Champion Prolouge

As I approached the next jump on my horse, the reins wobbled in my slender, sweaty palms and I felt myself slipping. My horse neighed below me, and I noticed why she was acting weird... something had spooked her. The strong mare suddenly reared up on it's hind legs, throwing me off the saddle. I could hear people screaming and the wind rushing against my skull. Suddenly I touched the ground. All the air was knocked from my lungs, and I knew I was dead...

I almost fell out of bed at the horrible nightmare. Two years ago I had retired from riding horses after an accident with my horse. She survived, but I quit racing. I had been in a coma for two weeks after I had been thrown off my mare, and she was sold to my father who didn't live with us.
I knew what had triggered the nightmare. A month back my father had called and said the 'strong girl' had fallen ill. A week later, he called me again. She lay down, and never got back up again.

I stumbled out of bed and into my cozy kitchen. My mother was sitting at the dining table, eating toast. She had dark brown hair which was often tied into a bun and was usually at work, or on the phone. She owned a branch of successful grocery stores, which gave us money, thus resulting in our large sum of money.
I inherited her green eyes, but I took a lighter brown hair colour from my father, and my slim body from her.
We didn't talk as I prepared my own breakfast. I sat down at the dining table, poking at my toast. Why wasn't she talking? Usually we discussed college - as I was 17, almost 18 and ready for college - or her work. Mum and dad had divorced when I was younger and I had learnt to deal with it.

"How did you sleep?"
She asked with that expression that meant she had news.
"Good"
I muttered, taking a bite from my jam toast. I wanted to yell at her to spit whatever was bothering her out, but silence covered our conversation for a few minutes.
"Hun, I've got a new branch in California. It'll be big, and unfortunately I have to leave to prepare the new-"
"Where will I be staying?"
Before I had stayed with my aunt, but she was on holiday right now and the only one to take care of me.
"With your father"
My heart sunk. With my father? I loved him, but he owned a horse ranch. He wasn't awfully rich or poor, and everyone there learnt to ride a horse. I hadn't visited since my mare died. I just crunched on my breakfast.
"It'll be tomorrow you'll be flying over to him. I'll be staying in a hotel... I've arranged a flight time. 10 AM tomorrow"
When I said nothing after a few minutes, she got up and left out to her phone, which was ringing.

I had retired from riding horses for a reason. One jump put me in a coma and left broken ribs, scars under my shirt, and worst of all, the memory of the whole thing.
My father would try to get me back on a horse. No matter what he has to do, even if it's taping my body to the back of a horse. I wouldn't even touch a pony, let alone get on one. For horses, they were taller, stronger, wilder... so if I wouldn't even go near a pony, how would I go near a horse?
How would I avoid going near a horse on a horse ranch, filled with horses and my father who would offer me many rides. There would also be the stable hands, riders that kept the horses there. I didn't even think about the millions of courses and races where he lived. I chewed on my bottom lip and finished my toast.

Never would I get back on a horse. It'd kill me, or put me in a coma for longer... or even forever. It's happened once... and I was lucky. The second time wouldn't be any better. I got up from the dining table and went to pack my stuff. I could just ignore my father... maybe hide or go on a different flight? I sighed as I stuffed a few shirts into my suitcase. Nope.
I was going back on a horse, wither I liked it or not.