It didn't take long for Jeff and Hunter to both get saddled up and ready to go. Once Katie was back from the mess hall, the three exit the barn and mount up. Jeff waves to Mick, letting him know they'd probably be back late afternoon, and telling him which trail they were taking. It wasn't really a rule, but a good habit most of those at the ranch had when taking off for more than an hour, just in case anything happened.
The
morning was gorgeous - perfect for a horseback ride and even better
with good company. Jeff did his best to be satisfied with an easy pace,
and also tried to keep himself in a good mood. He was still working
through his depression, but with the support of his family, he was
slowly starting to be his old self again. Leading the way, he takes the
other two up the main trail then off onto a narrower, less-traveled
path. There was more brush and bramble, forcing the riders to cease
riding side-by-side. Conversation continued though - anything from
horses, to camping to Hunter's racing to movies. It was pleasant, and
time went quickly. Before they knew it, they were almost halfway up into
the foothills - soon to arrive at the clearing where they would stop
for lunch.
"Watch
your step up here, guys," Jeff warns, hollering over his shoulder. It
was more a warning for Hunter than Katie - she'd been up here countless
times. For a novice rider though, it could be just a little difficult to
maneuver. The trail followed the path of the river - which could be
rough in a few deep spots, but generally it flowed gently down from the
nearby mountain.
Working
their way up the trail, the threesome continues in a single-file line
as the horses pick their way along the edge of the drop-off that served
as a high bank for the river. Taking up the rear, Hunter enjoys the
scenery, of blue sky, fluffy clouds and woods, just soaking it in.
Glancing off to the side, he leans a little to see the river below.
"Hey, Jeff," he calls ahead. "Any good fishing in here?"
Jeff
turns around in his saddle, letting Hawk have his head. "Not too bad,
depending on the season. I come up here every once in a while and drop a
line. Catch a few trout if I'm lucky."
Hunter
nods, hardly able to remember the last time he'd been fishing, but he
missed it. Wait, hadn't it been in the river back in Nevada? Yeah, he'd
been with... Kyle.
Completely
lost in thought for the next few minutes, Hunter pays little attention
to the trail, or to the jackrabbit that came crashing through the brush.
Bonzai, however, saw it clearly, and was not happy about the speeding
critter that crossed his path. Stopping abruptly, the horse shies,
spinning towards the woods.
Unprepared,
Hunter loses his balance and yanks back on his reins to keep Bonzai
from bolting. At the sharp pull on his mouth, Bonzai stumbles backward,
his hind feet slipping off the path and down the embankment. Jostled
from his seat, Hunter grabs hold of his saddle and Bonzai's mane, his
eyes catching a glimpse of the short but rough bank down to the river.
"Whoa, easy, easy..."
Hearing
the commotion, Jeff turns around to see Bonzai struggling to pull
himself back up onto the path, and Hunter hanging on, having lost both
his stirrups. "Lean forward!" he barks. "Get him back on the path!"
Doing
his best, Hunter manages to stay seated... until Bonzai trips on a tree
root. One second, Hunter was struggling to remain in the saddle, and
the next he was on the ground. Sliding down the embankment, he hangs on
by the reins, his body tensing in fear. "Come on, Bonzai," he coaxes.
"Back up... back up."
Bonzai
finally gets his feet under himself, his head almost all the way to the
ground, being pulled by the reins. Grunting and snorting, he tries to
back up, flailing his head in an attempt to be free of the pressure.
By
now, Jeff had Hawk turned around and knew the situation was not good.
"Katie!" He couldn't get to Hunter himself on the narrow path. "Get to
him before -"
Too late. The reins snap.
The
abrupt release in tension sends Bonzai reeling backward, finally
getting his feet under himself. But it also gives Hunter nothing to
hold.
All
at once, Hunter finds himself sliding down the steep embankment. Trying
to stop himself, his hands claw at the earth only to scrape against
rocks and protruding tree roots. Hitting a dead tree, his feet-first
slide becomes an all-out tumble, head over heels until for a split
second, he feels himself in mid-air. Then his body hits the water.
Never
was there a more helpless feeling than seeing someone fall. "Hunter!"
Jeff's call was useless though - nothing was stopping Hunter's momentum
or could catch him before he fell into the river.
Struck
with the force of water, Hunter thrashes against the current, coming up
for air just to be yanked back below the surface by an invisible
undertow. The sunlight disappears as he's dragged through the water and
all at once, he's surrounded by darkness. And in that moment, he
experiences his nightmare all over again - but this time, it wasn't a
dream. He was living it.
Ripped
along by the current, Hunter kicks against it, trying to swim, but to
no avail. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't surface. His lungs
felt as though they were being torn apart, begging him for air as
precious oxygen slips away.
Suddenly,
Hunter's body comes to a halt amidst the current as his leg is caught
in the fork of a sunken log. Jerked around by the swirling water, his
knee is wrenched, sending pain shooting through his entire leg. His cry
is lost underwater and the remaining air in his lungs is spent.
Struggling in a panic to free his leg, it's simply no use - his knee was
wedged in too tightly to move. And his head could not reach the
surface.
Every muscle in his body ached as he tries to free himself. But the inevitable hurts even more: he was going to drown.
Jeff's
eyes wildly search the river, waiting to see Hunter reappear... but he
didn't. The river wasn't that deep. It wasn't that strong. What was
happening? Why hadn't Hunter surfaced? Dread hangs in the air.
Caught
in the deadly current with nowhere to go, Hunter could hear his own
heart beating loudly, his pulse racing with adrenaline. In every
nightmare, he died. In every nightmare, he experienced an impending
darkness before awakening in cold sweat. But there was no awakening from
this. This was not a dream. And he was going to die.
Still
fighting, he knows that his lungs won't last much longer, and he can
feel himself beginning to grow dizzy from lack of oxygen. Yanking at his
leg despite the pain, desperation is the only thing he feels. Yet it
could not help him now. Nothing could help him now. He was going to
suffer a miserable end to a miserable life right here, before he'd even
experienced the life he wanted. He was leaving behind dreams. Hopes. A
future. Katie. A life which he had despised, he had grown to want.
"God..."
How
long had it been since he had prayed? How long had he rejected God, who
had given him all of those dreams and hopes that he was longing for
now?
"Please... don't let me die... not today... not like this... I have too much left... please..."
His
silent words are desperately spoken through his heart. Darkness invades
his mind, and he feels the presence of unconsciousness coming closer.
Using what little strength he had left, he yanks one more time at his
leg.
Let go, Hunter.
Shocked by the voice that was more felt than heard, Hunter stops thrashing.
I'm in control - not you. If you want to live, let go.
Let go? He couldn't let go! He had to survive. Had to fight. If he let go, he would drown right here and now!
But
as the darkness increases, Hunter knows he does not have the power to
save himself. And as the murky black closes in, he gives up. Ceasing the
fight, he allows his muscles to relax. And as the water rushes towards
his lungs, he can feel his eyes roll back in his head...
...A
short ways down the river where the bank was not so high, Hunter's
unconscious body washes up, coming to rest on a partial sandbar.
Face-down in the water, he shows no signs of movement.
No comments:
Post a Comment