Nancy Spellman & The Forest of Fear

By DJ Tye

Nancy was twelve years old and very popular at school and at home. She was captain of her hockey team, and really quite tall for her age. She had long thick brown hair, usually tied in a ponytail during the day.

Her best friend was Mary who unlike Nancy is the academic type than the sporty type, and unbeknown to them they were about to be thrust into desperate and dangerous adventures on a magical planet called Hooth to save three earthlings brought there by mistake by a bumbling wizard called Albert and help save the planet from evil invaders enslaving the population.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DJ Tye
• Release date: Aug 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466137882

DJ Tye

David Tye is a father of two delightful young children. He started telling this sons bedtime short stories many years ago before they were born, and has continued to tell bedtime stories to them and those of his friends children who came to stay from time to time.Some were longer and some were very short, and it was this mix of bedtime stories that were so successful with requests to often repeat certain ones. Stories such as the Proud House, the Lazy Lamp post, and the Lost Nose, to mention just three, were asked for time and time again.All of these stories were designed to quieten down children when in bed, allowing them to stay in bed and listen prior to going to sleep. By using just their imagination, and not showing them any pictures from story books, it proved to be a very successful method of storytelling,Instead of compiling a compendium of these stories and sending them off to hopefully be published at what would prove to be quite a high price, he has decided to self publish several at a time at very low cost in the hope that small children everywhere will enjoy them.I am a member of the SCBWI (Society of Childrens Book Writers & Illustrators)

Book preview

Nancy Spellman and the Forest of Fear. Book One.

D J Tye

Copyright © 2011 D J Tye

Smashwords Edition

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher

Nancy was twelve years old and very popular at school and at home. She was captain of her hockey team, and really quite tall for her age. She had long thick brown hair, usually tied in a ponytail during the day. Although she was quite good at her school work, and a very dedicated and industrious pupil, she was much better at sports.

Nancy’s family were also very outgoing, which is where she got her happy attitude to life from. She had one older brother, Paul, and a younger sister Jane who was three years younger. Paul was really quite grown up now. He was seventeen and about to take his last exams before going on to university. He wanted to become a doctor, and travel overseas.

Nancy often thought about what she would like to study, but she just couldn’t decide, so she thought that everything would fall into place when she was a little bit older. In the meantime, she worked hard at the studies, and played at her sports even harder.

Nancy’s best friend was a girl called Mary Jackson. Mary was a real romantic, and had a crush on a boy in the sixth form called Jason. But as she was only twelve years old she knew he wouldn’t be interested so all she could do was sigh and try to get him out of her mind. She found this very difficult to do, and it really started to affect her school work.

I don’t know what’s the matter with you nowadays said Nancy. All you seem to do is sigh and look dreamy. What’s up with you? What’s bothering you, I bet it’s a boy, come on tell me everything

Mary looked a little confused, and said with some hesitation. Oh don’t be silly Nancy, I don’t think about boys all day every day, just some of the day, some days. She giggled

Well, I have seen you looking at Jason. He is way too old for you, he’s got to be at least seventeen, and anyway, he’s got a girlfriend said Nancy firmly. Come on, let’s go to the gym and have a go on the climbing frames.

Mary didn’t really like any heights, and the climbing frames were quite tall, well tall for her anyway. But she accepted Nancy’s suggestion in order to get away from the thoughts of Jason, and Nancy’s questions. After school, they both went their separate ways, Mary on the bus to her home, and Nancy walking the half mile past the park to her home. As she entered the front door of the house, Paul came running down the stairs and flew out of the open door. He had hardly reached the front gate when he stopped, turned round, and called out to Nancy. Can you lend me a couple of quid? I know you have saved quite a bit from your pocket money, and I want to take my girlfriend to the movies. I thought I had enough but I am a little bit short. I will pay you back next week, I promise.

Nancy knew very well that Paul was very unlikely to pay her back next week, because he hadn’t paid her back the three pounds he borrowed from her last month.

Paul, you haven’t even paid me back from the last loan I made you and you’re asking for yet more money, so why should I lend you some more you don’t do anything for me? I am sorry, but until I receive last month’s money, I am not going to lend you anymore. Why don’t you ask your girlfriend to go Dutch if she thinks anything of you I am sure she’d do that or is it all one sided?

Paul snorted with impatience and said Yeah whatever, Nancy one day you will know what true love is like. Anyway, guys shouldn’t ask a girl to go Dutch. Just isn’t done makes you look like a cheap loser. With that he turned on his heel and ran off down the road. Nancy smiled to herself as she entered the kitchen. Hello Mum, I suppose you heard all that she enquired.

Yes sweetheart I did said her mother, You were quite right to be strong about it. Paul has already borrowed five pounds from me, and I don’t suppose that I will see it back for a long time either.

Nancy looked over the mother’s shoulder to see what she was preparing for dinner. Is there anything that you would like me to do? she asked

Well yes. Be a golden girl and fetch me some potatoes, cabbage, and a bowl of garden peas from the outside shed. Just enough for your sister, yourself and I. Paul is out, and your dad won’t be home from London until very late. He rang to tell me that he was going to grab a burger somewhere. I think it is very bad news for him. It’s just as well that he is slim, otherwise you might be seeing a very fat man coming though the front door one of these days.

Nancy did as she was asked, and then went to her room to change out of her school uniform. She chose a pair of jeans and a blue blouse and a lightweight jumper to match. She looked in the mirror and thought that she was really starting to become quite shapely now. This pleased her, because, although she was very much a tomboy, she loved the idea of becoming a young woman as time went by. Her mother disapproved of her wearing any makeup or lipstick, so she just put on some light pink nail varnish as a compromise. Satisfied, she left her room and went downstairs to dinner.

Later that evening, Nancy watched the TV showing tennis at Wimbledon for an hour, before going upstairs, showering, cleaning her teeth, and getting into bed. She read her book of the moment, which was all about ghosts and hobgoblins in a forest, far away, and a big white horse called Rascal, who was owned by a rather sad wizard. He didn’t seem to like anybody, children, horses, hobgoblins or ghosts. He didn’t even like the trees, so why he lived in the forest nobody knew.

Nancy thought that this book was a bit silly, but it was interesting, and she wanted to read it right to the end, because her curiosity was so strong. I wonder what Rascal the horse will do she thought. It seems to me that he is the odd one out in this story, and should not be in it at all. Still, there must be a reason With that, she closed the book, and put it down. She turned over, and waited for sleep to come.

That night, she had several disturbed dreams. She dreamed of stormy winds, and big trees all waving about, and with something white running between them in the distance. She awoke with a start and sat up in bed. It was very windy outside, with the rain beating down on the bedroom window. A small branch of the tree in the garden was tapping against it, just enough to give her the shivers. She turned on the light and looked at her bedside clock. It was midnight.

Getting out of bed she crossed over to the window and looked out. The moon was shining now and again, with black clouds scuttling across it, and with heavy rain pouring down. She could just make out her father’s car in the drive, so she knew he was safely back home. Opening her bedroom door, she could see the light was on from underneath Paul’s bedroom, so he was back as well. Thank goodness for that. The family were all together.

She softly closed her door and went back to the window. The trees in the park next door were really waving about in the wind. Oh no, she thought. This is a really bad storm. I hope nothing gets broken during the night, dad will be very cheesed off if he has to mend the greenhouse again. The last storm wrecked five pains of greenhouse glass and a couple of fence panels. Mary’s dad loves growing all kinds of plants and vegetable seedlings as it gives him time to relax and ‘get away’ from things for an hour or two.

As she turned to get back into her cosy warm bed, a movement in the park caught the corner of her eye. She looked quickly to see if there was anything there. What she saw made shivers go up and down her spine. It was hard to see, but she thought she saw a white horse in the park, galloping amongst the trees. It was a long way away, and she couldn’t make it out for certain. She looked as intently as she could, peering through the night sky. The scudding clouds kept obscuring the light of the moon. Her heart was beating and thudding in her chest, and she felt quite giddy.

Suddenly, there it was. It was just on the park side of her garden fence. It was looking directly up at her, with its glorious mane and tail flowing in the wind. It was Rascal, the beautiful white horse in the book she was reading. She was sure of it. But how could a horse in a book be real, and looking up at her? She stepped back a pace, and felt quite faint. Gripping her bed head to steady herself, she looked out of the window again. The horse was gone. However hard she looked, there was no horse there.

Nancy was confused and bewildered. She sat on the edge of her bed, and tried to think. Was there a horse there, or did she just imagine it, bearing in mind that she had been reading a book about a big white horse? After a few minutes, she rose and went to the bathroom to get a drink of water. Coming back, she looked out of the window once more. The wind had abated quite a lot, and the trees were now just waving gently in the breeze. The storm had blown itself out, and the rain had stopped. She decided that the weather, the rain, and the tapping of the branch on her window, and the fact that she had been dreaming, had made her imagine it all.

With that to comfort her, she pulled the bedcovers up to her chin, and went back to sleep. The next morning, it was a beautiful day, with the sun shining brightly. The thoughts about last night were far away now, and she felt very relaxed. It was Saturday, and so, after breakfast, she decided to go for a jog in the park.

She opened to gate, turned to her left and started to walk on the grass to the path that she used. As she came to the area just opposite her bedroom window, she looked down. There on the grass were many unmistakable hoof prints of a very large horse.

Everything started to swim about her. She felt quite sick and frightened, and she clung to the top of the fence to steady herself. After a few minutes she composed her racing thoughts and took a few very deep breaths. Looking down at the hoof prints, she saw that there was one with a long scratch mark, as though it had pawed the ground. Looking at the other prints, she could see that whatever had made them was very heavy and large. They were the biggest hoof prints she had ever seen in her life. She had taken riding lessons two years ago, but of course, they were taken on a pony from the local riding school. She has seen some of the horses there, but there was nothing to compare with the size of these prints.

Nancy turned and ran back home. As she entered the kitchen, her mother turned round from washing up the breakfast things, and said Oh hello, that was a very quick jog Nancy. Looking at her daughter she could see that Nancy was pale and looking quite unwell. What’s the matter sweetheart, are you alright?

Nancy sat down and said, I am suddenly not feeling too well mum. Can I have a glass of water please?

Her mother filled a glass and handed it to her. She sat down next to her and looked carefully at her face and gently stroked her cheek and forehead with the back of her hand. Nancy, you look very pale, and your hand holding that glass of water is shaking. What has happened out there? Have you seen something you didn’t like, or has someone upset you?

There was no way that Nancy was going to tell her mother about the hoof prints, or her dreams of the previous night, so she just said No mum, I think it must be something I have eaten that disagrees with me Well I don’t know what it might be then as you only had one slice of toast this morning, and a cup of coffee. Her mother said anxiously. Perhaps you have not been eating enough or are you worried about something? Oh I hope you haven’t been on some sort of diet you’ve read about in those magazines of yours? she asked suspiciously.

No, of course not I love my food way too much mum, replied Nancy. Anyway I feel a lot better now. She certainly looked a lot better, with colour returning to her face.

Oh well, perhaps it’s just a phase in growing up said her mother knowingly. Why don’t you go to your room and rest for a while, and read a few pages of your book

So Nancy left the kitchen and went upstairs to her room. Reading any more of that book was the very last thing she wanted to do at the moment. She made her bed, turned back the top sheet, and sat down on the edge. Her brand new and much loved smart phone was lying on her bedside table so she picked it up and, on an impulse, rang her best friend Mary. She didn’t bother texting as she knew Mary was always running out of credit so no doubt she wouldn’t be able to reply if she did send a text. Hi Mary, are you doing anything this morning, because, if not, do you want to come over here? Mary affirmed that she was indeed at a loose end, and would love to come over to Nancy’s house.

My dad is coming over your way shortly, so I will cadge a lift from him. See you in about half an hour she said cheerily.

Nancy put her beloved smart phone down, feeling much happier. She knew that she would be able to recount everything to Mary, who was always a good listener, and would not dismiss her tale out of hand. She got up and tidied her room, putting a couple of red cushions on her bed. She looked round and was reasonably satisfied, so she left her room and went downstairs again.

Mum, I’ve just been talking to Mary on the ‘phone, and she wants to come over to see me. Will that be ok? Of course it will dear. I’ve always liked Mary. She is such a polite and cheerful girl. You both make good friends That’s great mum. Will she be able to stay and have lunch? Yes of course she can, don’t forget that I have a hair appointment shortly, so you will have to prepare lunch for her yourself. There is some cold ham and salad in the fridge, and some tomatoes and salad potatoes. Mix some salad cream with the potatoes, and cut some fresh bread and butter. Now make sure you lay the table properly, just as I would. Your dad has gone out with your sister, and Paul has gone to see his girl friend again. I don’t know what he sees in her, she seems to be a bit of a flashy airhead to me

Nancy smiled to herself. She knew exactly what Paul saw in his girlfriend. With long legs, short skirts, long red fingernails, red lipstick and a very cute figure there wasn’t much that boys wouldn’t like. Now Nancy, I won’t be back until fairly late this afternoon, because I am going shopping with Liz after leaving the hairdressers, and we will no doubt stop at a café for tea or coffee. So bye bye for now. With that, her mother picked up her coat and hand bag and went out. She came back in almost immediately saying Oh, no, I’ve forgotten my car keys. Have you seen them anywhere? Nancy pointed to the hall table and said. They are on the table with your gloves.

Thanks sweetheart, you know how bad I am at finding things. With that, she picked up the keys and went out, leaving the front door open.

Nancy went to close it just as Mary arrived, so she waited until her mother got into her car, and Mary entered the hall. Wow, you didn’t take long to get here Mary she said. Did your dad drive over here very fast?

No, he was just about to leave when we spoke on the ‘phone, so I had to call him to wait for me. I haven’t put any decent things on, so I hope we are not going to go into town.

No, you are fine just as you are. I’ve only got jeans on and running shoes anyway said Nancy. "Come on upstairs, I’ve got a really strange story to tell you, and I want your opinion. I can’t tell anyone else as they’ll think I am being stupid or lying for attention or something, and I want you to promise to keep it