Hateful

Up and back, down and over. I follow the L-shaped sidewalk in front of the horses’ stalls on my scooter. I zip past them one after another: Blaze, Kerry, Smokey, Shamus, Jimmy. And back again: Jimmy, Shamus, Smokey, Kerry, Blaze. Back and forth, over and over. Kerry gets fed up, puts an end to my fun. As I speed by, he reaches out his ugly, white head, and bites deep into my shoulder, through my red down coat, sweater, shirt, flesh. I’m scared and angry, he cowers in the corner of his stall, fearing my wrath. He’s a hateful horse.