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Authors: Theresa M.; Jarvela
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beside her.
âHey, Sarge.â Shirley rested her head against the rocky soil and gulped air. âI did good, right?â
Meggie smiled and patted Shirley on the back. She slowly raised her head until she could see over the hill. Her eyes surveyed the surrounding area and settled on an imposing black figure several yards away near a copse of trees. A light shone on the ground beside him.
The brawny figure bent over and thrust a shovel into the ground. He straightened up, flung the shovelâs contents on the ground beside him then plunged it further into the earth.
Meggie had seen enough. She tapped Shirley on the shoulder and pointed toward the farmhouse. In a whisper she directed her to start down the hill, but cautioned her to go slow. If they could reach the bottom of the hill without arousing suspicion they had it made.
Meggie drew in her stomach, pushed against the ground with her hands and squirmed backwards. After several feet she pushed herself to all fours and crawled backwards.
But when Shirley attempted to push herself up on all fours, her right foot slipped and dislodged several rocks. They clattered down the hill.
Meggie experienced a quick intake of breath. She grabbed her friendâs arm and lay still. The digging stopped. A hush fell over the hillside. Seconds later light flashed above them, moved from one side of the hill to the other.
âYou should have brought your hornet spray!â Shirley hissed.
As if manna from heaven, the digging resumed. Meggie let out a long breath and raised her eyes heavenward. She rolled over onto a grassier area, crawled backward until she could stand without being seen and hurried down the slope.
When Shirley reached the base of the hill she bent over, hands on her knees. âI need to catch my breath,â she panted.
Meggie gave her friend time to recuperate then grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along. âLetâs get out of here. Weâll have to forget about the horses. Theyâre on their own tonight.â
When they finally stumbled up to the pasture gate near the barn, they were shocked to see Black and Beauty waiting for them.
Shirley groaned and threw up her hands. âYouâve got to be kidding me. All that and the horses were here all the time? My first lesson in horses and what did I learn? How to survive a brush with Indiana Jones.â
But Meggie couldnât have been happier to see Black and Beauty. At least she wouldnât spend the night worrying about them. On the other hand, she anticipated little sleep after this late night escapade.
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The next day after Shirley had gone home, Meggie glanced through the kitchen window. If she hurried she might be able to catch the sunset. She wiped the counter, tidied up the kitchen and put on her summer loungewear.
From the refrigerator she pulled out the pitcher of iced tea she made earlier and poured a tall glass. She carried it to the front porch and set it down on the little table next to the rocking chair.
But before she sat down, she scooped up a cupful of sunflower seeds from a metal container and poured them into the bird feeder. That done she collapsed in the rocking chair, threw her feet on the footstool, and sat back to enjoy the sunâs spectacle.
Nature didnât disappoint. The sun glowed on its descent below the horizon and left in its wake a palette of vibrant colors splashed across the sky, hues in reddish-orange and shades of violet. But the awesomeness of nature could not dispel the unease that spread over Meggieâs being.
She never believed in ghosts. They were made up, Halloween characters. Even now after all the unusual goings-on she couldnât bring herself to admit they existed. She didnât want to believe this farm was haunted, but how could she explain away the cigar and cologne smells? How could she explain the chill in the air near the old well when the thermometer hovered around eighty degrees? The white
âHey, Sarge.â Shirley rested her head against the rocky soil and gulped air. âI did good, right?â
Meggie smiled and patted Shirley on the back. She slowly raised her head until she could see over the hill. Her eyes surveyed the surrounding area and settled on an imposing black figure several yards away near a copse of trees. A light shone on the ground beside him.
The brawny figure bent over and thrust a shovel into the ground. He straightened up, flung the shovelâs contents on the ground beside him then plunged it further into the earth.
Meggie had seen enough. She tapped Shirley on the shoulder and pointed toward the farmhouse. In a whisper she directed her to start down the hill, but cautioned her to go slow. If they could reach the bottom of the hill without arousing suspicion they had it made.
Meggie drew in her stomach, pushed against the ground with her hands and squirmed backwards. After several feet she pushed herself to all fours and crawled backwards.
But when Shirley attempted to push herself up on all fours, her right foot slipped and dislodged several rocks. They clattered down the hill.
Meggie experienced a quick intake of breath. She grabbed her friendâs arm and lay still. The digging stopped. A hush fell over the hillside. Seconds later light flashed above them, moved from one side of the hill to the other.
âYou should have brought your hornet spray!â Shirley hissed.
As if manna from heaven, the digging resumed. Meggie let out a long breath and raised her eyes heavenward. She rolled over onto a grassier area, crawled backward until she could stand without being seen and hurried down the slope.
When Shirley reached the base of the hill she bent over, hands on her knees. âI need to catch my breath,â she panted.
Meggie gave her friend time to recuperate then grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along. âLetâs get out of here. Weâll have to forget about the horses. Theyâre on their own tonight.â
When they finally stumbled up to the pasture gate near the barn, they were shocked to see Black and Beauty waiting for them.
Shirley groaned and threw up her hands. âYouâve got to be kidding me. All that and the horses were here all the time? My first lesson in horses and what did I learn? How to survive a brush with Indiana Jones.â
But Meggie couldnât have been happier to see Black and Beauty. At least she wouldnât spend the night worrying about them. On the other hand, she anticipated little sleep after this late night escapade.
Â
Â
The next day after Shirley had gone home, Meggie glanced through the kitchen window. If she hurried she might be able to catch the sunset. She wiped the counter, tidied up the kitchen and put on her summer loungewear.
From the refrigerator she pulled out the pitcher of iced tea she made earlier and poured a tall glass. She carried it to the front porch and set it down on the little table next to the rocking chair.
But before she sat down, she scooped up a cupful of sunflower seeds from a metal container and poured them into the bird feeder. That done she collapsed in the rocking chair, threw her feet on the footstool, and sat back to enjoy the sunâs spectacle.
Nature didnât disappoint. The sun glowed on its descent below the horizon and left in its wake a palette of vibrant colors splashed across the sky, hues in reddish-orange and shades of violet. But the awesomeness of nature could not dispel the unease that spread over Meggieâs being.
She never believed in ghosts. They were made up, Halloween characters. Even now after all the unusual goings-on she couldnât bring herself to admit they existed. She didnât want to believe this farm was haunted, but how could she explain away the cigar and cologne smells? How could she explain the chill in the air near the old well when the thermometer hovered around eighty degrees? The white
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