Are You Ready?

This is a short story I wrote the day before yesterday. Lemme know what you think! ;)

Are You Ready? By KJ


Are you ready?” He says to me.
As I nod, the call comes. “Mount up!”
Tenneyson gives me a leg up and I gather my reins and stirrups-as well as my wits.
Mr.Tenneyson leads Prince for post parade.
One horse goes in the gate before us. Then two. Then three. We’re in now.
Prince walks in like a perfect gentleman. But he starts flipping his head at the excitement of the horse beside us-Garrets Flame.
It seems like an eternity. I look to my left. Three beside us. I look to my right. Five beside us.
I look straight ahead. Right between Prince’s ears.
Every thing is quiet. Too quiet. I zone in and I can’t hear a thing then-Bang! The gates clang open and we’re chasing them down.
I have a death choke on his reins. I know he likes to get in the lead an burn himself out.
I crouch as low over his withers as possible. I try to be as aerodynamic as a crispy leaf laid flat.
I hear his breath. It comes in gulping and snorts as he fights my arms for reins.
His hooves clatter-then a hollow pounding as they hit the ground and gather again, stretching for distance.
“Shh Prince. Wait for your time.” I say slowly, more to myself than anybody.
I glance under my arm to see three behind us. Five ahead of us. They’re all clumped at the rail. We ease up on them and pass one-now we’re in fourth.
I can barely see through this pounding and thudding of his hooves. I hear Prince snort and he pushes for more rein. I oblige and he rockets forward like I let go completely.
I see the white poles flash past-fast.
Its the three quarter mile marker. Only a quarter of a mile to go.
I can see hardly through his mane whipping in my face.
Hooves kick up ahead of us. I see a hole where GotItNow was and then faltered.
I tighten my right rein and yell “Now! Now Prince, nows your time. Go go go!” I loosen the reins all the way and we rocket forward passing them all-GotItNow, Here He Iz, High Steppin Peppin and Garrets Flame.
There are no contenders now.
Prince shoots forward with the other horses barely a blurr.
A sixteenth of a mile and we’re there.
I can feel every muscle in his body flex and contract. We are one. He’s ahead by I don’t know how many lengths.
We thunder under the wire and its like somebody suddenly turned on the stereo in a library.
The crowd is screaming and I notice some crying.
I raise in my stirrups and start pulling him down.
It registers as the announcer is yelling “Tenneyson’s Prince! The Prince wins by 5 lengths! He wins the Triple Crown! He kicked dirt in any of those contenders faces!” He keeps yelling but now I’m totally focused on Prince.
“We did it!” I gasp for air as we trot on over to the winners circle.
They lay a blanket of roses over his withers and my lap.
I smile for cameras, but as the flashes start, I throw my arms around the bays neck. I whisper in his ear like he’s the only one there.
“We did it! We won the Triple crown! You are my prince!”
I rub my cheek into his soft black mane.
Flash bulbs pop.



I may just make this into a story, but I have to finish all my others first :)