July Story Contest

Survivor
By: Ponysaysneigh
Age: 11

            "Chaz, stop!  You're going to break it!" cried Courtney Linning as her horse, Chaz, nodded his head up and down.

             She had grabbed onto the noseband to unbuckle it when he started to nod, breaking the worn leather.

            "Chaz!" She moaned.  Now she'd have to buy an entirely new bridle.  Those were expensive.  Courtney didn't have a ton on money to spare, so most of her tack was second hand, or had been used. 

            Sure, Chaz was a gorgeous horse to look at.  With all the care Courtney gave him, it was a given that he would gleam like a diamond. 

            As Courtney lead him out of the 48-stall barn, she sighed.  Her father had lost his job, and as it was she was having to work for her board at Silver Pines. 

            ********************************************************

            The next day, Courtney and Chaz were posting easily around the massive outdoor arena, with a bridle borrowed from a sympathetic boarder. Well, it looked easy.  Really, though, Courtney was struggling to even keep Chaz going, and that was relatively simple.  Her thighs burned and her face was streaked with sweat marks.  Chaz was hardly tired, and tossed his head as if to say, "Wimp. This is easy stuff!"

            Soon, though not soon enough, her instructor called for a walk.  Courtney collapsed in the saddle and leaned back.  As she headed for the rail where her water bottle was perched, she heard a strangled cry of "Loose horse!" 

            She whipped around just in time to see a frothy palomino galloping towards her, the white of the mare's eyes showing. 

Courtney kicked Chaz forward to scramble out of the way.  Chaz leaped, and trotted to where the others stood frozen.

The palomino was Devil, Courtney's best friend Jess's pony.  They had been together for a while, and before Jess, Devil and been cruel and could not be ridden. 

Even though the bond they shared was incredible and like no other, Devil was still prone to being spooky at times.

As Courtney looked for Jess, she heard a sickening crash.  Her gut twisted, and she turned to see a tangled mess of tack, pony, and fence. 

As she sat comfortably again, she saw Jess storming towards her.

'Storming towards me?' thought Courtney.  'What did I do?'
"HOW COULD YOU?" screamed Jess. 
"How could I WHAT?" Courtney yelled back.

  "You let Dev go through the fence!  You let him hurt himself!  If you hadn't moved, he would've stopped so we could catch him!  It's YOUR FAULT!" Jess was sobbing now, her head in her hands.

"You didn't know Devil was going to stop!  I could have DIED!" I shoot back. 

"Well, it doesn't matter now.  I'm NEVER talking to again."  Jess turned on her heel and walked away.