Chapter Twelve

Her hooves thundered through the darkened passage while the moon chased from above. Her sweat laden coat glistened in the pale moonlight. Then came the smell of blood.

"Elly," I cried. 

Her raging nostrils expelled hot air as it whipped my face. My chin stuck to her mane.

"Slow Down"

Bits of glass were in my lap, on my arms, stuck to my chest, tangled in her mane, clinging to her ears and neck, falling from my helmet and shoulders.

"I'm begging you" 

A streak of red tainted her mane. Fingers intertwined in the drenched strands. My heart pounded. Hands in a death grip. Her blood wiped on my sleeve.

"Please"

My thighs burned like fire. My legs coated in her searing sweat. Her sides pulsed against them, fingers going numb.

"You must slow down"

My vest pressed her withers, arms stretched out in front, shaking. Can she hear me? Why won't she respond? She has the ears of a horse. Is she choosing not to? Then she must know, I shivered, what is happening. 

My left ankle banged against a passing unseen wall. I stifled a scream. Tears sprouted before swept away on hot cheeks. That hurt, really badly. I trembled.

I must tell her then. Before it is too late. I licked my chapped lips, summoning whatever courage that still remained. 

"I'm afraid," The words never felt so alien to me. I've seen death and laughed, but this was different. This was primal.

"I can't hang on," My Texan drawl came out.

"I am losing my grip."

My heart thumped in my chest. Fingers already numb.

"I'm not going to last...much longer."

"I-"

Say it. I coughed.

"I'll-"

SAY IT! 

I took a deep breath as the wind brushed my cheeks.

"I will let go"

I leaned over her neck, despite the risk, peering past her ears.

"I'm not good enough to ride you." I croaked. "I can't hack it" 

Elly's feet kicked unseen cans. The smell was more rotten than raw eggs cooked in a sun baked carcass. Trash piled like on our left, squeezing us into a even smaller path.

"You tried teaching me," I said.

"In another time I would be so willing, so eager to learn-" I ducked an obstacle overhead, "from you"

"But I can't. It's too much"

My legs squeezed her sides.

"I'm sorry, Elly," I mumbled.

"I am going to let go. But first…"

"You must…" 

I coughed, closing my eyes, a sense of peace. My chest puffed up.

"STOP!" 

The word rang through the passage, stinging even my ear. I opened my eyes, hoping, waiting. Her ears remained forward. Hooves in sync with her constant breathing. Rooftops passed with barely a glance. Thousands of stars shined above. Her ears did not budge. Her pace did not slow even a bit. Elly would not stop. 

The moon vanished, plunging the passage into darkness.

I stared blankly ahead, blinking repeatedly. There was nothing, nothing but empty black void. I sat up. Her hooves continued to ring in my ears. Taste of dryness on chapped lips. A sudden whiff of fresh trees swept by.

I can't see. I can't see! 

I opened my eyes to nothingness. Her ears were unseen, invisible in this lightless void . I know they're right there in front of me, just an arm length away. I could reach out and grab them. Will that get her attention? Will that make her stop? My right shoulder took an unseen blow. I grunted. I can't even see the tip of my nose.

 Once again, she has taken me to darkness, to what I fear the most. 

Her hooves picked up the pace. Her lungs roared like furnaces I gulped, leaning forward, legs clamping her burning sides. It's coming. 

The wind grew. Mane reached my chin. It's coming. I clenched my eyes. It's coming. I crouched down, head tucked in. It's coming. Gripping mane, I shivered. It's coming. It's coming! 

In the pitch blackness, I spun violently. Heels dug into her ribs. My thigh crushed against her sides. Limbs strained to their limit. A silent scream escaped my throat. Sheer terror in utter darkness.

The spin died with the screech of metal. My right leg pressured against her side. Shoed hooves scraped over concrete. My shoulders were thrown back as she launched herself unseen through the darkness.

I buried my face in her wet mane, quivering. The smell of sweat reached my sinuses. Please, please, I can't take it. I begged in silence. No more, no more.

A pale beam of light shot across the blackness striking ground the size of a basketball. Salvation! Elly's momentum shifted. The mare veered towards the glowing ray of light amongst the black nothingness. Thank God.

We emerged from the pit of darkness, bathing in moonlight. My eyes squinted at the intense brightness. A street came up ahead. Was it safe? Would it be a trap? Her shoed hooves changed from concrete to asphalt. My blurry vision barely made out her ears on her bouncing head. I blinked in vain. I waited for her signal.

Left or right.

Elly sped up. Her head held high. Mane whippin my face.

Left or Right?

Her neck stretched out. Ears forward.

Left or RIGHT!?

She veered left. I fell. She stumbled. Her entire front dropped. I screamed. The draft mare's knees plowed into the street. She came to a stop next to a groove beside a fifteen foot palm tree yearning for the sky.

"Elly," I whispered.

Her ear brushed my lips. 

"You've…stopped," I groaned. 

Perched on her neck, arms around her throat, I sighed with relief. My knees were shaking by her withers.

"...Thank you," I said. The palm tree swayed above. Its spiky leaves rustled.

The mare grunted. Her neck lowered to the ground onto her draped, once clean mane. Her sides rose and fell as the clouds drifted across the night sky. The scent of nature drifted on a breeze.

Ahead, a grenade's throw away, a mound of rubble, high as Elly's chest, blocked the street. Shattered roofs and broken walls lined the block. A heavy pile of shingles laid on sand crusted sidewalks. Lively palm trees sway with broken branches. The road littered with their loose leaves and broken branches. 

Closer, next to a boutique shop, a once cozy cafe stood with shattered windows. Its colorful sign hung vertically by a single nail. Metal stools thrown outside onto the pavement . A wooden table with a steel frame, cracked corner, sat piled amongst them. From inside, the smell of rot emulated.

"I have never seen a horse jump through a window before." I eyed the surroundings. My chin rested on her head. 

"That was too reckless," I spoke into her ear. "You should know better."

She shuddered. Her ear snatched from my mouth.

"If you pull that kind of stunt in my platoon, you'll be begging for court martial in a week."

"I need to buddy check you," I slid my arms from underneath her chin. "But first I must get off your neck."

Her throat emitted a low groan. She shifted her weight bearing on her knees. Air blew from her nostrils as the mare soon relaxed except for her loud breathing.

Sitting up, I grabbed the mane behind her ears and braced. My legs slid from her shoulders. Immediately pain shot up my left and I growled. Even my right one was shaky. Too weak to hold me, I didn't even want to attempt it and break my ass doing it. I considered another option. Hope she doesn't mind.

I lied back on her neck. Elly groaned. Sorry, I know but please endure it. I army-crawled backwards, dragging my six foot frame over her neck. Though I must be causing her more pain than she's letting on. She actually caught me from tumbling over her front with only her neck. I winced, that must be painful. I slid over her withers and sat back onto her spot comfortably. 

Her neck flitched. Her head shook, freed from the burden. She lifted it up, stretching her neck, moving her head side to side. glistening with sweat. The ends of her mane ragged and worn. Shards of glass tangled in the strands of her mane. Smaller bits and fragments clung to her coat as her sides continued heaving. My eyes downcasted.

"Elly," I whispered. "You're bleeding"

She drew a long sigh. Her sides rose and fell while I lifted up part of her mane stained with red. Blood streamed down the side of her neck, Sticking to her coat in wet clumps. I leaned over, running my finger through the wetness. An oozing cut sat below her mane line dripping with fresh blood. Some of it already dried on her coat.

"It is only a shallow cut," I remarked. "I'll have to get first aid out to see if I have a bandage that will fit."

The exhausted mare sighed. Steam rose off her coat as her breathing lost its harshness, becoming soft to the ears. I wiped her blood on my sleeve. Reaching for the first aid pouch, I noticed a shard of glass sticking out from top of her mane. I hesitated then plunked the shard away.

"We have a thing in my platoon, it's called a buddy check,"

I pulled out the first aid and unpacked it on her withers. 

"We each get assigned a battle buddy, someone to look after us. in case there is trouble, to watch our backs."

Searching through the assortment of tourniquets, tubes, scissors, I clicked my tongue. What could I use? Tourniquet on her neck? Be serious. I had nothing to wipe the blood. I wasn't a medic.

Hands lifted up her mane. Fingers pushed and probed through the tangled strands searching for shards. Sweat moistened my skin as did her warmth.

Several fragments were found near the base of her mane. They came out gently and quickly and tossed aside. More were found by her head. One stubborn piece resisted any attempt to remove by care. So I grabbed it with both thumbs and index finger ripped it out.

"When shit gets down and lead starts flying. You know they'll be there."

The mare's breathing settled down to quiet gasps. Her face concealed under her sweaty mane. Drops of sweat slid down her neck. 

I flung the stubborn piece away. I glanced at her sweaty mane. There was still more to go. Lifting up a chunk of long mane, my hand swept along her neck.

"Jackson is going to give me shit when I get back. He ain't going to like it when he sees me coming back to the platoon all Fubared." 

Pieces of glass smaller than my thumb tumbled to the gravel below. My eye caught the sight of a sharp fragment gleaming in moonlight clinging to her ear.

"Hold still," I said.

Moving up onto her withers, I reached out, stretching far as I could and grasped her right ear. The tips of my fingers snatched the dagger-like fragment. Face concealed under her forelock, Elly shivered.

"Sorry" I flicked the unwanted piece away.

 Her right ear slowly turned toward me. A dark cloud drifted near the moon.

Satisfied, I lowered her mane.

"We need to find shelter" 

"Somewhere we both can fit inside, safe…" I soothed her mane, "And warm…"

Elly's ear twitched. She stared off down the street, toward that mound made of rubble. Like it meant something to her.

"We still need to buddy check each other." 

I adjusted the rifle's strap on my shoulder. I paused, checking our surroundings.

Her ear twitched again. 

A sudden crash of pottery hitting concrete. I jolted. Immediately, my rifle flew into my hands. Two stores down, across from the desolated cafe, a man emerged from inside carrying a loaded box full of things looters would consider worth grabbing. I took aim. The rifle's sights fell over his chest, dead center. His face twisted the instant he saw me. He turned and yelped. The cardboard box crashed to the sidewalk as he ran down the block disappearing into the night.

I casually glanced at the spilled contents. "We need to get off this street"

Elly said nothing. Through it all, she remained on her knees.

The first aid was thrown back into its bag and packed tight. No screw up here. I slid it into its pouch. Next, I shouldered my rifle and adjusted my seating for better comfort.

Elly's head flung above her shoulders with a loud snort. 

I looked at the back of her head, perplexed. "Are you-"

Her head swung about, neck quivering. Ears at attention. Her nostrils flared as her breathing picked up.

"What? Whoa!"

She lifted off her knees with a sharp grunt. The Belgian mare turned herself toward the mound of rubble. She shuddered, muscles rippling under her drenched coat. Her hunches pulled underneath. She paused. Her ears moved about as her breathing now filled the night's silence.

With a snort, she lunged toward the distant mound. She reached a gallop before I was ready. My hands squeezed, nails digging into my skin while her breathing reached a frenzy pitch.

Words were almost to my lips when the sound of revving engines came. Their mechanical screams echoed through the dead urban sprawl. They found us! How the hell did that happen? I looked back.

Bright red drops trailed in a ragged line to a puddle of blood.

The wind roared. Signs and poles whipped by.

"Elly"

Her neck stretched out, legs pumping, mane and tail flying.

"Elly!"

Her hooves thundered. Her lungs screamed.

"ELLY!"

In two steps, she soared over the mound to a bone jarring landing. My teeth slapped together, knees taking the brunt. Pain shot up my thighs. 

My mouth agape, sucking air. Don't fall on her neck. Don't fall on her neck. My eyes drew to the passing street and cluttered sidewalk. Stay in her spot. Don't look down.

I saw it, didn't I? That was blood, her blood pouring down her legs to the ground. I should have looked. I should have known!

It was the size of a damn pond. How long was she bleeding out while I rambled on like an idiot. Why didn't she say anything? Did she know? Could she tell how serious it was? My hands squeezed her mane till they turned white. NO! This can't be happening, again.

Past her ears, the moon's rays slipped through shattered rooftops onto a solid mass blocking the way. A second one!? I hissed. Tall enough to reach Elly's ears, the mound's bulging girth fed from the collapse of two buildings. An abandoned sedan with a smashed-in roof parked in front of it. We should-no- we must go around. Elly's hooves picked up the pace.

Metal shoes rang on rough asphalt. Elly veered past the wrecked car aiming for the center. She surged. Air sucked into her lungs and released in an explosive fury. My heart pounded. In three breaths, she closed the gap and lunged for the mound. //fix

Hooves crushed rubble. We raced up the side to the top then jumped. My ass in the air. I squeezed with all I had. Weightlessness reigned before the ground rushed us.

The impact jerked our bodies. Muscles screamed. Bones ached. I bit my tongue. Blood flowed into my mouth.Her wide back was an unequivocal blessing. 

"For God sakes, Elly" 

Elly stumbled before recovering. Grunting, She shook her massive head. The mare spurred on. Her lungs continued to scream.

Eyes, blinded by dust and flailing mane, strained to make out the crossing over a four lane road. A middle divider separated the opposite lanes as a raised curb. A small gap in the divider to allow traffic to cross over.

Elly slowed, dropping her head. Her breathing began to slacken. My head lifted up at the positive development. She was listening, thank god I could kiss her. The joy was short-lived as she dropped into a rough trot. I clenched my teeth without thinking. Gums coated in saliva and salty blood. My legs flopped on her sides. What the hell is happening? Why is she slowing down now? 

My body rocked.. My ass slid on her back. Endure, I must endure it. I blinked. Something was odd. Why was the highway getting brighter?

The crossing seemed yet somehow lighter than before. Was that moonlight Beyond the crossing lay something monstrous. Its enormous shadow enveloped shelled buildings. 

Bigger road means a greater chance of exposure to the enemy. What the hell is she thinking? I flexed my shoulder, feeling the weight of the strap. My rifle was still there. If I had to I could wield it but at this pace? I hesitated. I'm gonna drop it.

The roar of a diesel made me clench the strap. A moment later, more engines joined in, revving on the far left. Approaching ahead, the crossing lit up with a flood of lights leaving not one shadow. My lips trembled. We'll have to go through, I grimaced. To hell or high water, we're gonna cross. I reached for my rifle.

I leaned down over her withers shielding my eyes. The beams hit her face then neck and then sheer whiteness. The intensity burned through my eyelids. I hissed in pain. Red spots swiveled as the light seared into my retinas. Then darkness came to immediate relief. Globs of colored clouds gleamed, morphing inside my vision. I blinked and blinked till blurriness faded and the pain dulled yet still an enormous blackness remained. 

It rose towering out of the fog of war. A grotesque pile of rubble and debris high enough to touch the third floor of a skyscraper. Tall structures flanked its sides leaving no passable gap. Its long gaited shadow stretched out, yearning for us. 

A Mountain to climb!?! I gasped. My eyes drifted up its side to the summit. I squirmed on Elly's back. There is no way up there. To the rear came the chorus of revving trucks from the left and right. 

"They're coming," I shouted.

In a blink, my shoulders were thrown back. My right hand snatched mane as I slid down her back. Holy Shit! Legs clamped her slick sides as she surged toward the mountain. 

Mane slipped through nervous fingers. My heart pounded. Limbs frozen. Mouth agape. From the gutted remains of a high rise office complex, the enormous pile of rubble loomed over us. We slipped in its shadow. Cranking my neck, I grimaced at the steep slopes leading up to the top. She couldn't possibly-

The high pitch squeal of tires erupted behind us. Beams of light criss crossed over our bodies, lighting up the mountain's side in an orgy of light. I looked back, squinting my eyes. One…two…three…four trucks with one pickup carrying twin gun barrels longer than a man's arms.

Leading the pack, a blue truck peeled off and roared its engine. Loaded with men, it raced through the street dodging debris with full brights. Screeching metal pierced the air. A dark blue truck leading the convoy surged from the pack. The driver's face was hidden in shadow. The roaring pickup closed the large gap. Its front grill gleamed in the moonlight. My voice caught in my throat. The bastard wants to ram us!

There's no way. Elly surged. Her stride lengthened. The wind roared ever louder. My heart squeezed into my throat. We covered the ground in three breaths. Metal shoes rang on uneven asphalt. She can't possibly get up that slope. There's no way. There's no way.

Hooves thundered. Tires screeched. Engines roared. Her lungs screamed.

A blur streaked past our right with a wave of heat and light slapping my face. Trailing smoke, it slammed into the rubble spraying rocks, sand, debris into our faces. The smell of solid rocket fuel was unmistakable. It was a fucking rpg. 

My eyes widened at the approaching steepness. It's impossible. Pressing through the dust cloud, Elly threw her head back, rising on her hind legs and rocketed up the mountain. 

She flew up the slope as I clung to her neck, legs flailing at her sides. Her powerful, thick legs vaulted up the perilous slope. A silent scream was all that came from my lips.

Hooves crunched rubble as rocks tumbled. Slabs of concrete buckled underneath our combined weight. Her hooves dug into the shifting rubble. Debris rolled downhill in between her struggling legs. 

The mare grunted, muscles bulged under her coat. Her four legs pushed with everything they had. She growled, throwing her head back as she whipped about on the steep slope. My shoulders forced back, arms strained to the limit as she leaped upwards in one last desperate hail mary. 

We crested the summit. Her feet planted with a solid, satisfying thump. 

The gasping, exhausted mare stood trembling under shaking legs. Foam dribbled from her lips. Her head down, Mane soggy and ragged. Her body drenched completely. Tail dragged through filth. And yet her neck curved to allow her to peek over the other side. She froze.

Looking over her ears, my gaze fell upon what the moon feared to show. What laid beyond in the shadows. 

Glowing embers embedded in tiny crevices. Black smoke streaming out of unseen holes. Metal, plastic, wood piled amongst chunks of sheared concrete. Scraps of loose papers scattered on the pile of ash and blackened debris. A glowing, smoking monstrosity, no higher than a pile of ammo crates. This wasn't here ten minutes ago. 

"Oh damn," I blurted out. 

Was that the big boom we heard earlier? It couldn't be. I squinted. Someone fired an artillery shell and it somehow fell short. A breeze came. The stench of burning plaster and manmade materials leaked into my nasal cavity. I gagged, wanting to hurl, tasting snot.

Elly gazed upon the destruction. A deep shudder rippled through her as sweat ran down her sides dripping to rubble by her feet. 

Brakes squealed as pickups rolled to a stop at the base of the mound. Truck doors flung open as uniformed men leaped out from inside and back. They ran, stumbling over the loose rocks and cinder blocks. Voices carried over their noisy gear. Boots running on rumble, The Iranians began climbing in a semi line formation. 

Her head snapped back to her front, hesitating, transfixed upon the smoking ruins laid spread out before us. What is wrong? Safety off, I pulled the m4's bolt back, revealing a round in the chamber. I let go and the bolt slammed shut. The mare's neck twitched as her ears sagged. 

My eyes drifted to her. Why was she hesitating? Unfamiliar voices drew closer, dropping to loud whispers. What is she waiting for? My hands trembled. My breathing stilled. Finger glued to the trigger. 

We faced lions, now come the wolves.

Elly swung her head to look behind herself. Her nostrils flared with intensity. She trembled as her ears flipped from front to back. The mare's neck twitched again. Excited voices came from below speaking Arabic or Persian. Shifting my seating onto her back, I peered through the Iron sights at the edge.

"Go," I screamed.

Elly leaped.

Her head dipped below the silver half moon as we fell. My legs embraced her. 

She slammed onto the sloped rubble. Downward she charged kicking up debris with reckless abandon. Mane in my face, my heart in my stomach. The ground sprang upward. Her hooves collided with the street as she flew into a dead run.

Head held low, legs pumping, She raced. Hot sweat flung off her coat as all four hooves battered asphalt. Steam blew from her nostrils.

Our momentum faded. Her lungs began gasping. Her stride slowed. Her sides heaving like pumped balloons. Something was wrong.

She ran, wheezing, head bobbing. Drool oozed from her frothy mouth. Gasping, gasping for needed air. Hooves beat out of rhythm. She began to drift.

The black smoldering mound lit like demon eyes in the shadow of a collapsed building. Flames licked out of tiny pores. It hissed and popped at us as we dared to approach. Black smoke billing from within while Red hot coals sneered from underneath.

Elly swung wildly avoiding a broken bathtub with jagged edges. I slipped off center. Both my legs bear-hugging her. I groaned. Pulling her mane like rope slid me securely onto her back.

Louder, her breathing grew as steam faded from her nostrils. Her sides tapped my legs with every breath. She didn't bother picking up her feet, scraping over debris, metal scraps and burnt plastic. Some crushed underneath her enormous hooves.

CRACK! A wooden chair, yards away, exploded.

Over her withers, I made myself small, yanking the rifle off shoulder into my hands.

CRACK TING! A round struck a nearby cabinet.

Over her rear, I turned to glare. One figure standing on the summit outlined by pale moonlight. Voices obscured by the growing distance. His rifles raised, aimed at us, dead center. By his feet, two helmets popped up. The hairs on the back of my neck sprang up. 

Elly slackened her pace before a wave of toxic fumes hit my face, lighting my sinuses on fire with a sharp headache. My rifle slapped against her thick neck. 

Crack! ZZZIP A round flew just above our heads, hitting debris directly in front of Elly. 

Beaching the mound, She plunged into the wall of rising smoke. Heat engulfed us from all sides. The rubble hissed and crackled as she trudged through the mist on unsteady legs, with hideous gasps. Flames licked at her feet.

Iron rebar stuck out from within the rubble like jagged spears. Enough to gut her alive. Elly misstepped and stumbled sideways to my utter horror, right over the rebar. It scratched her belly, beyond my sight. I hacked and coughed as she caught herself and paused, dimly aware, before passing over it. Her tail snagged onto the sharp ends, ripping to shreds as she pressed on seemingly dead to the world.

Gray dust puffed with each step of her hooves. She walked through enveloping smoke, with hideous gasping as tiny flames sprouted from tiny holes around us. My eyes stung at the sheer volume of smoke, coating my skin and clothes. Heat from below licked my exposed skin. 

The mare stumbled through the hot ruins. The air was covered in eye stinging foggy mist. The taste of which was mouth reteching. No amount of spit would eject the taste on my tongue. From the front, came a hum. My eyes were burning. My lungs were revolted.

The half moon greeted us as we emerged from the smokey mist, covered in soot. We plunged down the side, together. Boots scraped rubble as we slid down the shallow incline. Her feet reached the ground and she staggered, heaving unnaturally. Loosened debris rolled down behind her.

On the left, a peculiar light glowed out of a nearby alley between two boarded up stores. It changed from gray to green to orange to navy blue, never repeating the same color and tone as it hummed with great intensity. Disbelief went through my mind. What the hell? 

Elly stopped only a few strides from the glowing, humming alley. She stood, shaking, sweat rolling down her neck and sides in waves. She shivered with such force that rattled both of us. A pitiful cry came from her lips.

I glared at the changing glow emitting from the suspicious alley. Did we come all this way for this…place? Was this our way out? I don't understand.

"What the hell is that," I said, pointing my rifle.

The alien horse collapsed beneath me.