick to open all the stable doors."

Lainey laughed, teary eyed as her brother hugged her, "thank you Bob."

Mia gasped, "he saved Firefly."

"And all the other horses!" Becky grabbed his reins with a huge smile. They were all alright.

"Bob's a hero, Becky." Said girl kissed her horse, but backed away quickly as he started groaning.

"Bob?"

"Becky, back up," Lainey warned her as Bob started sinking to his knees and then laying over on the ground.

"NO! NO! BOB! Lainey, what's happening?" She shuttered, not being able to think.

"It–it must be the– the um smoke. He inhaled too much, his lungs–" She stopped talking and so much happened at once. The firefighters put the fire out, a vet was called, and Lainey took out her phone, dialling the dean of Holloway.

"Mr. H, there's been an accident at Bright Fields, they need us."

~

Within hours, there were Holloway groomers there to help take care of the horses and there was space cleared out in the stables for them if they needed it.