Avatar movie Ch 2: Fate does not spare anyone.

2153 December 30 Earth

Fred saw then as he soon as he came out of the bend. Fred had seen the turn that led north and had taken it. When he came around he saw the bridge and beyond that a horse.

"What the hell?"

He hit the brakes hard but not to hard. He had been going too fast. Now there were two horses and one had a rider. What the hell were they doing? His heart was pounding and he could feel a sweat breaking out. The bridge was looming up too fast, for christ sake couldn't they see him? They could. Even Maria in her agony on the ground could see him., Fleetingly she thrashed around screaming through the snow. Her thighbone had snapped when she fell and in the slide both horses had stepped on her, crushing her ribs and splintering her forearm.

In the first stumble, Riverwind had cracked a knee and torn several tendons. The pain and fear in his head could be seen in the whites of his eyes. Emily spotted the truck as they reached the road. One look was enough, she had not fallen and now she had to get them all off the road, If she could get to Riverwind's reins, Emily could lead him and Maria to safety. But Sanguinario was as freaked as Riverwind was. With all her strength, Emily tugged on Sanguinarios mouth, getting his attention for a moment, She backed him towards the other horse, leaning precariously from her saddle and she reached out for Riverwinds bridle.

He moved away but Emily shadowed him, stretching her arm once more. Her fingers were nearly there when the truck blasted its horn. Fred saw both horses leap at the sound. And for the first time, realized what it was that hung from the rider-less one.

" Holy shit." he said out loud and realized he had run out of gears.

He knew that all he could do was go for the truck breaks. Fred murmured a prayer and stepped harder on the foot valve. The wheels locked and Fred felt for forty tons of steel take charge of their own destiny. In front of him he could see the blood bay horse turn to face him, he saw the rider was just a young girl. Her eyes were wide with fear beneath the dark peak of her hat.

" No no no" Fred said.

But the horse reared up defiantly before him. The girl was jerked back and fell to the road. Briefly did the horse's front feet come down. In the moment before the truck was upon them, Fred saw it lift his head and rear again. Only this time it leaped right at him. With all the power of It's hind legs, it launched itself over the front of the cab, clearing the radiator grille as if it were a jump. The metal of it's shoes on its front feet came down on the head. In the frenzy of sparks, a hoof hit the windshield; there was a loud crack and Fred lost all sight.

Fred smashed his fist and forearm against the windshield. The horse was still there on the hood. The right foreleg was stuck in the V-struts and the horse was screaming at him; it's mouth was foaming and bloody. Beyond that Fred could see the other horse on the side of the road, Trying to limp away with the rider still hanging by her leg from the stirrup. And still the truck kept going.

The trailer was coming clear of the bridge wall. And with nothing to restrain its sideways drift, it began a slow relentless jackknife. As the trailers momentum overtook that of the cab's, the horse made one last effort. The wing mirror broke and the animal rolled free and disappeared. There was a moment of brooding calm as in the eye of a hurricane, in which Fred watched the trailer finish it's sweep and start to slowly arc back to him.

Corralled in the closing angle of the jackknife stood the other horse. Uncertain of how or where to escape now. Fred thought he saw its rider lift her head up from the ground to look at him, unaware of the wave that was breaking behind her. Then she was lost. For the trailer surged over her, scooping the horse towards the cab like a butterfly in a book. Crushing the horse there in a final, thunderous slam of metal.

2154 Pandora.

With one final, murderous scream the twelve year old girl awoke from the horrific scene.