The Stuffing of Nightmares (The Mysteries of Bell & Whitehouse Book 7) by Nic Saint Read Free Book Online Page B

human beings. “And where do you put all these people?”
    She smiled again. “Here at the Manor. We’ve got plenty of space.”
    “Manor? What manor?” Where had she taken him?
    She smiled mischievously. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She pushed herself off the wall. “Get some rest, Chuck MacLachlan. Soon you’re going to meet the other professionals, and I need you fit and rested for that occasion.”
    “You’re going to introduce me to the others, huh?”
    She grinned. “Oh, yes. It’s going to be great fun, you’ll see.” And with these words, she tripped out the door and slammed it shut behind her.
    He sighed and shook his head. What had he done to deserve this? Then he thought of something. The girl said they were in a manor. And judging from this old cellar, it was probably some ancient place. And if there was one thing he knew about old places like this, it was that they were full of ghosts.
    So he called out, “Hello? Um, ghost people? Can anybody hear me?”
    There was a soft rattle coming from beneath his feet, and he stared down. Then, before his surprised gaze, green smoke started rising between the cracks in the floor. Its green tendrils swirled around him and rose ever more until they enveloped him like an acrid fog. He coughed as the fumes penetrated his lungs. Then he fell onto the cot, collapsing into a heap.

Chapter 13
    W hile Reece enjoyed his captivity , his friends were oblivious to the fate that had befallen him. Reece had a habit of spending a big chunk of his day either at the gym or doing his daily laps at the beach. Since his body was his instrument, he needed to keep it perfectly honed and in tip-top shape at all times. So unfortunately for him, he wasn’t being missed at the moment.
    In fact, Alice was too busy consoling a grieving ghost pony to worry about her fiancé. She, Rick and Fee were staring at the stuffed version of Tony, shedding actual tears. She knew that this wasn’t possible, but there it was. Like Our Lady of Lourdes, Tony the Pony was performing a miracle right here in their home.
    Then suddenly, the ghostly pony piped up, “My new master is in trouble.” Until that moment, he’d been lamenting his fate incessantly. Especially the fact that his beloved Ines had decided to give him away as a present to Reece. But now he suddenly snapped out of his self-pity, and repeated, “My new master is in big, big trouble.” He seemed as surprised by this as his audience.
    “What do you mean, your new master?” Alice asked.
    “My old master has gifted me to Reece. He’s my new master now.” Tony bared his teeth, which was his way of smiling. “I remember Reece now. When he first came to me, he didn’t know a pony’s ass from his tail. It took him weeks to learn how to ride me, then finally when he graduated to a horse, he regretted having to desert me. Mainly because I was a lot closer to the ground than a horse. But I liked him. He was sweet, and we got along great.”
    “Yeah, Reece is the best,” said Alice with a smile. Then her smile faded. “He’s in trouble?”
    Tony nodded his large head. He’d collapsed onto the floor and was swishing his tail forlornly. “He’s been kidnapped.”
    Alice clasped a hand to her mouth. “What?!”
    “Reece has been kidnapped?” asked Fee, shocked.
    The pony nodded again, something which Alice had never seen a pony do before, but then this was no ordinary pony, of course.
    “Yep, he’s been abducted, and now he’s going to be locked up in that dungeon for the rest of his life unless we do something to save him.”
    “Where is he?” Rick asked. “Who’s taken him? And for heaven’s sake, why Reece?”
    Tony closed his eyes. “So many questions,” he muttered. “Lemme see. He’s at some place called Hartford Manor? Sound familiar?”
    Alice looked at Fee. Of course they were familiar with Hartford Manor. It was a well-known haunted house—or at least rumored to be.
    “Hasn’t that place been