Fern Creek Academy Book 1

Chapter 14: Lights

By now, it was nearly end of term and the students of FCA were in a flurry of excitement getting ready to go home in a weeks time. Hilary had enjoyed her stay immensely and was astonished at how much she'd learnt in such a short period of time.

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It was now seven thirty in the evening, having just come back from dinner, Hilary was reading a history book on her bed Miss Peters had set to read for homework and Emma was at the reception, inquiring about an event coming up in a few days.

Outside it was growing dark, shadows playing along the brick Godolphin House building.

When Hilary had finished reading, Emma came back up.

"Hello, coach-potato." she said cheekily, plopping down on the end of the bed.

Hilary grinned "You should be doing some homework yourself, Em."

Emma shrugged "Time for that later. By the way, have you seen anything happening around by the stables?"

Hilary shook her head "Nope, nothing much, just horses and riders. What do you mean?"

Emma shrugged, as though brushing away any unease. "Well, I had just finished putting my helmet on the rack when I looked round the door and saw Amanda sneaking off into the room where the spare tack is kept, I looked in but found nothing. I can't imagine where she had gone or what she was doing as the lessons were all over for the day."

Hilary shook her head, bemused "I cant either." She responded unsure.

"Oh well," Emma sighed "I guess it's nothing, we'd better get to bed, it's nearly eight thirty."

Hilary stuffed her book under her bed, she was already in her PJ's and had brushed her teeth.

"I'll go change," Emma said wearily and trod off to the bathroom, turning the lights in the bedroom off on the way.

Hilary snuggled under the sheets and very soon was consumed by sleep.

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A Tawny-Frog mouth called wildly, the sound echoing in the darkness of the night, and flapped off loudly into the air. The branch it had been on scratched against the window of the girls room.

Hilary awoke with a jolt, a thin trickle of moonlight wove it's way in from a gap in the curtains, illuminating some of the room. She checked the time on her alarm clock, 11:43, unable to get back to sleep, she quietly tiptoed out of bed and moved to close the curtains.

A glimmer of light caught her eye, Hilary looked again, astonished by what she saw.

A light was bobbing towards the black hulk of the stables, a few more followed behind it.

No, that's not right, thought Hilary, if someone was checking on the horses they'd never bring another person with them.

Hilary frowned, uneasy, maybe she should go down and check what was happening, it would be breaking a school rule but no one would know and nothing could possibly happen, could it?

Hilary checked to make sure Emma was sleeping, before quietly slipping on her boots and a vest to keep her warm. She grabbed her flash light from her bag and ever so carefully opened the door to the hall, making sure she made no sound. She silently tiptoed down the corridor and turned right, into the cavernous space if the Hall, it was deserted but enough moonlight came in to let her see clearly, it glittered off the chandelier in the ceiling, giving it a spooky glow. Hilary started having second thoughts about leaving the building, if she was caught she didn't know how much trouble she'd get into. But there was no going back now, and the hardest part was still to come.

She tested the, huge, heavy wooden doors that marked the entrance to Godolphin House and breathed a sigh of relief. They weren't locked and opened without the hint of a creak. Hilary padded out into the night, gently closing the door behind her, to her alarm, it gave a dull thud that resonated through the house and would be enough to alarm anyone who was awake.

Hilary waited in silence, her breath making plumes of cloud in the cool air.

She breathed a sigh of relief, no light had switched on in the darkened windows.

She trod off into the night, her shoes making no noise on the manicured lawns.