Suspended - Part VII

“Suspended” is a fictional story about a New York family — husband, wife and college-aged son — who’ve become disconnected from one another and lost their sense of purpose until a beautiful young woman who claims she’s a hands-on-healer enters their lives and shakes everything up.

THIS IS PART 7 of a FIFTEEN-PART STORY

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

 

Image: Eva Tomankova

Marcia's riding teacher, Phoebe, was a boisterous woman who loved to gossip and tell jokes. She did very little to instruct Marcia. Mostly they rode out on the trails, walking or trotting single file up and down the narrow pathways, shouting stories back and forth. This was fine with Marcia who didn't respond well to being told what to do and who was secretly terrified of Herbie running off with her. Despite the constant buzz of flies, it was beautiful in the woods, green and mossy. Marcia trotted Herbie over a little log and felt very brave. “Hey, guess what?” Phoebe yelled cheerfully. “Alice Walters’ husband is cheating on her!”

They were almost, but not quite, out of the woods, still in green-tinged darkness, a wide open field ahead.

"How do you know that?" Marcia yelled back. 

Phoebe pulled up beside her. “My daughter works in a restaurant in Soho. She says he goes in there at least once a week with this young chicky poo.”

Marcia thought of Alice’s smug manner and felt a tingle of satisfaction. "Serves her right," she said.

“Rrrrr,” screeched Phoebe, imitating a cat.

In her excitement over Alice's husband, Marcia had stopped patrolling for insects and Herbie shot in the air as a horsefly the size of a walnut zoomed down and bit him in the rump. "Noooo!" screamed Marcia as the horse landed on all four hooves and took off. Branches flew past and then they were in the field, galloping so fast the wind sucked at her cheeks. She lost her stirrups, her reins, was pitched forward onto the horse's neck, clinging there for a moment until Herbie gave a joyful buck and she was popped off like a cork from a champagne bottle. She saw the ground come toward her at a dizzying speed and closed her eyes.


Cover Image: Rolandas Augutis