By The Hillside

Chapter 5

Louis hated waking up in the middle of the night to pee because it often meant he couldn't sleep after, and that night was no exception. At two-thirty he had woken up to the pressure of his bladder, so he quickly skidded into the bathroom.

After, he returned to his bed, getting under the covers, but he couldn't sleep. He tossed around in the sheets, and after what felt like an eternity, he just breathed out deeply, taking his phone from the nightstand. He unlocked it, letting his eyes skim the messages. Eleanor, Nick.

Dad.

He felt like all the air got punched out of his lungs, and he quickly sat up in bed. His eyes didn't stray from the notification, but he didn't dare to press it.

His father never texted him. Never.

Louis breathed deeply. In. Out. In. Out.

He got out of bed, leaving the phone on his bed. He needed air. Why was it so hot in there? Hadn't he left the window stand open?

He grabbed a tank top and a pair of sweats. He pulled them on quickly, grabbing his phone. He unlocked it once again, looking at the notification, completely ignoring Nick and Eleanor's.

He shook his head, stuffing his phone in his sweatpants pockets.

He left the room, walking on tiptoes past Harry's door, and down the stairs. He scurried through the hallway, and finally, he was out in the open air.

The sky was dark above him, and it was oddly silent, except for the sound of a single cow muuuuhing in the field.

It was peaceful.

He began walking but then stopped. Where was he going?

He had a few options, and neither seemed appealing. 1) Bed 2) Cow stable 3) Cow field 4) Horse stable.

Louis hadn't quite found his inner cow-lover, but he had gotten a soft spot for the horses since he had helped Harry tack one. When had that been? One day before? Two, technically as it was after midnight.

He made his way over to the stable, his phone feeling like it was burning a hole through the fabric of his sweats. What could his father have texted? A few possibilities ran through his head as he walked over to the stable building.

Did you fall in?

Is Harry sending you back for being such a disappointment?

Did you jump off a cliff? If not, send a thumbs up.

He reached the stable, pushing the door open. Maybe a horse pushing him with its head could cheer him up. A little bit. Maybe it would just make him fall.

It was worth a shot.

Inside the stable it was dark, but he quickly found the light switch, and seconds later light poured through the old bulbs.

At first, everything inside the stable seemed fine. The horses seemed slightly confused as to why the light got turned on in the middle of the night, Bart and Billy blinking lazily with their eyes. But then Louis' eyes fell on Piper's stall, and he instantly knew something was up.

She was walking in circles inside her stall, her flank sweaty.

Louis quickly strode over to her stall, worry flooding his veins. "Piper?"

The horse didn't react to his voice, just kept walking around. She was breathing deeply, her foal belly rising with each and every breath.

Foal belly—