The girl in the lake

The past of Appaloosa

"Oh..." panted Chris. They were in front of the house now. They've ran away from Mark when they saw him.
"You've meet with my brother now" said Chris.
"Yeah, what a lovely brother..." said Edward.
"Where is Lena, Lisa and Samantha?" Asked Edward, as they walk. "Do you think we could find them?"
"Lena is easy," said Chris. "She always sits inside of the cafe, and Lisa is often with her, and we could go to Samantha's house."
"Right," said Edward. They went for Samantha's house first. In their garden, Michael and William were playing soccer, and Mrs Morton and Mrs Garcia were sitting, talking.
"Hello, Mrs Garcia!" Said Chris, walking through them. "Sorry to bothering you." he added, seeing the look on Mrs Morton's face.
"Hi, dear, what's up?" Asked Mrs Garcia. But Edward and Chris could hardly hear her. Because of Michael's and William's voice. Mrs Garcia noticed that too, she threw an angry look at them and they fell silence.
"Yes, dear?" Asked Mrs Garcia again. Chris wasn't listening, he was paying attention to the soccer score. Mrs Garcia was still waiting for an answer.
"We just wanted to ask you is Samantha here or not." Said Edward quickly. He stepped on Chris's feet. Chris moaned and stepped on his feet too.
"No, dear" said Mrs Garcia. "She went to the cafe, for buy a cup of tea for herself."
"OK, thanks" said Edward quickly and he pulled Chris from his arm.
"See you later, Mrs Garcia"
"Bye, dear"
Edward pulled Chris and they leave the house and set out.
"Why did you step my feet?" Asked Chris.
"You were watching football!" Said Edward angrily. "You weren't hearing her at all!"
"No, I was listening." Said Chris. Edward understood he is lying from his voice.
"You were listening?" said Edward wryly.
"Yes, I was!" Said Chris, trying to keep his voice serious.
"What did she say, then?" Asked Edward, smiling.
"Erm- she- she said..." stuttered Chris, and he saw Edward smiling. "All right, I wasn't listening! But score was 2-2 and it was really exciting!"
"Yeah, yeah" said Edward quietly, "yes, it was"
"What did she say, anyway?" Asked Chris.
Edward grinned.
"She said Samantha is-" But before Edward continued, he heard Mrs Brown's voice at the back.
"Dear, Edward!" Said Mrs Brown happily.
"Walk quickly!" Hissed Edward to Chris.
"Where were you?" Asked Mrs Brown, Edward felt a hand on his shoulder and these hands pulled him to the backside. Edward saw Mrs Brown's wrinkled, old face, smiling. Edward tried to smile too, and he said.
"Excuse me, Mrs Brown, we gotta go..." said Edward thinking fast about a lie. But he couldn't find one and he said "We are in a hurry."
"Hurry?" Asked Mrs Brown. "Why?"
"Erm- because- because we are- we are..."
"Playing hide and seek!" Said Chris. Both Edward and Mrs Brown looked at him.
"Hide and seek?" Asked Mrs Brown.
"Yeah, erm- we were trying to hide from Samantha." said Chris, Edward nodded.
"Hiding from Samantha?" Said Mrs Brown.
"Hurry up, then boys! She could see you easily from here! Go and hide! I will tell her I didn't see you if I see her!"
Chris muttered "thanks" and they ran away from Mrs Brown.
"That was an excellent lie!" Said Edward.
"That was my first and last excellent lie, Ed. I am the worst liar in the world." Said Chris.
They went to cafe after a minute. No one was outside, so they opened the door and went inside, Lena was sitting on her chair, reading
Theories about magic- are they really exist?
Lisa wasn't there, at least, Edward didn't see her. Lena had heard the voice of the door and she raised her head.
"Oh, hi!" She said and she closed the book. Putted it on the table and stood up.
"Lisa! Samantha! They're here!"
There was a sound, which tells a door cracked open. Lisa and Samantha appeared at the door.
"Hello! Are we going, then?" Asked Samantha, clapping her hands.
"Where?" Said Chris, confused.
"Camping!" Said Samantha, showing them a blanket and a pillow, and Lisa showed them an orange thing, looks like a bag. But Edward understood that was a folded tent.
"Plans has changed," said Edward. Both Lisa and Samantha's faces faded. Edward pulled a chair and sat on it. "We are not going for camping today, sorry girls."
"Why?" Asked Lisa in a disappointed voice.
"We have another clues," continued Edward. "We think it's really early to go camping tonight, we learned different things from John."
"John?" Asked girls at the same time.
"Yeah," said Chris. "Listen..."
Chris told them all the story. He told some parts wrong, so Edward cut in and corrected them. Lisa and Samantha were listening hard, when Chris told them what had happened, they took deep breaths at some parts. But Lena, whose face was emotionless, didn't say anything.
"Wow," muttered Lisa, when Chris finished.
"I don't think," said Samantha. "There is nothing important in this story to avoid us going camping. That is just a theory, we need to go camping to understand more."
"Don't you understand?" Asked Chris angrily.
"What did Ed told you? Mr Charles-"
"Mrs Charles" corrected Edward.
"Whatever it is," continued Chris. "Mrs Charles knows all the past of Appaloosa-"
"So?" Said Lena, speaking for the first time.
"So we could ask her!"
"Do you think she is the first one who knows all the past of Appaloosa? What about Mrs Garcia? What about my mum? What about books in the library? They could tell us the past of Appaloosa better than Mrs Charles. Especially the books" said Lena in a know-it-all voice.
"You're right" said Edward. Chris looked at him  surprised. 
"Thank you, Ed"said Lena. Chris looked double-surprised. "I think," said Lena looked at Chris's surprised face and she continued in a glad-of-myself voice. "There are some books which can tells us Appaloosa's past. Let's go to the library"
"What about camping?" Asked Samantha.
"Don't worry, Sam. We will go camping. But not tonight. We have other things to do." Said Lena.
"But we were ready!" Protested Lisa. "We have everything that we need for camping!" She showed her bag and opened it. "Look!" She took out a blanket and a pillow. "That is for staying  warm and comfortable!" She putted them away. And she took out an orange thing. Which, Edward knows, is a tent. Lisa opened the tent, that was really big that Edward now couldn't see other's faces. He could just see the door of the tent. "And this is the tent for camping!" Said Lisa's voice.
"Could you close it?" Asked Chris's voice angrily. "I couldn't see anywhere and I can hardly breath! " There was a crack and tent become small as a deflating balloon.
"Thanks!" Said Chris furiously, moving to Edward near side.
"I know you get ready for camping, but we have other things to do. I promise you we will go camping when we learn more about H.D Li and  we have more ideas about that thing." Said Lena calmly. Lisa and Samantha made sounds like protesting. But Lena didn't give them a chance to speak.
"Let's go to the library, then" Lena said as Lisa was putting tent into her bag.
"What?" Gasped Chris. "Right now?"
"Yeah," said Lena calmly (Lisa was now putting her bag on a chair)
"Let's go!" Said Lena
"No!" Said Chris again.
"Why?"
"No!"
"But why?"
"I don't like being in the library, you know."
"You are talking like being in the library is a bad think!" Lena was now talking in a hurtled voice.
"No, I'm just getting bored in the library."
Lena was now speaking in a furious voice again.
"What makes you feel bored in the library?"
"Books, for example!"
"I think they makes you feel better!"
"But I don't think they are!"
Lisa, Samantha and Edward was looking at them. Trying to understand why they are arguing. Edward tried to say something to stop them. But they were talking really loudly so Edward voice get lost in the noise.
"Let's go to the library." Muttered Edward to Lisa they slowly opened the door and went outside. Lena and Chris weren't hear them at all. Edward, Samantha and Lisa walked to the school. However, in the half way, Samantha stopped.
"What is the matter, Sam?" Asked Lisa, surprised. Samantha started to ran to the back.
"Hey!" Shouted Edward behind her. "What's up?"
"I forgot to tell mum!" Shouted Samantha and she disappeared at the corner of the little shack.
"Tell your mum what?" Said Lisa behind her. But Samantha was far away to hear her.
"Tell her mum what?" Asked Lisa to Edward.
"Never mind," said Edward. Lisa looked at him confused.
"Oi!"
Both Edward and Lisa jumped and looked around. Then they saw Lena and Chris coming through them. Chris grinned.
"Did I scared you?" Asked Chris wryly. "Sorry"
He laughed. Lena was looking around, didn't say anything and she finally said "Where is Sam? Didn't she come with you?"
"She went for her house." Said Edward.
"She said she forgot to tell her mum something" said Lisa.
They were at the gates of the school after a few minutes. Doors cracked open when they arrived. Lena and Lisa went inside like it's a normal thing.
"How did the gate opened without anyone?" Muttered Chris to Edward. Edward shrugged.
"My dad could see us from CCTV cameras, Chris, for your information." Said Lena.
"And you don't need to talk behind us. You could ask us, couldn't you?" She added.
Automatic school doors opened and they went inside. Lena went to the stairs, Lisa, Edward and Chris followed her. They went from different doors, different corridors and Edward saw a locked door.
"Why is it locked?" Asked Edward.
"It is always locked." Answered Lena from the front. "No one knows why, nor me. But dad is really careful about staying it locked." 
Edward looked at Chris, he wasn't looking worried about the door. They finally entered to the library. Mrs Bennett was sitting at the table, taking notes to a notebook in front of her.
"Hi,mum!" Said Lisa.
"Hello," said Mrs Bennett. "What makes you come here?" She closed the notebook and putted it away. Now she was staring at Chris. She hold out her hand and said "Book?"
"Erm- I forgot it at home, Mrs Bennett, but I promise you I will give it to you tomorrow." Said Chris, sounding anxious. Edward knew he was lying, Mrs Bennett seems to noticed that too. She turned to Lena and Lisa.
"We just wanted to learn about Appaloosa's past." Said Lisa.
"I know where is it!" said Lena. Mrs Bennett said "You could show them, Lena" and she turned to her computer.
"Come," whispered Lena and she pulled some chairs to make them sit. When they all sat down, she said "I will take some books about Appaloosa's past. Just give me a sec" Lena disappeared among the bookshelves. After ten minutes, she was back with five books. She handed them out and sat.
"Now," Lena whispered. "I will look about 50 years ago, and see what had happened. Maybe I can find about H.D Li, and learn how she died. Lisa will look about the founder of Appaloosa, because as we know, H.D Li and the founder were friends."
"How did you know that?" Asked Chris.
Lena ignored him.
"Edward will look about how Appaloosa explored, he is looking really past. And Chris will check the name list of the town."
"Why am I looking at the name list and you are reading history books?" Protested Chris.
Lena ignored him again.
"We will change the books after 20 minutes, let's start!"
Edward glanced at the book. Then to the other's. Chris was just staring at the book, then he looked at Edward, he merely shrugged.
Edward looked at Lisa, she was turning the pages of the book. Lena was already started reading, concentrated. Edward looked at his book again.
The Past Of Appaloosa
Part 1-Exploring Appaloosa
Appaloosa wasn't a town until a man had found him. Let's look at the past. In Appaloosa was always a town without a name. There were just a several families that lives in Appaloosa. There were living happily, innocent... There was a little school, for education of the students, there was just one teacher living in the town. One day, one normal day, a man who had came to the town from London, came to Appaloosa on a horse. He was rich, really rich, and he had wanted to live in a town, which has innocent people, which is free. This man's name was Robert Li-
Edward stopped there. Robert Li? The founder of Appaloosa?
"Hey!" He muttered to Chris. He raised his head.
"What?"
"Lena! Lisa! Listen to me!" Whispered Edward and told them the story that he read. He was whispering and sometimes checking Mrs Bennett to see if she is listening or not.
"Continue reading!" Said Lena. "The lot, the better."
Edward looked back to his book.
This man's name was Robert Li, he had an beautiful horse, which is an American horse, named Appaloosa. Robert Li decided to live in the town, he lived in the house near the lake-
Edward took a deep breath.
And there was a woman who lives at the other side of the lake. Harriet Dorothy Jones-
Edward took another deep breath and continued reading.
Robert Li and Harriet Dorothy Jones got married. They lived in the house at the other side of the lake. One day, all town decided to vote and find the head of the town. They voted and they choose Robert Li as a head of Appaloosa. Robert Li named this town Appaloosa, because of his dear special horse.
"Ed! Ed!"
"What?"
"Aren't you listening?" Said Lena. "We are changing books.But first, everyone, what did you find? Something useful? Lisa?"
"I find that," said Lisa. "The founder is Robert Li, but Ed already told you. And the how Appaloosa's name found. Basically, nothing, just the classic story of the town."
"Oh,right" said Lena, her face a bit faded. "Chris?"
"Just the name list..." said Chris. "This book teaches nothing, nothing! And it has a lit if pages, I couldn't find the page about H.D. Li."
"Ed?" Asked Lena hopefully.
Edward told all the story that he read.
"They got married?" Asked Lisa. "There is not anything in my book about that! Stupid book!"
"And what did you find Lena?" Asked Edward.
"How H.D died." Said Lena,smiling.
"Wow!" Said Chris quietly. But it was loud enough for Edward to hear.
"There is nothing really interesting, though. It just writes H.D Li died because of a disease. And Robert Li was really sorry about that." Said Lena.
"I think that is enough for today." Said Chris, looking bored.
"Wait!" Said Edward suddenly and make everyone jump.
"What's up, mate?"
"Can you give me your book, Chris?"
"Do you mean the name list?"
"Yeah"
"There is not something useful in there,mate"
Edward leaned on and took the book, started to turn the pages. Then he found it.
"Listen," said Edward. Everyone became silence. "Robert Li, married with Harriet Dorothy Jones-"
"How did you find that page?" Said Chris. "I was looking for  it in about half an hour!"
Edward ignored him.
"Their son Steven Li... He is Ms Li's dad!" Continued Edward. "And Steven Li's wife is Emma Li... Ms Li's mother! And their child is Dorothy Li!"
"How did you find that?" Asked Chris again.
"This informations are enough" said Lena. Collected all the books and stood up.
"We could argue all of it tomorrow, it's late."