"A little more outside rein. Yeah, that's right-. No, again! Keep the implosion!"
My legs were beginning to cramp from all the muscle straining I was having to deliver. Back straight, eyes forward; leg, no more leg, contact, seat, shoulders- and the list went on. Again and again, we circled. And again and again…we failed.
"Damnit. "I swore under my breath.
"Your partner's brain is like child on LSD, with a caffeine addition, and a diagnosis of ADHD." The man complained in his French accent. I, being the wonderfully kind person I was, sucked in a mouth full of air. Then forced myself into a fake grin before nodding and acted as though I respected his statement with an open mind. "Advice. Find a different mount. " Were the man's words of wisdom before he strutted off.
I pursed my lips.
Eighteen months later this is my result. Fantastic. Glad I paid his mortgage. I thought in disgust. I dismounted and dragged my loser partner and myself back to the stables. After un tacking, I gave my boy a good rub down trying my best to rid his dark bay coat of the grim from the saddle pad. My partner seemed to like it as he kept tossing his head and twitching his lip in delight. Once I finished grooming, his coat shined, I looked like shit from all the elbow grease, but that's what it takes, right? My partner broke my train of thought when he pawed the ground and swished his tail in agitation.
"Chill, I'm getting it. " I said in a flat tone. I was exhausted and dealing with a twelve hundred pound infant was always the thorn in your ass at the end of the day. Especially, one of these kinds of days. I reached into my jacket's pocket and reveled a crisp bottle of Root Beer favored soda. I tipped the bottle into his mouth and immediately he chugged half of the substance. Though a good quarter ended up on the floor from his dancing tongue trying to catch the carbonated liquid. And another quarter ended up on my clothes.
Wonderful.
I finally got around to picking everything up, told you they are like having children, and got the horse back in his stall. I threw him a flake of hay and gave him a quick pat before heading out.
"Oh crap forgot my tack." I said in a huff. My feet carried me to the room where I left my saddle and bridle. I veered right before opening the door to the storage area and turning on the light switch. I started collecting my gear when I noticed my keys to my car were no longer on the saddle. I blinked. I'm pretty sure I left them there. I sighed, as I mentally convinced myself of probably being a forgetful idiot. I started looking. Seemed like two hours had passed, though it was more like ten minutes, of me literally turning the room upside down.
"What the heck! Seriously, it's getting dark!" I whined in frustration. My hands went to the skin under my eyes as I dragged the folds down my face. I wanted to pull my hair out was more like it. "If it's not one thing it's another." After cursing myself, I looked by the stalls one last time before heading to my car. The evening sun had long faded as the night sky came into view. The fall air whirled around me as I crunched dry leaves under my boots. My car stood alone in the parking lot its metal frame blending into the foggy atmosphere. I briskly walked to my vehicle, getting the creeps from being the only one left at the stable.
"This is pointless. Can't see a thing." I groaned as I bobbed my head around like a chicken in a field. I finally came to my wits and whipped out my cell phone. "Thank you modern technology." I smiled relieved that something went right. Though my luck ran out as I could not for the life of me locate those keys. "God must be punishing me." In a last attempt to find my ignition starters I would check under the car. I stared down at the ground. Mud as thick as quicksand oozed around the tread of my boots from the downpour the other day. Oh common.
The whistling of the wind sounded like a shrieking animal made me shiver. The looming of the trees made shadows dance around me as if they were opaque fingers searching for a victim. Yikes. I groaned as I kneeled on the mushy floor. The cool soiled dirt seeped into the knees of my pants as my hands were sucked into its soupy texture.
"That better not be horse shit." I grimaced as I tilted my head lower. I shinned the light from my phone underneath my car. A tiny object reflected back. As if smiling to me, welcoming me to come and retrieve its lost self. I sighed with relief. I lowered my abdomen to the ground and allowed the mud to cling to my clothes. I was desperate to leave. Not thinking I put my phone in my side pant pocket not believing I would need it. I reached my hand out toward my keys. Suddenly, I heard what sounded to be twigs snapping. I froze. Was that an animal? For some reason I lost my mind and pictured a giant man eating Godzilla creature with fangs and bloody eyes. Lions, Tigers, and Bears, oh fuck! My heart started to race. I quickly turned my attention back to my keys. I then felt something. Something…more like a touch, something.
My eyes widened like saucers.
I jerked my hand to my right side. I did not feel anything on my hip but I was sure something cool brushed itself against me a second ago. That's it, I'm leaving!
Again, I stretched my arm out to the keys. Only…
"What the hell!" I said in a startled voice. My hand pounded the ground desperately trying to locate them. This can't be happening.
Without warning a car door slammed.
I about shit myself when my head sprang from the ground and collided with the metal pipes from under the vehicle. Thud. Twang.
"Oh son of a-" I rubbed my injured head. Now mud was not only suck to my pants, stomach, and hands, but it also made its way into my hair. "Ow. Ow-oh ow." I collected myself and managed to backwards army crawl style out from my car. I was sure I could convince someone I had enlisted from the way I pictured myself. I rose to my feet. My head throbbed and I was about to lose my mind when I glanced inside the driver's seat window.
There, as if nothing happened, were the keys.