SLIP- "Be careful, the blood makes the cliffs slippery."

Fifteen year old Lexin Baques is living in poverty during a near dystopian period. Her only living friends are Kalep, not-exactally-related older sister, Doreen Thusom, and stocky, large-hearted stallion, Maral. When Kalep gets a letter indicating that he needs to participate in a deadly race through the Appal mountian range, everything in Lexin's life goes a-wall. This is until, she gets the same letter herself. Only one can win- and those who don't will be sent to Government Housing, everything taken away. Things take a twisted, bloody turn for the worse when everything goes wrong.

What is the Appal-Foot race?

Those who are not able to pay monthly living taxes are sent a notification letter indicating that they must come up with enough money to pay their unpaid taxes, as well as a year's ahead of time (Which is virtually impossible), or race in the Appal-Foot. The Race, usually lasting around a week, is either on horseback or on foot, and you must survive until you can travel the mileage and win the race. Problem is, in the race, anything can happen. People will do anything to win, including taking the lives of others, stealing horses, and cheating. Many people just die out of lack of knowledge of how to care for themselves. Either way, the mountains and cliffs are dotted with the bodies of desperate horses and riders, all in it for one purpose-just to keep their life rolling on track.