Secrets Ever Green by Sara Knightly

Author:Sara Knightly
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798989489114
Publisher: Portal Publishing LLC

Twenty

That night, I dreamt of the rider.

We were back at the beach, but this time, I rode Loon and he was riding his black horse. He was further ahead, thundering over the sand, but always glancing back at me. Always laughing. An echo of his smile stretched across my face. My heart felt light as my body flew above Loon’s. Her white mane streamed out like wispy clouds behind us as she pushed herself faster across the beach.

The rider looked back again. But this time, his jubilant smile flattened into my father’s serious, thin lips. My heart stopped as the rest of the rider’s face morphed into my father’s. His black clothes turned Arborist green. The smile died on my face, but I didn’t slow down. I urged Loon faster. We needed to catch him; I needed to know what he wanted me to do next.

Just as I was closing in on him, he whipped his head around. His face had changed again, from my father’s into Mr. Mallon’s. His clothes morphed from green to black with silver swirls and buttons. His brown beady eyes were angry as he jerked the black horse back. Foam spit at his horse’s mouth. He snorted, then reared to a stop.

I yelled at Loon to stop too. My heart was lodged in my throat as Loon began to stumble backward so we wouldn’t get closer. Then Mr. Mallon pointed a long, accusing finger at me. Suddenly, the beach disappeared and Loon, Mr. Mallon, and his horse vanished. There was only dark fog and a storm crashing above me. A cold rain pelted me. I stood alone, shivering and soaked to the bone. I had lost everything— somehow I just knew it. I was all alone on the dark, wet sand—

Something nudged me and I awoke in a panic. It took me a minute to realize it was Loon’s warm nose. She pushed against me again. I sat up, pushing hair from my face and wiping the drool around my mouth. I was in the barn. I’d fallen asleep on the cushion I’d dragged into the stall last night to study. My books were half open next to me. One had pages missing.

“Hey!” I grabbed the book and smoothed the pages, wishing I could smooth away my unease too. “We talked about not eating books. I need them.”

Loon nudged me again and scraped her hoof on the ground. “OK, OK. Got it. Breakfast time,” I said as my own stomach grumbled.

I stood, stretching out the kinks in my back. Then I opened the stall and walked down the stable with Loon following me. I picked straw from my hair as we walked, trying to forget the eerie dream completely, but the images were stuck in my mind. I didn’t usually remember my dreams, and now I was glad of it.

I opened the gate and let Loon into the large pasture. She took off, kicking and running, to remind me of how much she didn’t like being in the stall overnight.

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