Read Online Sea Horses by Louise Cooper - Free Book Online Page B

bedside table. ‘H-hello?’
    ‘Tamzin?’ It was Joel. ‘Sorry, but I had to call. There's something weird going on.’
    Tamzin's heart started to beat faster. Joel's voice was strained, and all her nerve-ends tingled in response. ‘What is it?’ she whispered.
    ‘I woke up a few minutes ago,’ said Joel, ‘and there were noises in the stable yard. When I looked out, I saw Moonlight. He'd got out of his stall somehow and he was escaping out of the yard, towards the valley. I think he's heading for your place. But that's not all. As he went through the gate, I… I…’
    The tingle in Tamzin's nerves became as sharp as needles. ‘What?’ she asked.
    There was a pause. Then, ‘Tam, I know what I've said before. About the Blue and the Grey Horse being just a crazy old story. But I saw something in the yard. I didn't imagine it and I couldn't have mistaken it for anything else. It was another horse. A dark grey horse. It was as real as I am. It looked at me. But then suddenly it wasn't there any more.’
    As he spoke the last words, Tamzin heard a rustle outside her window. She jumped violently and hissed into the phone, ‘Joel, there's something in the garden, I just heard it! Wait a moment…’
    It took all her courage to slip out of bed, cross to the window and pull back the curtain just enough to peep cautiously through.
    Moonlight was in the garden. He was wearing only a halter and she could clearly see the frayed end of its broken rope dangling. The pony raised his head, saw her and gave a low, urgent whicker, pawing the ground impatiently.
    ‘It's Moonlight!’ she hissed into the phone. ‘He's here!’
    ‘See if you can catch him,’ said Joel, sounding more strained than ever, ‘and wait for me. I'll be there in five minutes. And Tam… I think I believe you now.’
    He broke the connection. Moonlight whickered again and stamped a forehoof impatiently. He looked as if he would take off at any moment, and hastily Tamzin dropped the curtain and started to scrabble for her clothes.
    The house was dark and quiet as she felt her way carefully downstairs. She wondered if she should wake Nan, but instinct said no. Joel was on his way; between them they could cope with Moonlight.
    Tamzin managed to ease the garden door open without the squeaky hinges making too much noise, and slipped outside. The night air was chilly, and she shivered. The moon was full and high in the sky, blotting out the stars and giving a strange, silvery cast to the garden and the valley beyond. It turned Moonlight's coat to silver, too. He saw Tamzin and came quickly towards her, pushing his muzzle against her outstretched hands.
    ‘Moonlight!’ Tamzin stroked him. ‘There now, it's all right! What are you doing here? What do you want?’
    The pony made small eager noises in his throat. ‘Shh!’ Tamzin said. ‘It's all right, Moonlight, Joel's coming and – oh!’
    Moonlight had jerked away from her, head high and mane tossing. Tamzin made a frantic grab for his halter rope and her fingers closed round it just before he could snatch it from her reach.
    ‘Moonlight, no! Shh, now, what's the matter?’ She tried to soothe the pony but he snorted and stamped, and when she pulled on the rope he pulled too, nearly dragging her off her feet. It was all she could do to hold on as they performed a strange, silent dance around the garden. Twice Moonlight almost broke free, and Tamzin was on the verge of giving up and shouting for Nan when footsteps thudded on the track beyond the garden and Joel arrived.
    ‘Quick!’ she whisper-shouted. ‘I can't hold him!’
    Joel came running, and between them they managed to get Moonlight under control. The pony was sweating; he stamped again and Tamzin jumped back, her feet only just getting out of the way of his hoof in time.
    ‘Whatever's wrong with him?’ she asked breathlessly.
    ‘I don't know.’ Joel was puffing with the effort of trying to calm Moonlight. ‘He must have come here for a