Page 2 of Shattered Mind

The ground shakes beneath my boots with the force of the bucks. People cheer.

Four seconds.

The bull changes direction.

Three seconds.

Rueben hangs on, his body adjusting to the sudden change.

Two seconds.

The bull huffs in anger, white puffs forming from his nose as he kicks his back legs relentlessly.

One second.

He changes direction again. Rueben hangs on, riding the seconds down like the goddamn professional he is.

The buzzer sounds, and I release the breath I was holding.

He did it.

Rodeo clowns fly out of the gate to wrangle the bull and the crowd goes wild. We join them, jumping to our feet and cheering for our friend. I keep my eyes on Rueben as he dismounts, but a frown takes over my face when I realise, he’s still on the bull.

Why is he still on the bull?

Rueben attempts to pull free his hand from the rope, but it doesn’t budge. The cheers die down and people begin to go silent as they watch on.

“Dude, why is he still on the bull?” Noah echoes my question next to me, but I can’t take my eyes off the scene unfolding in the arena in front of me.

It happens in slow motion.

The bull continues to buck aggressively as Rueben tugs his hand free, but before he can dismount properly, he’s thrown in the air. I watch in stunned horror, as my best friend flips over and over before landing on the ground with a hard thud.

I hear a collective gasp, but still, I don’t tear my eyes away. I can’t.

No.

I watch as the bull turns and scrapes his hoof against the ground. Once. Twice. He breathes heavily, kicking up dust on the ground before charging head down at Ruebens unmoving body. A horrified yell lodges in my throat as I cup the back of my head with both hands and look around for someone… anyone.

Why the fuck hasn’t anyone moved him?

The bull charges for him, his head low and his intentions clear, but at the last second, a rodeo clown intercepts him. He blocks the bulls path, his horse trampling on Ruebens head in the process. Somebody lets out a guttural scream while others cover their mouths in shock.

My legs are moving before my brain has a chance to catch up, and I’m jumping the barriers, running straight for the lifeless body belonging to my best friend. I don’t check to make sure it’s safe. The bull could still be in here for all I know, but I don’t give a shit. All I see is him.

“Rue, can you hear me?” I call as my knees hit the ground next to him. Panic tightens my chest when he remains unnaturally still. I watch his chest rise incredibly slowly. Too slowly.

“Rueben, open your eyes for me,” I beg, my voice cracking. Blood pools around his head turning the yellow sand a deep red as I hold my fingers against his neck.

Why the fuck won’t he open his eyes?

“Give us some room,” I hear from behind me before I’m pulled backwards, my ass landing on the ground. Doctors rush in around us and begin working on Rueben as my brothers and I stand back and watch, helplessly.

It becomes hard to breath as I watch the doctors cut off his clothes and check his pulse. My eyes burn with unshed tears as the paramedics jump from the onsiteambulance and begin chest compressions. I feel someone’s arms wrap around me, but I can’t tear my eyes away.

They shout orders at each other as someone climbs on top of Rueben and starts performing CPR, stopping every few seconds to place a mask over his face and give him air before repeating the process. Realisation barrels into me with the force of a mack truck.

My best friend is dying right in front of me.

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