Wonder Light Read Online Free PDF Page A

the ghosts were Edward Murley, who bought the whole island for a steal in the 1890s, and his three sons, who’d died, along with their horses, in mysterious riding accidents, one after the other, before the family finally gave up on the island. They were the ones who’d named it, the ones who’d passed it down from generation to generation, to the current owner, Mr. David Murley.
    Twig didn’t come out until dinner, and no one tried to make her. Dinner was pot roast dripping with gravy, and potatoes and carrots that had simmered in the Crock-Pot all day. At Mom’s, she’d gotten by on canned tuna and dry cornflakes and plain white bread. Keely fed her pasta drizzled with olive oil, accompanied by a few skimpy strips of grilled chicken.
    When the beef was all gone, Twig resorted to sneaking finger-swipes of gravy from her plate. Mr. Murley winked at her, passed her the basket of dinner rolls, and showed her how to use them to sop the gravy up.
    After dinner, it was back to the ponies. The mist had returned, a light fog that watered down the setting sun. Twig followed the girls to the pasture and stood there with her hands in her jacket pockets, watching their ponies come to them and nuzzle them.
    In the woods behind the pasture shelter, Twig caught a glimpse of movement. She ran over to the fence and peered into the trees, just in time to see the back of someone disappear swiftly, quietly, into the brush. Ghost Boy! Twig held her breath. She stood still and she looked and looked, but he was gone. No horse this time as far as she could tell. Maybe he was trying to be more careful. But careful of what? What did a ghost have to be careful of?
    Regina walked by with her pony’s lead in hand and caught Twig frowning at the trees.
    â€œI like it here,” Regina admitted with a shrug, “but those woods give me the creeps. Like there’s something out there. I’d stick to the clearing if I were you.”
    Twig nodded vaguely. She didn’t think Regina had seen Ghost Boy. Maybe she was like Mr. Murley—just had a feeling something wasn’t quite right.
    â€œThere’s some nice paths where we ride.” Regina pointed across the pasture. “That way, there’s a little meadow. Mr. Murley was planning on clearing more trails through the woods, but now, I don’t know.”
    Twig looked at her questioningly.
    â€œHe keeps finding some reason to put it off.” Regina ran her fingers absently through her pony’s mane. “Your mom’s coming tomorrow?”
    â€œStepmom.”
    â€œAre you going back with her?”
    Twig shrugged. Could she really do this every day? How long would it be before they expected her to do it all herself, like the other girls? How long would it be before Rain Cloud made his dislike for her painfully clear?
    ***
    Mrs. Murley approached Twig. Casey had gone into the stable without her, without offering to help. She hadn’t said a word to Twig since the suitcase.
    â€œWhy don’t you try to catch him this time?”
    Rain Cloud was the last pony left in the pasture. Twig shook her head, so Mrs. Murley called Rain Cloud. She rubbed his forehead and clipped on his lead rope. Then she handed it to Twig. Reluctantly, Twig pulled her hands out of her jacket pockets and took hold of the lead. She stepped toward the stable. Rain Cloud followed, keeping a scornful eye on Twig. Twig was certain the pony was dragging his feet just a little, but Mrs. Murley didn’t seem to notice.
    Twig got Rain Cloud settled with fresh water and feed, then slid past him, out of the stall. She shut the door with a sigh of relief. She’d survived her first stint at pony managing.
    Casey was just finishing up with Story. Twig offered her a small, apologetic smile, and Casey plunked a brush back into Story’s grooming kit and smiled back weakly.
    Twig leaned her back against Rain Cloud’s door and noticed something she hadn’t