Friday 6 June 2014

Saraya's Bet Final

NOTE: Part 5 has been edited and should be read again before reading this part!


Tired, angry and humiliated, Saraya had no choice but to do her best. She couldn't bear the thought of losing.

With Miguel astride her back, and the crowd around her... grr... she began the 'pony dance', the shuffling little jog that was like the horses' piaffe, the 'up' foot not really leaving the ground.
She refused even the thought of copying Yasmin's raunchy, but much easier moves. She would not stoop that low. She forced her body into doing the little shuffle trot, trying to do it at least a little gracefully. Miguel felt the little moves through her body and into his.

Step, step, step... The world around her got tuned out into a blur as she did her very best. All that existed was the weight of her rider, and the effort of continuing the pony dance step even though her muscles were protesting like mad. Pride kept her going. She would not lose. She would not!

She barely even noticed that Yasmin was now higher up, getting a piggy back ride from a laughing young man who was pretending to do the same as Saraya, in a comical fashion, getting lots of laughter from around them.

Miguel helped, or rather he used the quirt when he felt her start to slow and falter; but Saraya almost didn't care, the extra clarity and energy let her keep it up, at least for a little longer...

...And then, to her horror, her legs refused. Totally, utterly refused. Saraya swayed and Miguel slid off her back as her legs folded despite her best efforts.

As she knelt sprawled, collapsed on the ground, panting for breath, she heard laughter and cat calls about how he'd finally 'broken' his pony, ridden to exhaustion, and similar things. A voice asked if she was okay, she nodded, but couldn't speak.
Had she done enough?? Had she outlasted Yasmin? She had a sinking feeling...

She heard Yasmin's voice over the others, light, challenging and mocking. "So which pony was the best? Me, or her?"
"You were!" "Yasmin!" The calls were almost unanimous.
"Woo hooo!" Yasmin punched her hand in the air in a show of victory.
Saraya's heart sank! She raised her head, pulling the bit partly out of her mouth so she could talk. "No way!" she spat. "She just did a ho dance! I did it properly!"
"A bet's a bet," said Miguel, and there was laughter in his voice. "The crowd has spoken!"
"Now she gets to ride you," taunted someone.
"No way...!"

The girl was helped up and moved by the press of the little crowd, mostly of young men, plus one of Yasmin's friends, over to the fence by the side of the road, with much laughter and taunting.
Someone gave her a drink of water through the bridle, "you'll need it!" they taunted, and then she was pressed to the fence and made to bend at the waist to be mounted.
Yasmin came up in front of her face. Mockingly she patted Saraya's sweaty 'mane', making the other girl glare mutely at her.
"You'd better be a good pony for me," she said."None of that nonsense you gave poor Miugel!"
There was more laughter from around them. Tired though she was Saraya swore through the bit at Yasmin.

Now Yasmin mounted her, boosted up by one of the other men. She felt the weight of the other girl come down astride her back, an unwanted, hated rider. She felt slim legs grip her sides, weight adjusting itself against the cantle of her mock half saddle. This wasn't FAIR! she thought. And it was damned odd. Red embarrassment flushed her cheeks.

Yasmin collected the reins and pulled them backward, not at all gently... similar to how Saraya had pulled HER head back during their brief wrestle! Saraya's head was forced up and back with a little gasp. Yasmin's legs locked around Saraya's waist, not needing to be held.
"Giddy up, Horsey!" She kicked her 'pony' on, heels against upper thighs, almost mockingly.

Despite Saraya's tiredness, the pure humiliation of it stung her enough that anger won. She braced her hands on the rail and tried to buck Yasmin off, violently bucking and lurching under the other girl, trying to toss her off.
The hated girl buried her hands in mane and reins and hung on, laughing, her legs locked around Saraya's waist, moving with the other girl's movements. She rode Saraya's wild movements till the girl's tiredness began to win once more, then pulled hair and reins back hard. Saraya's body arched beneath her.

"Take the quirt" suggested Miguel. And of course, Yasmin did. No way was she going to let Saraya off lightly after being wrestled down in public.
"Giddy up!" she repeated, and this time brought the quirt down stingingly on the other girl's backside. Saraya gasped at the burning line across her rump... and finally, removed her hands from the fence rail and began to step away from it. Yasmin smacked her with the quirt again as Saraya carried her slowly away from the fence. Back toward the parade. Where the much lighter weight of Yasmin meant that she was able to make her pony dance till she dropped.


*        *      *      



Saraya did not stay in the town after that. She left, and found a job in the big city, and made a good life for herself. And it is said that she did not speak so rashly when angry as she once had. She had finally learned to think before she acted.
Her family's debt, however, vanished after that night....



6 comments:

  1. Has it really been that many months??! Gah. Thank you to that 'anonymous' who posted and said don't let this blog die.

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  2. And a good end to the story - feeling a bit sad for Saraya though.. :-)

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    1. Thanks, Tom.
      Poor Saraya. :( Pride came before a fall.

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  3. Wow, excellent! Love the ending Susan.........good effort and nice to see you on were again

    :-) M

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  4. Ah, her family's debt was erased, her humiliation a small price to pay...

    Wonderful story, Susan - well worth the wait!

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  5. A fantastic ending. I particularly enjoyed the crowd's response and Saraya's brief but feisty attempt to resist Yasmin's dominance.

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