by Paris Crane

 

"Shirley! Shirley! Help...please..." My arm throbbed, ached, pounded in pain. I knew it was broken, obviously, because it literally looked like the letter Z. I screamed...screamed... screamed bloody murder, so much so that I got all 37 of the horses on the ranch stampeding around the 72 acre property.

Peacocks 'hey-you'd' as they sauntered away from the horrid sound of my screams... birds flew from trees, cawing. It was sprinkling lightly, and I was soaked from riding bareback in the rain for hours, and I had just fallen off the horse I was riding. My friend had run off to get my boss, but we were pretty far from the house, so I knew I'd be alone for a while.

The ranch horses had grown curious and were coming closer to see what all the ruckus was about, when I saw my favorite horse, Bambi. She stood with the herd, her pig eyes wide, her mottled muzzle high in the air as if to say "Now...I’ve never seen THAT!" I stopped screaming, but continued sobbing in pain. Then, I looked around me, panic setting in. "What have I done...I’m going to die out here... oh my gosh, there’s bobcats out here," anxiety pouring down on me like water sprinkling from a shower head. I heard a horse walking; it seemed to get closer too. A muzzle touched my back, and I wheeled around in fright.

Bambi stood there, calm as can be, looking at me like, "Are you okay?" I started petting her face, then she took a few steps and stood beside me, I knew what she was doing. She was going to help me get up... I grabbed her leg, pulled up, hugging her leg to get up. My broken arm dangled like a Christmas tree ornament as I pulled my self up and leaned on Bambi. She took a step, and to keep from falling I walked with her. She led me by a tree, and I went to it and sat down. Other horses had started getting closer, which isn’t good because they can start fighting to get a "better view".

Bambi amazed me more by keeping them a good distance away from me. She stood there, protecting me, like a foal. Nuzzling me now and then, trotting off a distance to the herd, then coming back and standing over me. When my friend and my boss got to me, they had to keep shooing Bambi away from me, and she actually tried to fight to get to me. I love that horse so much. She sheltered me from pouring rain, protected me, and even kept me from passing out in a way. I know she's got my back... and I’ve got hers too.