Schoolgirl Secrets

Chapter Twelve: Tricky Travels

Eyes stared out of windows and doors as they watched in awe. Three young children riding along on donkeys and doing a good job of it too they thought. On the contrary. Jenifer, Jane, and Miriam were doing a very bad job of controlling the donkeys indeed...

"Come on you stupid creature, move faster!" Jenifer yelled, kicking her donkey hard and rocking up and down in the process.

There was a thud and a loud "Ouch!" as Jane fell off again for the fifth time in ten minutes.

"Come on Jane we're on a deadline!" moaned Jenifer. "And you're not helping." She snapped at her donkey who immediately stopped moving and snorted indignantly.

"No! No! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!" Jenifer howled kicking and kicking frantically at her donkey.

A large red sports car came hurtling up behind them. Jenifer glanced with increasing panic at the licence plate and saw with a thrill of horror that it read: NG52WAV

Miss Brightlight's registration number! They were in trouble now, she knew it.

"Quick! Go!" screamed Jenifer. She didn't need to kick her donkey this time. None of them did. At the sound of the approaching car engine behind them; all three animals had bolted as fast as they could with their riders just managing to cling on by hanging round their necks and gripping hard with their knees. They were starting to pull away from the car but it accelerated and kept up with them easily. The window rolled down  and Miss Brightlight's pale face appeared there, one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand down her top slowly pulling on the thin gold chain she always wore round her neck.

Jenifer watched and gasped as Miss Brightlight pulled a small, gold revolver out of her dress and pointed it straight at Miriam's face.

Jane galloped up in front of Miriam to guard her from the gun dangling out of the car window.

"Put it down!" Jenifer yelled.

"Why should I?!" Miss Brightlight sneered. "Get out of my way."

She fired. Jenifer heard a bullet whizz over her head and into the bushes on the other side of the road.

"Give it to me, I'll do it,"

Mr. Smith now took hold of the pistol and pointed it with a steady aim at Miriam's head. Miriam ducked, just in time. The bullet bounced off a tree trunk and instead hit Miss Brightlight's car's left front tyre. She span off course and crashed into the undergrowth, sinking rapidly into a ditch and out of sight, it's occupants screaming. The donkeys became agitated at the noise and ran even faster, which allowed Jane and Jenifer to escape. But Miriam's donkey had spooked and thrown her rider off and it was now galloping off without her.

"Miriam!" Jenifer yelled, wheeling her mount about and hurrying towards her fallen sister.

Both girls jumped off their donkeys and Jenifer held onto them as Jane bent down to look at Miriam.

She was sobbing and wailing and clutching her foot.

"I think her ankle's broken Jenifer," said Jane solemnly. "She can't ride in this state. I doubt she'll even be able to stand."

Jenifer swore under her breath.

"What shall we do now then?" she said with a sigh.

They looked around. All they could see were miles and miles of tarmac road and fields of grass. There was not a being in sight, nor a house or any means of transport apart from the two little donkeys they now had left.

 Desperation and panic slowly started to flood Jenifer's body until all she could think about was their situation and the fact that there was no one to help them and nowhere to go.