The Sign of Fear by R.L. Stine Read Free Book Online

their lives with.
    She wondered what this boy would think if he knewher thoughts. He would probably laugh himself sick. Or plunk her down, turn his horse around, and gallop away.
    She glanced up at him—and found the boy staring down at her. His brown eyes were warm and friendly. And she liked the way his straight brown hair fell over his forehead.
    His arm tightened around her waist. “Nearly there now.”
    Christina sat up straight and gazed around. Then gasped. No, she thought. He can’t have brought me here. Not here.
    She stared up at the weathervane on top of the barn. It was shaped like a huge black cat leaping for its prey.
    â€œOh, no,” she exclaimed. She could hear her voice quaking. “This is the Peterson farm!”
    The young man stopped the horse. “Their name is Peterson,” he admitted. “Why should you fear them?”
    Christina bit her lip nervously. Should she reveal what the villagers said about the Petersons? Would he be offended? How well did he know them?
    â€œUm, several girls from the village have gone to be servants at the Peterson house,” Christina told him. “Not one of the girls was ever seen again. The villagers say . . . they say the Petersons used the girls for some evil purpose.”
    Christina’s voice dropped down to a whisper. “ ’Tis said the Petersons practice the dark arts.”
    The young man’s eyebrows rose. “The dark arts?” he echoed. He sounded shocked. “I never saw any sign of that. And I stayed with them for several days.”
    Christina wanted to believe him. But she didn’t feel sure. A few days wasn’t long to keep a secret.
    â€œMy horse went lame,” the young man explained. “Mistress Peterson and her daughter aided me. They gave me a place to stay. Food to eat.”
    He hesitated for a moment, considering. “It is true that they are very poor,” he said at last. “Their life is a hard one. Perhaps it was too hard for the other girls. Perhaps they ran away. They could hardly return to the village if they had. They probably would have been sent back to the farm again.”
    â€œPerhaps it is only mean rumors,” Christina suggested. The people in the village always gossiped about the wrongdoings of others. One more reason Christina disliked living there.
    â€œYes,” he said, as he urged the horse forward. “Rumors. That must be what it is.” The young man smiled at Christina. His whole face lit up when he smiled. Christina felt her heart turn over.
    â€œThere,” the young man said. He pointed to a woman with a lantern near the front door. “Mistress Peterson has come outside to greet us. Nothing frightening about her, is there?”
    â€œWhy, Matthew,” the woman called out, raising the lantern. “What brings you back here?”
    At the sound of her voice, a cold shiver shot through Christina. She knew that voice.
    Mistress Peterson is the woman I heard talking to Aunt Jane today, Christina thought.
    Aunt Jane paid her to kill me!

Chapter
14

    P anic surged through Christina. She managed to escape from her aunt, but it hadn’t done any good. She had run straight into her enemy’s arms.
    She threw her leg over the side of the horse. I can still make a run for the forest, she thought.
    But the young man’s strong arms held her in place. She couldn’t get away.
    â€œWhat is it?” he said. “What’s the matter?”
    â€œWhy, it’s Christina Davis,” Mistress Peterson cried. Every time the woman spoke, chills ran through Christina.
    She watched Mistress Peterson approach the horse. When she rested her hand upon its flank, the horse shied away.
    â€œWhoa, Thunder. Steady there. Whoa,” Matthew said sharply.
    Even the horse knows Mistress Peterson is evil, Christina thought. I must get away from here!
    Mistress Peterson raised her lantern high. It shone on Christina’s face. She