The Eventer's Club 2: Junior Year

Chapter 13:

Evelyn's POV:

It was almost like a scream.

I shot out of bed, breathing heavily as I tried to compose myself.

Had it just been a dream?

The sound reached my ears again, a cry.

A whinny.

I was out of bed and over at the window before I could even really confirm what was happening.

A thunderstorm had rolled in late tonight, just after dinner. The horses had all been brought in from the pastures as the strong winds shook the trees and thunder and lighting danced together in the dark, almost black clouds.

It was difficult to see through the pouring rain, the outside world was covered in a darkness that almost seemed eerie.

But I could tell right away that something was wrong.

I could see flashes of lights coming from the windows of the barn.

No groom would dare leave any light in the stables on unless otherwise instructed by my parents or Darla.

So that could only mean one thing...

Someone was in there!

Someone who didn't want to be seen, which couldn't lead to anything good.

I didn't bother changing out of my pyjama leggings or tank top, just slipped on an old pair of paddock boots I kept in the back of my closet and made my way outside.

I crept by Ashley's room. She still wasn't 100% healthy again so I didn't want to disturb her. The same went for my parents, who's room was just at the other end of the hall.

Opening the front door proved to be more difficult than I thought. The strong winds practically sealed the door closed, and when I did manage to pry it open, it flew back and almost smashed the wall, and me.

I heard another whinny, this time it sounded like it came from more than one horse, which made me change pace from a fast walk into a full on run.

The flashing light had seemed like it'd gone from the barn, but what I saw next made my stomach drop and my heart stop.

The horses were out of their stalls...

All of them!

And the barn doors were wide open!

Terrified horses, mares, geldings and stallions all whinnied as they ran. I barely had time to duck into an open stall before they all stampeded out of the barn, acting almost wild.

I could see the whites in their eyes, their nostrils flaring. Some even had cuts with blood running down from various parts of their body.

I closed my eyes, willing, praying that this was all just a bad dream, that I would wake up in my bed a few seconds later.

It wasn't a dream.

Even after pinching myself I was still in the same place, with the same scene playing out in front of me.

Scared, frantic, injured horses practically trampling over each other to escape the crowded barn, only to become even more terrified when they got outside and faced the full force of the storm that seemed to have intensified in the last few minutes.

I peered out of the stall, only to almost have my head taken off my a galloping shade of white.

Luna!

Jake had asked to keep Luna and Titan here while his barn went over some renovations for the next week.

I would never forgive myself if anything happened to his horses, or Holloway's horses for that matter.