LRPD - part nineteen sneak peek

*animal death

“What the fuck?”

Frost covered blades of grass crunch under your boots as you stare past the fence into the pasture, food bin and scoop falling to the ground. All the horses are lined up respectively in front of their buckets, except one.

Bolt.

Foreboding gathers a knot in your stomach as you slip through the gate, ignoring the Mable’s indignant huff. He’s not moving, still as a stone on his side, and you know before you get there.

He’s dead.

“Fuck. Fuck.” The second one cracks, breaks with the pressure of pain, sadness splintering it into two. “Bolt.” He was Liam’s. One of only two geldings, the only thoroughbred in the group. Retired from the amateur circuit, Liam bought him at an auction on impulse, brought him home without a word, just a shrug. He fit in well enough, was an easy ride, fun when he got going. You haven’t had him out in ages. “I’m sorry buddy.”

Your mind is already racing, trying to figure things out, make a plan. The process of disposing of a dead horse is not an easy one. You need a tractor, or a skid steer. You need to decide if you’re going to bury them on the property somewhere, or load them into a trailer to be taken for cremation, or pay a disposal service. To bury them, you need to rent an excavator. For cremation, they charge per pound. And the removal service, the costs vary. Either way, you’re shelling out money you don’t have, and either way, you won’t be at work today. You’ll have to take Riley to school and come back, sort it-

Riley.

What are you going to do about Riley?

Riley loves Bolt. Her dad’s racehorse. Dreamed of riding him, and now she’ll never get the chance, another connection to her parents, severed. Just another thing that will hurt her, another thing she’ll have to mourn. Another thing you can’t change or protect her from, another part of her life that will be painful.

You let yourself be sad for one minute. One quick minute of blinking back tears and holding your breath, one minute of rebuilding a bunch of blocks and walls that have been decimated. You can’t be weak, you can’t be like this. You have to do better, for Riley.

You have to be strong.