Finding Eva

Chapter 1 - The letter

The sky was turning light shades of orange and pink as the sun settled behind the snow capped hills.

"Now, Eva!" Yelled Lorraine, who was leaning against the well painted wooden fence of the arena.

I gave a slight nod of my head to indicate that I had heard, I tapped my heels lightly against Indy's sides. The chestnut pushed off on its hind quarters and flew over the jump effortlessly. Dust rose in light clouds as we landed.

"Come on girl let's see what you can do" I whispered in 5-year-old Indy's ear. Keeping in half seat I cantered around the corner picking up pace as I approached the vertical wall.

The sky became dark as the sun had set, the areas light flicked on, creating massive beams of light. Indy took off in fright and leaped a couple of strides too soon over the jump. I lost balance and was flung forward onto Indy's neck.Holding onto Indy's mane tightly as she leaped straight for the foam wall.

I tried to focus on what I had been taught. I put my heels down and loosed my reins enough so that the bit wouldn't hurt her mouth.

We came crashing through the foam wall, I struggled to keep Indy on her feet and she stumbled.

"Keep her head up, don't let her fall!" Shouted Lorraine.

I kept contact with the reins trying to keep Indy's head up, to stop her from falling and crushing us both. "Come on Indy, stay up girl" I whispered in fright, and the mare started to stumble and fall. Miraculously Indy managed to find her footing again. The chestnut stood there quivering in fright. I sighed a breath of relief as I patted Indy's neck whispering comforting words to her.

"That was good Eva, you sat that nicely." Says Loraine as she walks over. "Walk her around a bit to calm her down, take her over a few small jumps to end on a good note, then put her away," Loraine spoke as she turned around and walked off the help another student.

I nodded trying to keep a grin off my face as she walked Indy around the outside of the arena. From Loraine 'good' was a very big compliment, as she didn't give the students much praise, but never pushed us much either as we pushed ourselves .

I walked Indy around until she finally settled down. Popping her over a few jump until she was relaxed then I made sure to warm her down, to avoid any injury.
Quickly jumping off and untacking, I put Indy away for the night.
I petted a few horses in my way out and gave a treat to my favourite horse Sonic.
Running out of the stables and grabbing my old rusty bike, I push the peddles as fast as I could, knowing mum would be furious I was late home.

My mind wandered back to the near fatal crash on Indy this afternoon, adrenaline was still coursing through my veins as I pulled in our driveway. Dumping my bike in the garage I headed into the kitchen, I mentally prepared myself for the drunken state my mum would be in and the slaps that she would most definitely serve out.

I gently opens the door only to find my mum standing there smiling with a glazed look in her eyes. "Ohh sweeety" she drawled out, clearly having had  too much to drink, yet again. "Hi mum" I say quietly as I walk past.
"I have you're acceptance letter! It's for Phillips Equine Academy. You will leave next week, and I will never have to see our pathetic existence again" she exclaims glee fully, twirling around in her drunken state before collapsing on the couch. In her state I couldn't trust that what she said was even true, but my heart sped up at an alarming rate. I walked over to the bench to find the letter ...the acceptance letter. You may be thinking that I should be excited, going to the Academy of my dreams, getting away from my drunk mum. But no. You see after my father died in Iraq my mum started to drink, a lot. She is constantly angry and snaps if I do the slighted thing she doesn't want. But since dad died I've fallen into depression and anxiety. It's taken me five years to muster the courage to actually go to school.

I scan over the letter,
Congratulations Eva you have been accepted into our academy....

The letter slips through my fingers as I run to my room and start to shake uncontrollably, my palms. Became sweaty as fear clouds my mind, my chest feels like there's something heavy weighing me down, my lungs struggle to find any oxygen at all. I try desperately to focus on my breathing. An hour later I finally start to calm down and my breathing is back to normal. I lay on my bed completely exhausted, my eyes close and a fall into a dreamless sleep.
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