Pony Dreams by K. C. Sprayberry Page B

should, but your pa, he thinks you're
like my grandfather. Now, Gramps, he talked to horses. Made them do
what he wanted, but he did take a fall or two when he didn't pay
attention.”
    My eyes drifted closed, and she shook me
awake.
    “No you don't, young lady. I want to make
certain you didn't scramble your brains.” She raised her voice.
“Adam, scoop some of that broth into a bowl and bring it here with
a spoon.”
    He appeared with the bowl in one hand and a
spoon in the other. She settled on the bed and spooned the watery
broth into my mouth. It took nearly the whole bowl before I
realized she had called me by my nickname. I sputtered.
    “Are you sick to your stomach?” she
asked.
    “No, ma'am,” I said. “You called me
Abby.”
    “Why, I did, didn't I? See what you did? You
scared me so much I forgot my own rules.” She set the bowl on the
floor and stood. After picking up the bowl, she looked me over
again. “Now lie back. Adam will read from the Bible until you drift
off.”
    He settled me into the crook of his shoulder
and read a few verses. The last thing I remembered was a gentle
kiss on my forehead as he lowered me to the pillow.
    * * * *
    The night lasted ten times longer than I ever
imagined it could, what with half-waking in pain every time I
moved. My dreams alternated between the horse tossing me and
playing with Grace. In the last one, she and David had snuck into
the corral. I started to follow them, but I stopped and looked for
an adult when a coyote slipped under the fence.
    The pretty lady with Trapper Andy was the
only adult on the porch.
    “Coyote,” I said, pointing at the corral.
“David and Grace are in there.”
    Then I ran after the creature. Coyotes never
came close to humans unless they were very hungry. I had once heard
Pa and Adam talking about sick ones, with a disease that would hurt
people. They explained how I could never go near a coyote because
might bite me, and then I'd have the sickness.
    Keeping away from the animal didn't matter. I
had to help Grace and David stay out of trouble. One other problem
prodded me to break Pa's most stringent rule and go into the
corral. The coyote might attack one of the horses.
    The dream exploded into steel clad hooves
kicking at me, and terrified screams. Sweat soaked my skin. A cool
hand brushed hair back from my face.
    “It's over, Abby,” Adam whispered. “Just
sleep.”
    My eyelids cracked open. He leaned over
me.
    “Why did I forget David?” I asked.
    “Shhh!” He looked more scared than when I
flew off the horse. “It's just a bad dream. Think about happy
things, sis.”
    He hummed until I fell asleep again. This
time, I dreamed of pretty ladies in store bought dresses. While it
wasn't scary, I hated how much I wanted one of those lace-trimmed
dresses. Riding a horse in one of those things was nigh on
impossible!
    Sunlight heating my face brought me around,
but I kept my eyes closed. Before I considered opening them, I had
to stop the fierce thumping in my head. It felt like a bunch of
little men was hammering away in there. My stomach flopped
topsy-turvy when I smelled sausage and eggs. The sound of someone
snoring close to me made me want to scream.
    Holy heck! I'm not a baby. I'm fine.
    At least I thought I was, until I sat up and
every single bone and muscle protested.
    “Yikes!”
    My exclamation startled Bart. He fell out of
a chair beside my bed.
    “You're awake! Ma, she's awake.”
    Adam made it through the door before Ma. She
shoved him aside and examined my arms, legs, and back before
helping me sit up.
    “You're staying in bed today, but I think you
can get up tomorrow,” she said. “You boys get about your chores and
I'll help Abigail to the ... the ... the.”
    Oh, golly gee, Ma. Everyone goes to the
outhouse first thing in the morning.
    Ma, who never faltered at anything, blushed
deep red. My brothers scooted from the room and left the house.
    “Time to get you to the comfort house,” she
said.
    The