The Children of Fear Read Free Page B

horses bolted forward. A thick cloud of dust rose up from under their galloping hooves.
    Coughing, Luke closed his eyes and stepped back. The screams and yells of the crowd roared in his ears.
    â€œGo, Wade! Go, Earl!”
    Luke knew people were afraid to yell for anyone else. The Wade brothers would take revenge on anyone who shamed them. Especially if they were shown up by someone smaller. Small and weak, like Leah.
    Corey’s clapping pounded in Luke’s ears, and he felt Corey’s small feet beat against his chest. Lukesteadied his little brother on his shoulders. Then pushed forward in the crowd to get a better view.
    He spotted Leah riding hard, the Wade brothers on either side of her horse, crowding her as they had at the starting line. The horses were too close. They kept bumping into one another. Poor Leah had no room to maneuver, no way to surge forward.
    Suddenly, Thomas reached out, grabbed Phantom’s bridle, and gave a hard yank.
    The horse faltered and began to pitch forward. Leah screamed and pulled back hard on the reins.
    â€œLeah! Hang on!” Luke called out. His stomach churned as he watched Leah struggle to right her horse. If his sister lost her seat on Phantom or the horse fell, they both could be trampled to death.
    He spotted the Wade brothers exchange a sly, vicious grin as they galloped on—toward the barrel.
    As Leah gained control of Phantom, Luke released a sigh of relief. Almost all the other riders had raced past Leah, but she seemed determined to continue. She rubbed Phantom’s shoulder, then kicked him in the sides.
    The horse began to lope and then to gallop. The wind whipped Leah’s braids back over her shoulders as she swiftly gained on the other riders. She leaned low over Phantom’s long, sweat-slick neck.
    What is she doing? Luke wondered. He saw her lips move. It almost looks as though she’s whispering to the horse.
    He watched in amazement as the horse picked up speed when Leah guided it around the barrel. They cut the corner sharply. The horse’s backside hit the barrel. It teetered.
    Luke held his breath. He knew Leah would bedisqualified if the barrel toppled over. But the barrel remained standing.
    Leah and Phantom passed one rider after another. Then the horse broke into a dead run, leaving all the other riders choking on the dusty cloud stirred up in its wake. Unexpectedly, Leah was ahead of everyone.
    â€œLook, Corey! Leah’s winning!” Luke called out excitedly. He hopped up and down and felt Corey happily pat his head.
    â€œIf she just makes it past the Wade brothers, she’ll win,” Luke murmured.
    Leah ran only a few feet behind both of the Wades, her sleek black horse galloping just outside of their golden stallions.
    Luke saw Thomas glance over his shoulder at Leah and start to laugh.
    â€œOh, no,” Luke said aloud. “If Thomas tries to pull on Leah’s reins again, he’ll break her neck!”
    Horrified, Luke watched as Leah’s horse moved up and Thomas reached out for Phantom’s halter. He felt Corey’s fingers twined tightly in his hair and heard his little brother sniffle, as if he might cry.
    â€œNo, Corey. Don’t look,” he ordered him. He tried to get Corey down off his shoulders so he wouldn’t see Leah get hurt. But the little boy wouldn’t budge.
    Then without warning, while Thomas still leaned out toward Leah, his golden horse reared up on its hind legs. With its lips curled back in a vicious snarl, it turned toward Earl Wade’s horse and buried its large teeth into the other horse’s neck. Blood spurted over both of the brothers. Luke heard Thomas scream as he slipped in his saddle and desperately clung to the side of his mad horse.
    Luke heard Earl Wade’s earsplitting cry as he struggled to stay on his wildly prancing horse. Then Luke saw Thomas’s horse lower its head and kick its hind legs. With his arms flailing, Thomas toppled