Chapter 1


Janet Drogue was so excited! Today she was going horseback riding! Janet loved horses, but she had never ridden one. Today she was going to. "Are you ready yet?" she asked her 19 year old sister, Cathy. "Hold on, Janet, I'm just about ready." Cathy replied. "You'll never learn to be patient!"
"I am patient!" Janet said. "But when is the last time I went riding?" Cathy laughed. "Never." She said. Janet smiled. Finally Cathy was ready. Janet was in the car before Cathy was out the door. Soon they were on their way to the pack station. As soon as they got there, Janet was so excited anymore. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to do this. The horses were so big! But before she knew it, someone was helping her into the saddle of a horse. Janet didn't have time to get a good look at the horse, and she couldn't really say what it looked like when she was on its back! "I'm your guide." Said the person. "My name's Marina." She looked up and smiled. "Have you ever ridden before?" Janet shook her head. "This is Clover, she's a ten year old Arabian. She's really nice, I think you'll like her. " Marina gave Janet instructions and then said, "You're the only one today. You know how long this ride is?" Janet shook her head again. "Four hours. After two hours there's a place we stop and eat- Oh! I forgot to get lunch! What kind of sandwiches do you like?"
"Any kind." Janet said quietly. Marina nodded, and was about to go in when she stopped and said, "If your horse starts moving forward, pull back on the reins, and," she added. "If you're careful, you can ride Clover around in circles." Janet couldn't believe it. This guide was so nice! Soon Marina came out. "Ready!" she said. She untied another horse and mounted. "This is Whisper." She said, patting the horse's neck. "She's a Thoroughbred." Janet looked at Whisper. She was a very beautiful horse.


Chapter 2

"Well, let's go!" said Marina. Whisper moved forward, and so did Clover. "This is so much fun!" Janet said. All too soon, they stopped to eat lunch. Janet finished eating almost before Marina started. Marina looked up. "Well, I guess you can ride Clover around, just be careful." She said. Janet mounted Clover, and rode her around until Marina finished. "Ok, let's go back!" she said. They started riding back. It suddenly occurred to Janet that she hadn't looked at Clover at all, only while she was on her. "Do- do an of these horse belong to you?" Janet asked.
"Yes, Whisper and Clover belong to me." Marina replied, and then she asked, "What's your name?"
"Janet." Janet said. Marina just nodded. They rode some more. Finally Marina asked, "Do you have a horse?" Janet was surprised. "No." she said. "But I love horses a lot! This is my first time riding."
"Would you like to come to my house and ride Clover?" Marina asked. Janet was shocked. "Me?" she asked.
"Yes," said Marina. "I meant you. Would you like to?"
"Oh, yes, if my parents would let me. Cathy could bring me over, but," she added. "I'm not very good at riding."
"Don't worry about that! On the days I'm not riding here, I'm giving lessons. Would you like to take lessons?"
"Yes, but I don't have any money." Janet sighed.
"Well, you could earn some! You could take care of Clover for me and I would give you free lessons, and a ride on Clover!"
"Oh, I'd love to do that, only I don't know how to take care of horses."
"Then I'll teach you."
"Why do you want me to come visit you?"
"Because, I do need help with my horses. So will you come?"
"Oh yes!"


Chapter 3

The next day, Cathy drove Janet over to Marina's house. Marina showed Janet everything about taking care of a horse. By the time Janet went home, she felt as though she could have her own horse without a single problem. The next day, Janet took care of Clover again. Marina brought Clover out and gave Janet a lesson in riding horses. Then they had lunch together, and then Marina said, "Why don't you come over tomorrow at 3:30? My daughter Rosalyn comes home from school around that time. She helps take care of Whisper, and I'm sure she'd have fun riding with you."
"All right!" Janet said. The next day she went to Marina's house half an hour early. She was taking care of Clover when a girl came in. "What are you doing here?" the girl asked.
"Taking care of Clover." Janet answered, a little shocked.
"I take care of the horses, and this is my house, so you better go!"
"Marina told me to come here and help her." Janet said. The girl opened her mouth to say something when Marina came in. "How are you doing, Janet?" she asked. Then she noticed the girl. "Oh, Rosalyn, this is Janet. She's come to take care of Clover."
"Oh," said Janet. "You're Rosalyn. I'm Janet." Rosalyn smiled. "Hi Janet." She said. "Sorry I was mean to you at first. I didn't know you were coming here." Marina left quietly. Rosalyn picked up a brush and walked to Whisper's stall. "I really love horses." She said. "And when I saw you in here, I thought you were taking over Whisper too."
"I love horses too." Janet said. "After I finish grooming Clover, I have to go home."



Chapter 4

"You do?" Rosalyn asked. "Well, can you come tomorrow? Mom isn't going to be home, she has to go to the pack station, but she's leaving Whisper and Clover here. Do you want to go riding tomorrow?"
"Ok!" Janet said. "What time should I come?"
"Oh, come around nine AM. I don't have any school tomorrow."
"All right, well I've finished, I have to go home now!"
"Bye, Janet!" Rosalyn called. Janet waved, and then ran over to where Cathy was waiting.

The next morning, Janet was at Marina's house by nine. Rosalyn ran out to greet her. "Hi Janet!" she called. "Let's groom the horses and then go riding!"
"All right!" Janet agreed. As they groomed the horses, they talked about Clover and Whisper. "We have to ride Clover as much as we possibly can now." Rosalyn said excitedly. "We just found out she's having a foal in spring!"
"Oh, Rosalyn!" Janet gasped. "That's so neat! And Clover is such a pretty horse, I hope her foal looks just like her!" Janet added, giving Clover a hug. After they finished grooming the horses, they went riding. Janet was having so much fun. "What breed is Clover?" Janet asked.
"Didn't Mom tell you?" Rosalyn asked. "Well, she's an Arabian."
"I think she did tell me." Janet said. "But I couldn't remember. But don't Arabians get spooked really easily?"
"Not this Arabian." Rosalyn replied. "Actually, her dam and sire were spooked by the slightest movement. Who knows why she isn't." Janet looked at Clover. She was such a pretty horse. "She's such a pretty horse." Janet told Rosalyn. "All brown, with black mane and tail-"
"Bay." Rosalyn corrected. Then she sighed. "She's a beautiful horse."

Chapter 5

Rosalyn and Janet rode deeper into the valley. Then Janet noticed Clover's ears were pricked up, and she was looking wildly around. Whisper let out a short, frightened whinny. Clover did the same. "I smell something." Janet said. "Like smoke." Rosalyn suddenly became pale. She turned to Janet. "Fire." She whispered. "We have to get back." Janet's eyes widened. Rosalyn tried to turn Whisper, but the horse was frozen, staring at something. Janet looked in that direction. She saw flames, coming closer to them. "Rosalyn!" she cried. "The horses see the fire! What do we do?" Rosalyn looked through her pockets. "Look for some cloth!" she cried frantically. Whisper reared up, but Rosalyn managed to stay on. She looked towards Janet, and suddenly seemed calm. "Stay calm." She said. "The horses will feel better." Janet nodded. She found some cloth in her pockets. She handed it to Rosalyn. Rosalyn dismounted, and took the cloth. She put it over the horse's eyes, and then mounted again. The two girls turned the horses, and galloped towards Marina's house. The cloth fell off the horse's eyes, but they couldn't see the fire any more. Just then, Janet saw a fallen tree in their path. "Hold on!" Rosalyn shouted. The two horses leaped together, over the log. Soon they were at Marina's house. Marina was there, with quite a few horses. "What happened?" Rosalyn asked.
"We were riding," Marina said breathlessly. "And suddenly the horses went crazy. I saw flames, and luckily before the horse did. I managed to get all the horses turned around before the saw it. Everyone who works at the stables had to take some of the horses with them. You know some of the horses belong to the stables." Rosalyn nodded. "Mom," she said. "We were out riding and the caught us, too. The horses saw it, we barely made it." Marina looked at Rosalyn and she saw that it was a worried look.



Chapter 6

"Go take care of the horses." Marina ordered. "They just had a long run." The two girls nodded, and led Clover and Whisper to the stables. The groomed them, put on their blankets, and gave them some warm water. As soon as they were finished, they took care of the other horses Marina had brought, Duchess, Duchess' 5 year old filly, Princess, Blazer, and Frisky. It was hard work, and by the time they were finished, they were exhausted. They went inside, and saw Marina had lunch all ready. "Sit down, and lets eat." She said, and then she turned to Janet. "You're not going to be able to go home today." She said. "Its too dangerous. You'll have to spend the night here." She paused, and then continued. "There isn't room in the house, but maybe you and Rosalyn could sleep in the stables, in one of the empty stalls. That way if there was a fire there, the horses would be safe." Janet and Rosalyn nodded. After lunch, the two girls went to the stables, and talked about Clover's foal. "What are you going to call her?" Janet asked.
"I don't know." Rosalyn replied. "Something similar to either Clover or Thunder. It depends if it's a colt or filly. If it's a filly, we name her after her dam, colt, after his sire."
"If it's a colt, why don't you call it… um… Lightning. That's it. L i g h t n i n g." she repeated slowly. "Sounds good to me."
"The foal isn't even born yet!" Rosalyn laughed. "But still… Lightning… That's a perfect name. What about if it's a filly?"
"I don't know!" Janet said. "Let me think about that one. Hmm… What's Clovers full name?"
"Three-leaf Clover. She was the third Clover we had."
"Four-leaf Clover. How about that?"
"Four-leaf Clover. That's perfect too."


Chapter 7

Soon it was dinnertime. Janet and Rosalyn went inside to eat. While they were eating, they heard a frantic whinny. They all ran outside, and saw flames in the distance. "Fire's coming this way." Marina said. "Let's get out of here." Janet and Rosalyn went out to the stables and led all the horses out. The fire was getting closer and closer. They managed to get them all in one trailer, and then they got in the car. Marina tried to start it, but it didn't work. "Car doesn't work." She said. "Get the horses out of there." Suddenly her face turned pale. "Get the tack! I'll take care of the horses! Go, now!" Janet and Rosalyn ran inside the stables. Janet happened to glance out the window. The fire was almost at the stable! Rosalyn rushed out with some tack and two big bags of oats. Janet was about to go out, when she stopped, grabbed a pile of saddlebags, and stuffed them with grooming equipment and horse blankets. She ran outside. Rosalyn was looking into the anxiously. "Mom went in there!" she said. "She was going to get some food and sleeping blankets! She hasn't come out yet!" Just then Marina came running out, holding a pile of things. "I got everything we need!" she called. Rosalyn went running over, and Janet started tacking up the horses that Rosalyn hadn't done already. Soon Marina and Rosalyn came and started helping her. They were soon finished, just when the stables went up in flames. The filled the saddlebags, and put four on each horse. Then Rosalyn and Janet mounted Whisper and Clover. Marina mounted Blazer, and they galloped away as fast as the horses would go. Janet looked back and saw that the house was on fire, too. But then she turned back towards the woods they were riding into. "How long are we going to ride?" she asked.
"Until the horse can't run anymore." Marina replied.





Chapter 8

The horses soon got tired, so they stopped. But they could only stop for awhile, because the fire was still close to them. This time though, Janet rode on Princess; Rosalyn rode on Duchess, and Marina on Frisky. They rode for four hours, when the horses got tired again. They stopped, fed the horses and rode some more, on the horses they had first used. They switched between horses all night. Once Janet almost fell asleep in her saddle, but Clover stopped abruptly and woke Janet up. Soon everyone was so tired; they were forced to stop and go to sleep. It was nine AM when they woke up and rode on. The rode the whole days, only stopping to switch horses. Soon they came to a big barn, and the rode in with their horses. They were lots of other people and horses there. "Marina," Janet asked. "Why are so many people here?"
"This is a fireproof barn." Marina replied. "It should be safe here." All the windows were shut, and it was pitch black. The windows were made out of the same thing as the barn. If you wanted to see outside, you would have to open the windows. More and more people came in, and each one told how close the fire was. Soon Janet began to get sleepy. "Marina," she asked. "What time is it?" Marina told her it was nine at night. Soon there was a rustling noise as everyone got out his or her sleeping bags. The horses were put into stalls, and the people went to sleep in the barn aisle and a special room for people to sleep in. Janet couldn't get to sleep. It was so hard. "Are you awake?" Rosalyn asked. "I can't get to sleep."
"Me neither." Janet replied. "It's too crowded, and hot, and-"
"ATTETION EVERYONE!" a loudspeaker blared all of a sudden. "KEEP EVERYTHING SHUT TIGHT! THE DAM BROKE, AND THE PLACE IS GOING TO BE FLOODED!"


Chapter 9

Suddenly there was so much noise, Janet felt like her ears were going to burst. Everyone was getting up; making sure there was no place fore the water to get in. As soon as everyone had settled down, there was a roaring noise. Janet was so afraid. She got up and found her way to Clover's stall. She went inside and stayed there all night. People talking to each other woke her up. "We're stuck here for awhile." Said one. "They managed to build dams on all four sides, surrounding us. This barn is underwater right now." Several people gasped. Janet wrapped her arms around Clover's neck. "Well," said another person. "They won't just leave us here! Will they?"
"Yes, I think they will!" said the first. "We haven't got a phone or anything! How do they know we're here? They'll never find us. They'll leave us here." Janet suddenly noticed Rosalyn was about to open a door. "Rosalyn!" she called. "Don't open it!" Rosalyn turned around, and beckoned for her to come. Janet opened Clover's stall and led the mare out. She went over to where Rosalyn was. "What is it?" she whispered. Rosalyn pointed to a sign on the door. It said, 'Riding Arena'. Before Janet could stop her, Rosalyn opened the door and slid in. Janet followed her, shutting the door as she went in. Janet gasped. "It's an indoor riding arena!" she said. Rosalyn nodded happily. "Get on Clover and lets ride!" she said. Janet mounted as Rosalyn went out the door. Soon she came back, leading Whisper. "And guess what else!" Rosalyn whispered excitedly. "The door is almost impossible to see! It's a trapdoor! Only we know where it is! We can make friends and have a special club! A horse club! And look over here!" Rosalyn went into a room. Janet peered in. "Boxes and boxes of food!" Rosalyn cried. "We can live here for years!" Janet had to agree.




Chapter 10

Soon the two girls had formed a secret club. The Horse Group, they called it. Every morning, each member of the club would bring their horses to the riding arena, and they would spend two hours riding together and writing about horses. Soon everyone had run out of food, and the club members brought out two boxes of food. No one knew where the food came from, or where the members went each morning. One day while they were riding, one of the members, named Ana said, "Why don't we tell everyone else about this room, Janet?"
"Well, I guess because there wouldn't be any room to ride." Janet replied.
"Why not?" asked another girl, Cecilia.
"Because they would be sleeping here."
"It isn't interesting riding in this place," A girl called Hannah said. "We just ride around in circles."
"Why don't we set up jumps then? We can have races and shows, and jumping contests!" Everyone agreed to that. "First we'll have a race." Janet said. "Only Thoroughbreds can enter. Everyone who's entering the race has to tell me, and they have to get in line, with their horses." The first race was so much fun; everyone wanted to have another race. Rosalyn won second place, and Ana won first. Next they had a jumping contest. Only people with Morgans could enter. The day after the jumping contest, Marina said, "We're going home now!" Rosalyn and Janet stared at each other. They packed, mounted their horses, and rode home.


THE END