The Veil of the Senses
Chapter 1
Lisa Atwood was sitting by herself up in the hayloft at Pine Hollow. Her head was throbbing again. For several days she had been having headaches. Finally the pain eased off. Even though the pain was intense, it fortunately never lasted too long at a time. Just as she was coming down the stairs there was a white flash of light before her eyes and then she was standing looking at the old Barn. It was the only part of the old stable complex, built by Max's grandfather, still standing; it was mostly used for extra storage. It was located some 200 yards away from the current stable at the bottom of a small hill. As Lisa watched, Red walked inside and began rummaging around for something. Suddenly there was a sound of wood cracking Lisa barely had time to look up when the thick center beam, that all the other rafters were attached to, suddenly gave way and landed on top of Red before he had time to react.
"Red," she screamed. Instantly she found herself back on the stairs with everybody within earshot staring at her. Taking the remaining steps two at a time, she raced for the door.
"Lisa, What's wrong!?" said Carole as she and Stevie met Lisa at the door and were nearly bowled over by her.
"The Rafters in the old barn just collapsed on Red!" as she took off running again
The girls took one look at each other and took off after Lisa. The girls were almost to the bottom of the hill when they caught up with Red just a few steps from the barn!"
"Red, what are you doing here?" said Lisa confused,
"Hi guys, I was on my way to the old Barn to find one of the extra hackamores that Max Stashed down there." said Red, Casually "Where are you three off to in such a rush?"
"Lisa, said that the rafters of the old barn had just fallen on you!" said Stevie looking a little annoyed.
"What?" said Red, "Why would she say a thing like that?"
"I thought I saw it happen?" said Lisa feeling confused and embarrassed
"Well I appreciate the concern girls but I'm fine." Said Red the flashed a smile at Lisa, "Thanks anyway Lisa." Just as Red turned to head toward the door of the barn, there was loud rumbling followed by a Crash. Dust billowed out of the doorway. Half of the roof had crumbled in on itself. Red hurried and pulling one of the old doors aside he peered inside.
He turned and stared at Lisa in disbelief.
"The Rafters just collapsed," he said, "Just like Lisa said, if I hadn't been delayed talking to you guys I would've have been at the bottom of that pile most likely dead!"
#########
It had been about two weeks since the Barn incident Red and the Saddle club swore themselves to secrecy about the whole thing until the figured out exactly what was going on. Now the whole thing had been all but forgotten in the wake of the equine virus scare.
Now Lisa and the rest of the Saddle club were up in the hills around the stable trying to find Comanche before that guy Harding and his trigger man did. After the girls found out the Melanie and her friend Ashley had let Comanche into a paddock that Red had just mowed, they realized that Rather than equine virus, what Comanche had was a treatable condition called Colic, otherwise known as the equine version of a stomach ache.
After what seemed like an eternity of searching they spotted Comanche; then rounding the bend in the trail they spotted Harding's shooter about to take his shot.
"NOOOOOO," screamed Lisa suddenly the air around Harding and his shooter seemed to distort and in a split second a both men and, the rifle the shooter was carrying, were blown backward against some trees hard enough to bust the gun and knock the two men unconscious before they even knew what hit them.
Lisa was wide-eyed at what she had just done.
"What was that?!" that Said Carole
"She stopped them by screaming no!?" said Stevie, "Lisa, how?"
"I don't know," she said a shiver running down her spine.
An Hour later at Pine Hollow the Saddle club was hiding in the hayloft and listening as Harding's boss Carter Hayes raked him over the coals. Fortunately neither Harding nor his gun hand seemed to having any memory of what had really knocked them out. Harding just assumed that since Red and girls were there when they woke up that they must have jumped them.
"You're always pulling this stuff, Harding!" Hayes snapped fuming, "Jumping at every case of the sniffles and going off half cocked. Comanche is not the first horse you have misdiagnosed and ordered destroyed he was just one of the lucky ones!"
"I was doing my job the best way I knew how," said Harding trying to defend his actions, "What are you going to do about those kids that sucker punched my shooter and me and busted his gun?"
"Nothing, except pay for the gun." snapped Hayes, "If I'd been there I'd have belted you myself! None of this would have happened if you hadn't been so over-zealous! I've had it with you, Harding, you're fired!"
Up in the hayloft Carole and Stevie snickered.
"Lisa," said Stevie, "Tell me that you're loving this as much as I am!" Lisa didn't answer.
The girls turned and looked at her. She was obviously preoccupied.
"Guy's what's happening to me?" she asked In a voice tinged with fear.
Just then Red came up the stairs.
"Lisa," he said, "I can answer one of your questions, what you exhibited out on the hill today was psycho-kinesis!"
"What is that?" asked Stevie
"Mind over matter," replied Red,
"You mean that Lisa did what she did out there with her mind?" said Carole
"Yeah," said Red, "Think about it. It all fits. First she exhibits second sight by saving me at the barn. The next thing she exhibits is Psycho-Kinesis another mental ability. By sheer force of will, she concentrated the air molecules around those two men and turned them into a wave of concussive force."
"But what caused these abilities, said Lisa, where did they come from I've never had them before?!"
"I'd could be that you've had the potential for them all along," said Red, "and now maybe your natural growing process has brought them to the surface."
"Great," said Lisa, "I'm maturing into a freak."
Red pulled her into a hug.
"No," he said firmly, "you're maturing into a beautiful and gifted young lady."
To be continued…. PLEASE read and REVIEW