The Haunted Stables
by Ceara Comeau
Chapter 1
A Strange Sighting
Jena McAvery gave a loud sigh as she looked out the car window and saw beautiful rolling hills and green pastures with horses prancing around in them. She was going on vacation to her Aunt and Uncle’s farm with her two older brothers Colin and Blaine. Colin was the oldest of the group. He was nineteen and the type of person who felt that everything had a logical explanation. He was also very serious. He had brown hair and the most beautiful brown eyes Jena ever saw and was very tall and lean. Blaine was a bit different then Colin. Blaine was sixteen and he was a jokester who went through life thinking it was a breeze. Colin got on his case a lot about that. Blaine was a bit shorter than Colin but taller then Jena. He had sandy brown hair and light blue eyes. Now, as for Jena she was fifteen and a rebel. She always caused problems and she seemed to never be satisfied at all. She was average height, had long silky brown hair, and dark green eyes. She had a lot of trouble fitting in. That’s why her brothers took her on a trip to their Aunt and Uncle’s farm. They had two dogs and four horses. Colin and Blaine thought it'd be good for her to be in a different environment.
“Hey Jena, you okay? You’re very quiet back there,” said Colin glancing back at her.
“Fine,” she replied in her most annoyed voice.
Blaine turned around from the front seat and said to her,
“Oh come on, cheer up, Jena! Relax, it’s summer! It should be a breeze.”
“Clueless,” whispered Colin.
Blaine rolled his eyes and sat back relaxed in the seat.
“Hey! There’s Aunt Linda and Uncle Bill,” exclaimed Blaine waving out the window toward them.
“Oh goody!” said Jena with a bored tone.
Colin stopped the car turned around and said, “Try to actually look like you’re happy! Please!”
“Whatever,” she replied playing around with the half heart necklace her Aunt Linda gave her for her birthday. All three got out of the car and walked over to their Aunt and Uncle.
“So, are you kids ready for an awesome summer?” asked Aunt Linda excitedly. The two boys nodded.
“What about you, Jena?” she continued.
Jena looked at her brother’s stern faces and she nodded as well.
“Great, well I’ll show you around the farm,” replied Aunt Linda.
They followed her and Uncle Bill to the green pastures and saw the prettiest horses ever.
“That over there is Lizzie,” said Aunt Linda, “But be careful, she thinks she’s the lead mare so she might push you around. Then there’s Kinger, Skippy, and Mr. Brown.”
“They’re so beautiful,” said Blaine in awe.
Jena rolled her eyes obviously looking bored out of her mind. Then something caught her eye. She saw a young man who looked to be in his early twenties or late teens.
He had jet-black hair and his skin was slightly pale, he wore all black and he was aboard a beautiful black stallion. He kept staring at her and her at him. There was something about him that was different, something mysterious. She just couldn’t figure it out.
“Hey, Aunt Linda, who’s that man on that horse over there?” asked Jena pointing.
Everyone gave her a concerned expression.
“Um… there’s no man on a horse over there, Jena,” said Uncle Bill.
“Yes there is… wait, where’d he go?” she questioned as she turned back.
“Are you okay, Jena?” asked Aunt Linda.
“I don’t know,” she replied.
“Well let’s go inside, Bill’s made some chocolate ice-cream with peanut butter swirls!” said Aunt Linda turning toward the house.
They all headed toward the house but Colin pulled Jena aside and said, “Okay, I told you to be happy, not a liar!”
“I’m not lying, he was there on his horse!” she replied.
“Okay, calm down, it was probably your imagination,” said Colin.
“Why would I imagine something like that?” yelled Jena.
Colin looked irritated.
“Fine, but…” she replied.
Colin stopped her with a stern look and said, “Come on, let’s go get some of that ice-cream before it’s gone.”
Jena relented and followed him to the house, but she couldn’t help wonder if it really was her imagination or something else.
Chapter 2
Confusion
“Wow, this ice-cream is really great!” said Blaine.
“Thanks, I made it this morning,” replied Uncle Bill with pride.
“Are you feeling a bit better, Jena?” asked Aunt Linda.
“Yes, a bit,” she replied.
After everyone had their ice cream, Uncle Bill showed them around the house that was so huge one could get lost in it.
“This place is amazing!” exclaimed Colin.
Uncle Bill smiled and showed the teens their rooms.
“Colin, this is your room, Blaine, this is your room, your right next to Jena.”
The two boys went to their rooms and Uncle Bill showed Jena her room.
“It’s pretty, Uncle Bill, thanks,” said Jena.
“Sure, no problem at all. Oh, and you can see the horses from here too!”
Jena nodded and Uncle Bill left the room. She sat down on the bed and let out a deep breath. She got up and started to unpack. She started putting her make-up and jewelry on the dresser. She glanced up at the mirror and gasped for she wasn’t alone. In the mirror was the same man she saw earlier only up close he looked sad. Jena quickly turned around and to her horror no one was behind her. She turned back to the mirror and there was no sight of him. Jena backed away from the dresser slowly.
“Jena, dinner!” called Aunt Linda.
Jena rushed out the door and down the stairs as fast as she could. She ran into the dinning room and everyone stared at her.
“Jena, you okay?” asked Blaine.
“Yeah, never better” she lied.
As everyone ate dinner Blaine kept his eyes on his sister with a suspicious expression. Almost like he was trying to read her mind.
After dinner the three teens decided to go for a ride on the horses. Colin took Lizzie, Blaine took Mr. Brown, and Jena took Kinger.
When they were a good ways down the road Blaine spoke up and said, “Why were you so quiet at dinner tonight, Jena?”
“No reason,” she replied quickly.
“Are you sure? You looked kind of scared when you came down,” he continued.
“I’m fine, Blaine,” she replied firmly.
The three finished their ride and Jena turned in early. As she went up to bed she still could detect a hint of worry in Blaine and Colin’s face as she said goodnight. She pulled on her pj’s and slipped into her bed, which at this point felt really soft. After what seemed like a few minutes she fell into a deep sleep. She soon was awoken by a strange sensation. She looked at her clock and it was 12:30 a.m. She got up and decided to go to the bathroom. She opened her door and tiptoed out into the hall. The hall was dark but luckily there was a full moon out that night which helped light the way. She walked a little ways and stopped dead in her tracks. Right in front of her was the silhouette of that man.
“What do you want from me?” Jena asked with worry in her voice.
“Jena, help me find her,” he replied.
“Find who? How do you know my name?” she questioned.
“The necklace,” he replied.
“Huh?” she half yelled.
Doors behind her opened up and the man in front of her vanished into thin air.
“Jena, what’s all the commotion?” asked Colin with a tired voice.
Jena said nothing.
“Jena, what’s wrong? You look as if you saw a ghost,” said Blaine. “I think I just did,” she replied with a shaky voice.
To find out what happens, click on the link below to get the book "Adventures of the Young and Curious"
Copyright © 2008 Ceara Comeau
