8 Seconds By: Santana
This is a late stocking stuffer for my sister and is an addition of sorts, to her wee Eliot stories. I would recommend reading those if you get a chance.
****
It was a showdown...boot heels clunked heavily on the hardwood floor. Blue eyes peered from beneath the brim of his Stetson. Thumbs were hooked through the belt loops of his jeans as he swaggered from the bunk house (his room) and into the living room.
He never acknowledged anyone else in the room, only the horse that stood before him...taunting him. It was a wild pinto, never before ridden...unbroken and proud. Its muscle looked chiseled in the early morning sun that came through the kitchen windows.
Eliot Spencer, the only one on the ranch brave enough to take on the task, stepped purposely towards the animal, careful not to spook it. Finally at the untamed beast's side, Eliot made his way into the saddle, fingers deftly cinching himself in. He knew that this would be a wild ride. Just as soon as that thought crossed his mind, the horse spooked, wary of his rider. It bucked and jumped; all the while Eliot held on like a pro.
The bucking lasted for what seemed like hours, when it was actually only minutes and at some point Eliot's Stetson found its way flying through the air. "Whoa." Eliot called and the horse bucked twice, but then began to gentle. "Whoa there." Eliot said softer....his tone soothing to the horse. The Pinto calmly came to a trot, with Eliot bouncing in his saddle.
Slowly, he brought the beast to a halt, uncinched himself, and slid to the ground. He stood there a moment, petting "his" horse, knowing that they had a new found understanding of each other. Eliot wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a "whew", before picking up his hat and settling it back on his head and brushing imaginary dust from his jeans. "I tink he's awmost bwoke." He said to the other ranch hands, before making his way back to the bunk house.
When the little cowboy was out of earshot, Alec turned the camcorder off and looked at Nate who was sitting on the couch beside a grinning Sophie. "I know you paid an arm and a leg for Rocky the Horse, but that kind of entertainment is priceless man."
Nate couldn't have agreed more with the young hacker. The bouncy horse had been a last minute buy for Christmas, and its sheer size had troubled Nate where Eliot's safety was concerned. But in the end it had all worked out.
Alec smiled and started running the bit of film through his computer. With a little editing here and an enhancement or two there, he would add it to the other hours of footage he had on his hard drive. It made for great entertainment on the rainy nights they couldn't go out. The whole group would gather around the cluster of screens, and munch on popcorn while Eliot gave commentary on what was happening and about "how wawd it is to be a towboy."
Alec knew that this bit of footage would be a hit as he save another memory to the file titled "a day in the life of Eliot Spencer, cowboy at large". He glanced out the window and smiled. Clouds were beginning to gather and it looked like rain. He needed to check their supply of popcorn and orange soda; they would need it tonight.
The end.