The Curse (The Windore Series Book 2)

by Valya Boutenko

  “This is the last time I ever let you out of my sight!” barked the same angry woman as before. “Get over here at once, young lady! Unless you want to freeze to death on the street, which by the way, you are more than welcome to do, and stop wasting the government’s money!”

  “I’ve got to go now,” said Nella to Bloom, “If I am not mistaken, Amelliea will find her own way home.” Nella obediently ran to the raging woman who could not keep from spitting more belligerent statements in the girl’s address.

  Bloom did not recall ever telling Nella his daughter’s name. He watched Nella climb inside one of the large wheeled machines and decided it was time for him to head back to the windore in case the portal moved or disappeared. After glancing once more at the twinkling lights of the festive city and the ice rink, Bloom retraced his steps in search of the alleyway.

  Chapter 56

  Into the Future

  As Bloom walked up the street he noticed an Earthman sitting near the intersection that led to the alleyway. The man had a wooden box in his lap. The sloppy words puppies for sale were scribbled on the side of the box in black letters.

  “Puppies?” asked Bloom.

  “Yeah,” said the man, “Come look.”

  The man pulled back a blanket covering the box, and Bloom peered into the box only to find six baby creatures with long ears and black noses sleeping in a pile on a fuzzy blanket.

  “Do you want to buy one?” asked the man.

  “What are they?” asked Bloom.

  “They’re basset hound puppies.”

  “What are basset hounds?” Bloom wondered.

  “They’re dogs,” explained the man. “They are the relatives of wolves,” he offered, upon seeing that Bloom did not understand.

  “Wolves?” asked Bloom with mistrust.

  “Look, they’re not like wolves anymore. See, they’ve been domesticated.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Bloom.

  The man nodded, surprised at Bloom’s ignorance. “Basset hounds are among the best tracking dogs on planet Earth.”

  Bloom looked down at the puppies in the box. They slept all together in a heap, preferring the warmth of each other’s bodies to the comfort of sleeping alone. Bloom reached for the pup at the top of the pile.

  “Hold on, that one is sold,” said the man. He gently picked up the creature and moved it over. The puppy stuck out all four of its paws when it was lifted. “This one is sold too…” he removed the second puppy from the top of the pile, and then the third, forth, and fifth. At the very bottom was a puppy that was a good bit smaller than the rest.

  “Here, take this one,” said the man, picking up the drowsy creature and handing it to Bloom. “He was the runt of the litter, but he’s a cute little guy alright. I’ve named him Wooffen. You can have him for free if you like.”

  Bloom took the yawning puppy in his hands. The tiny creature looked up at him with the saddest, biggest eyes the wizard had ever seen, and wagged its white-tipped tail. It had little pink pads on the bottom of its paws and itty-bitty claws at the tip of each toe. Soft fur covered its body, and its hide seemed almost too big for the small animal. The puppy was mostly brown and black in color with a few splotches of white. It licked Bloom’s hands, and gnawed on his thumb.

  “No one want’s him because he’s so small, but he needs a good home like the rest,” said the Earthman.

  “How long will he live?” asked Bloom.

  “Bout fifteen years,” replied the man.

  “That’s not nearly long enough,” muttered Bloom, as the puppy curled up in his hands.

  “You can get a second one later,” offered the man.

  “I’ll take him,” said Bloom and thanked the Earthman for the gift. Bloom moved on to the alleyway, cradling the puppy in his hands. Soon, he came to the section that hosted a familiar breeze. He faced the windore knowing Windiffera waited on the other side. Bloom made up his mind to continue his search for a way to restore his world no matter what time he would land in. Holding the little puppy firmly, Bloom jumped through the invisible portal thinking only of his home planet. He instantly zipped through the light tunnel, speeding past galaxies and billions upon billions of stars that all smeared before him into one blinding, electric flash.

  Bloom landed hard in the middle of a forest, making the puppy whimper. The season was summer and the trees swayed in the wind, their green leaves rustling. Bending deep in the knees with the impact, Bloom rose with the posture of a practiced portal traveler. A nearby beggar was spooked by the wizard’s instant appearance, and the poor man inhaled sharply, nearly fainting in horror. The beggar’s clothes were tattered but he looked to be remarkably well fed for his social status.

  “What year is it?” Bloom demanded, desperately advancing toward the beggar.

  “Why, its thirty-seven-thirty-five!” cried the man, backing away.

  “Three-hundred and fifty-seven years after I lost Amelliea,” muttered Bloom under his breath. He had jumped a great deal forward in time. Bloom made a mental note to read up in a history book about what had happened in the time he had been absent and what came to pass in the Citrulene region after he went through the windore.

  “What are you talking about?” asked the beggar.

  “What region is this?” Bloom inquired.

  “Why it is the Citrulene region of course, what else would it be?”

  “That is most excellent news,” said Bloom.

  “Anything else you want to know?” pried the beggar, suddenly curious about the stranger who had appeared out of nowhere.

  “One last thing, which direction is East?”

  “That-a-way,” the man pointed a dirty finger.

  “Thank you kindly,” said Bloom with a slight bow, and set off in the direction of home. After he walked a short way, Bloom looked down at the puppy sleeping in the crook of his arm, and placed one hand over its tiny head. “Slevana-zestanya,” he whispered, his palms suddenly aglow, as he endowed the puppy with eternal life and fast regeneration capabilities. The dog would heal quickly, and never age a day after his prime. Bloom knew it was a selfish thing to do, but he could not bear to ever loose another friend, especially one that could only live a maximum of fifteen short years. Bloom dropped the new crolackrolite stones he had made into one of his many pockets, and wiped the blood from his palm on his robes. He did not know what the future held. He only felt that he was ready to face whatever came next. Bloom’s mind was made up. He would wait for Salvador, the chosen one and aid the young warrior in his noble quest. In the meantime, Bloom would search for his daughter among the stars, and work hard to protect the same world he had once broken.

  About the Author

  Valya Boutenko is a writer, filmmaker, ceramicist, accordionist, gardener, and seamstress. She resides in Ashland, Oregon. Valya enjoys writing books, traveling, and planting apple trees.