Running Blind

9. She Can WHAT???

Hey, everyone! Thanks for all the support! Sorry this Chapter took so long, but I hope you enjoy it! Oh, and btw, --> the picture over in the right is Callis' little sister Alanna :) so yeah thanks! 

            (Brie)

The pen tapped vigorously on the desk. Click-click-click-click-click. Dad’s chair squeaked as he leaned back in it. I imagined he had his chin in the palm of his hand, and was looking at me; his regular thinking position.

            “Dad,” I said my throat dry from lack of use. We’d been sitting here for twenty minutes in silence. “Please?”

            The pen dropped, and the chair dropped into place. “Brianna, do you have any idea how many sleepless nights I lay awake because if I fall asleep, I just relive that awful day? I’m lucky I still have you! And now, you want to go out there—blind—and keep racing? Tell me which part of this is a good idea. Tell me why I should want to let you. Tell me what it would do for me.”

I swallowed. He was going to put up a fight for this, I could feel it. “Dad…”

“And don’t just say that you love to ride. I already know that. Explain to me what benefits you, me—all of us, would get from this.”

I didn’t know what to say. The reason I was doing this was because I was being selfish; I was doing it solely for me. There was nothing in it for anyone but me. Selfish!

“I…” I began. “I can’t.”

Silence wrapped around the room, again.

“Okay, then tell me why you want to do this.” He stated.

I took a deep breath, praying that I say this the right way. “Dad, all I used to do was race. That was my sport. That was what I was good at. When the accident happened, that was all taken away from me, without my permission. Being on a horse alone is something that can make me happy, let alone racing atop one! I feel like I can see again.”

I stopped short. What had I just said?!

There was a quick pause before Dad spoke. “You mean, you’ve been racing already?”

“No!” I said with a half laugh. “Of course not, Dad! It’s just Ian and I took Mr. Prince out a few days back and—I was just trying to have a little fun! Besides, what else am I supposed to do? Sit around here on my butt? I only got a bruise or two, and could barely feel it the next day!”

“So you fell off?”

I bit my lip. “Well, only because he jumped the fence…”

I flinched as Dad slammed his fist onto the desk. “And that’s why, Brie! You’re bound to get hurt! Even if I did let you ride, you wouldn’t know where you’re goin! How’d you turn ‘round a bend? How’d you know when to pass another rider?”

“Dad, we’d figure it out—I’d figure it out. I could estimate it based on how long her strides are. Maybe we could train her how to—“

“Whoa, there. Her? You already think you know who you want to ride?”

I nodded.

“Don’t tell me. It’s the filly.”

“Yeah,” I said standing up, reaching for the front of his desk. “But please Dad! She’s so sweet,”

“Brie,”

“And she’s gentle, and careful,”

“Brie.”

“Dad, she’s kind, and nice, she’s so nice!”