‘Why do I always let Seb Wilde call the shots?’ she muttered through gritted teeth. Canal boats slumbered as she approached the Capestang Bridge, even the calm waters reflecting gold-crimson hues from the early morning sky failed to comfort her. She swiped another tear and, stretching out a leg to balance, almost kicked over a plastic bollard. She groaned, thinking how many times he had broken promises before, and as she thrust her foot again on the pedal, a vision of Seb’s face screamed beneath.

She clicked down two gears and sped up the bank, gaining momentum as she mounted the bank. As she reached the bridge, she peered up. But too late. In front of her appeared enormous black shire horses. Two of them were hurtling straight into her path, their hooves deafening as they struck the surface of the bridge. Instinctively, she squeezed on the brakes and steered her handlebars to the edge. The low stone wall offered little support but was all there was between her and a drop into the canal.

‘Oh God. No. Charlotte!’ she screeched her daughter’s name as a beast neared. His heavy chest was now feet away.

Fear ripped through her as she scrambled one leg across the wall gripping for life whilst forcing her body forward to balance and the other leg squeezing against the base of the wall as the bicycle tipped towards the canal. Panicked and helpless, she shrieked.

‘No, please no. Charlotte.’ Evie gripped the handlebars with every ounce of strength she could as she buried her head, the giant body mass and hooves thundering beside her with no room to move. With the thrust, her knee jerked, scrapping down into the wall whilst she tried to maintain the grip. Her body remained rigid, inertly taking the full brutality of the momentum as the horse slammed past. Pain took her breath as the frame shook between her legs.

‘Aaargh… Char…lo…tte…’ With her teeth clenched so hard, she could barely say her child’s name. What would happen to her child? Aware that the horses were pulling a carriage, Evie retained her position, fearing its enormity as it approached. The wheels ground towards her. She was going to fall and drown. Tightening her grip with her legs, she dared to keep one hand compressing the handlebar whilst reaching with the other for the solidness of the stone wall. Taking a deep breath, she squeezed every muscle, and closed her eyes as the thud of the hooves petered, but the roar of the carriage wheels grew louder. Evie pressed her weight once more into the parapet, gritting her teeth and maintaining a grip on the bike but bracing herself for a final push. This was it, it was sure to hurl her over what was no more than a foot of stone. Who knew what was in that water? She must grip the wall, let the bike fall. She couldn’t panic. She won’t panic. Keep calm, keep calm. In her head, she rehearsed a flip of her body to free the bike. She had to lift and kick… let the bike go but grab the wall. Stay calm. The carriage lurched past.

Several seconds later, as the thundering subsided, realisation dawned. Miraculously, thankfully, she wasn’t in the canal fighting for breath and life. She peered around, still bent at an angle, dangling mid-air over the canal, a bright shard of light blinding her. Letting go of her chest, she wailed, ‘I’m alive.’ A poignant mix of straw and leather punched her nose. She let her head drop down. A rush of saliva slid from her mouth as she exhaled and numbness turned to pain.

‘Aarghh…ch. Thank you God… or whoever’s on duty. I’m alive.’ Movement caught her eye. A white knuckle loosened its grasp on the back of her seat. Searching, she met deep brown eyes glistening back. A calmness swept through her.

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One Moment At Sunrise. Karen Aldous
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