Sandy Lane Stables: Dark Times For Sandy Lane
The Sandy Lane regulars have been attending for many years and experienced adventures and excitement. But nothing can beat what is going to hit them now...
Chapter 1:
Jess Adams cycled down the hill with the blazing July sun on her back. It was the summer holidays! The best time to spend hours with your friends, human or horse.
She turned sharply and leaped off her rusty red bike, leaned it against Rosie's neatly parked posh bicycle and strode into the stables.
"Hello, everybody! What a lovely Saturday!" Jess cried, waving at everybody. "Hi, Tom, how's Chancey? Rosie, Pepper is looking very good! Hello, Izzy, did you manage to get a jumping lesson yesterday? Charlie, Napoleon's coat is really dirty, and how has your riding been coming on? Where are Alex and Kate? Late as usual!"
"You really are happy today, Jessica Adams, happier than usual," said Tom suspiciously, squinting and tilting his head sideways. "What's up? Come on, spill!"
Jess took a hasty breath, and whispered, "Ready?...Skylark is going to have a foal!"
Chapter 2:
Everybody was shocked and speechless, until Alex and Kate came in carrying tack boxes and head collars and a different assortment or horse treats.
"Hey, what's the matter? Why are you looking so stunned?" Alex said, looking a little worried.
"Is there something wrong?" asked Kate timidly, looking upset. The regulars burst out laughing and Rosie yelled above the laughter, "Jess's pony Skylark is going to have a foal!"
"That's brilliant!" Kate said.
"We thought it was going to be bad news!" Alex chuckled.
"Congratulations, Jess! Skylark is going to have a beautiful little colt or filly, and you'll probably get to look after it!" Charlie yelled.
Jess herself had only found out in the early hours of the morning, where Ncik had called her to say Skylark was getting bigger and a little ill, so they had the vet come over to check her over. It was clear that Skylark was pregnant!
She was delighted and so were her family and her friends.
"It's beautiful that such a powerful pony has the honour of creating another just like her." Jess's mum said.
"Yuck, not another pony!" Jess's brother grimaced.
"Well done, Jess. Well done, Skylark," Jess's dad celebrated.
Jess was over the moon with joy, and everybody thought it was good news. But goodness, no-one, absolutely no-one could have predicted all the problems that were going to come to Sandy Lane very soon.