Yearning to Live

Timed

Anna kicked my sides, encouraging me to move. I bolted forward, quickly making my way along the rail. Anna kept nudging me forward and gave me more rein. I stretched my neck out and extended my legs out in the beginning of the backstretch. Anna kicked me again and I surged forward again. We started to turn, and something went wrong. Anna didn't motion me further. I kept my speed up, thinking that's what Anna would want. As long as she had a firm grip on me, I would press on. Then in a flash, she was attentive again as we sailed the last furlong and over the line. It took us the rest of the stretch to pull up. Then Anna steered me back towards Mady. Mady started talking. I couldn't figure what exactly she was saying. But I could understand Anna. She was the one person I could understand anything she said. " It happened again. But I tried to control it. It was fine until I hit the place where we fell. My brain shut down, and I could only feel us falling again. Then when we past where the accident was, I had full control of my thoughts and actions again." Mady thought for a second, but made no attempt to reply. We stood there is an awkward silence.

Anna steered me toward the entrance of the track and Mady swung back over the rail and followed us out. Mady then went back toward the house as Anna led me back to the barn. She dismounted, untacked, and groomed me. She clipped a lead rope to my halter and we made our way back to my stall. But instead she led me past my stall and out the back of the barn. Here a wooded area encompassed the almost half of the land owned by Jasmine. She led me to the woods and mounted me. She brought out a lead rope with clips on both ends and clipped each end to either side of my halter. She coaxed me forward and we followed a trampled dirt path. The path was narrow and winding. But it led to an amazing pathway. As wide as a track, trees lined the path and arched overhead. It led to a smaller closed path with winding branches closing the top of the path. Anna encouraged me forward and I complied. As I walked through, where it led was a place I'd never dreamt of, it was better. The closed path only lasted a moment. But what I saw gave me heartache. It was home. I felt free. I charged down a small slope. I ran toward what I had missed for so long.