Storm Watch

A Dark Horizon

Three strides ahead. One. heels down, back straight, take a breath, relax, ease her into the jump. Two. striding, check it, get ready. Three. remember to look to the exit, last jump get ready. Sun stretches over the jump the crowd cheering as her first foot hits the ground. No faults. Suddenly my reins are pulled from my hands. I can feel one of Sun's feet on the ground but we haven't landed. I hear the crowd gasp and I know something is wrong. Im falling. Get ready to roll. take my feet out of the stirrups, tuck my head. Suns large body falls to the right as I try to escape, though all to quickly I feel weight pressing my abdomen into the arena ground. I feel overwhelming pain, I cry out but no one will get to us quick enough, I stop fighting and let my body fall unconscious.

I jolt waking from another nightmare. My breathing slows and I relax realizing im in my bedroom. Ever since the fall I no longer sleep due to nightmares. It's 6:00 am almost time for barn chores anyway. Might as well get up and have an early breakfast. I change into some old jeans and my favorite t-shirt. Closing my bedroom door quietly behind me, my name Skylar in purple letters vibrant against the white. I head to the kitchen to grab some cereal. Out of milk, darn it! I stick my hand into the cupboard and pull out a protein bar. Barny starts to stir and I touch his soft ears to let him know that it's just me. He heaves his body off the floor and trots over to the door. My paddock boots, thrown on the floor from the night before wait as I throw my wrapper in the garbage.

The air is brisk as the sun is just rising. The smell of wet grass and clean air fills my nose. I head over to the large paddock where sun and the other horses stay. Sun runs to the gate nickering. I grab her halter off of the fence and lead her to the barn. Jackson the barn hand has already started feeding the stalled horses. "Hey why you out here so early" Jackson asks. "I thought I would come and groom sun for a bit" I reply. Sun becoming increasingly impatient stops her large foot. I jump, startled. "you ok?" Jackson asks inquisitively. "Ya I'm fine, dont you have horses to feed" I snap back before I have time to think about my words. "Hey calm down I was only asking." Jackson proclaims. "Sorry Im just still a bit cautious from the accident". "It's fine"
Jackson says making his way to the feed room, "I will talk to you later".

Grabbing Sun's lead rope, I head towards the barn door. Sun looks at me puzzled thinking today would finally be the day we go for a ride, but I dismiss the look and tug her sternly forward. Marilyn my trainer will be here this afternoon to teach me my first lesson since the fall. Sun's leg is completely healed, but we both have pretty fresh emotional scars.

After tacking up sun I head to the arena. My nerves are shocked and I am completely on edge. Marilyn, who is talking to another student, shots me a worried glance. Finishing up her conversation Marilyn calls out to me, "hey you alright you look a bit on edge". It's like she is reading my mind, I obviously cant hide my feelings very well.

"Ok good now just swing up and relax" Marilyn calls out as I put my foot in the stirrup. "Great now take a few steps forward and see how you feel" says Marilyn. Sun wriggles under my seat and my body tenses. I sit deep and pull sun back to a slow walk. Impatient Sun bursts into a trot and I panic. I pull back on the reins without realizing my leg is pressing at Suns sides. "Sun no, Skylar dont worry hold on" Marilyn shouts out. Fed up with my mixed signals Sun rears. My fears become reality as I slip from the side of the saddle and to the ground.