Alex Mason and the Smoky forest Read online

  ”Alex dear!” She cried as he walked up the dusty old road. “Come on in and stay in Ben’s room!” Ben grinned. ”Oh but how unpleasant of me! Please come in! Door open!” The door stretched open to fit all three people in. Inside the room were numerous shelves with all sorts of bottles and jars with herbs and spices and bubbling liquids smoking off fantastic smoke.

  There was a cooker cooking and a sink washing plates and a bit of knitting being knitted. Next to that was a big straw weaved box. On its front it said ‘Knitting’ and inside it was hats, gloves, scarf’s, jumpers and cardigans.

  “MUM!!!!!!!!!!!!”

  “Yes Lizzy.”

  “Callum and Callum knocked all my ink over!!!!!!!!”

  “Come down Lizzy! Alex Mason is here!”

  “Ok!!!!!!!!!!!”

  Down sped a girl of 20. She had black hair and slit yellow eyes and pokey ears. She wore a dress made of blue silk and red silk. It had satin bows of blue and red and she wore blue and red shoes with a blue and red bow on each shoe. Her socks were blue and red with blue and red bows on them. Her black hair had blue and red bows in it.

  “Hello Alex!”

  “Hi Lizzy”

  She was carrying two books. ”Kate says she will be down in a minute with all the animals.”

  “Kate?”

  “She is my sister. She looks after all our pets and hers.”

  Suddenly there was a loud bark, and a mew and a neigh and a roar! Five dogs, 4 cats, 2 horses, 6 owls, 8 budgies, 1 lion, 2 cheetahs and 5 donkeys appeared!

  “Hello Alex! Stop that Barker!”

  “Hi… Kate.”

  She wore a light blue dress with paw prints on it and a short serving apron, Leather with a black paw print. Her long black hair was tied with a thick blue ribbon. She was bear footed. She was 11.

  “She’s also in Chellochore!”

  “She’s really kind!”

  All these compliments to her really made him wonder, ‘Will we be friends?’

  “Dinner is ready!!!” Cried Mrs. Besloo “Dad will be back in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, He’s here!”

  Mr. Besloo, enemy or friend?

  Mr. Besloo had pitch black hair and a smart blue suit. He had smart blue shoes with blue laces and carried a blue suitcase with a blue leather handle. He had slit yellow eyes and pokey ears.

  “Morning all you soldiers!”

  “Good morning dad!”

  “Good Morning David!”

  He stared at Alex. His yellow eyes looked calm, then fiery. His eyebrows went into a straight line. Lines appeared on his forehead.

  “Who are you?”

  “Alex Mason.”

  “Is tha’ how ya’ speak to a ma‘? Sir is tha wor‘!”

  “Sorry sir. I am Alex Mason.”

  “MERLIN HELP US! No, No and NO! He isn’t real! Yes, he’s lyin‘!”

  “No I’m not!”

  “Prove it ya‘!” He sneered. Alex pulled up his trouser leg. There was the mark. “It’s drawn!” He bellowed. “Or it’s tattooed!”

  “No dear. Real.”

  “Lauren Besloo!”

  “Yes.”

  “I ‘ave known ya’ 50 years.”

  “Since we were ten years old.”

  “’ya always admired ’im.”

  “Yes, He’s very polite.”

  “Nah! Tha’s a fake ’ya twerp!”

  “Prove it.”

  “I’ll prove ’ya for 50 soppin’ years, ‘ya…”

  He went silent. His eyes of fury looked at him, then his wife.

  “Ok.”

  “Thank you dear. It’s dinner!”

  Dinner was: Roast chicken, Roast duck, Roast pork, Boiled peas, Boiled Swede, Boiled carrots and parsley.

  Pudding was: Sticky toffee cake and Swiss roll with a glass of milk. All that Alex got was bread and butter with water. The test was that if he complained then he was false because at home he hardly got food. If he didn’t then he was real. He did not complain.

  Ben guided him up millions of wooden staircases. Pictures called greetings, bowing and curtseying. Two lions were escorting them. Kate was not far behind.

  “Kate?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have you got more animals?”

  “Yes, Loads”

  “Where did you get them?”

  “The W.N.M.C tried to kill them.”

  “Where do you sleep?”

  “In Ben’s room.”

  “Cool!”

  Room of animals

  At last they arrived. It had a blue wooden door with paw prints on. Outside there was two moving statues of tigers.

  “Who goes there?”

  “Kate Besloo, Ben Besloo and Alex Mason.”

  “Enter, Friends.”

  The door swung open. Inside were two beds and five other lions, 4 other cheetahs, 2 cockerels, 1 rhinoceros, 10 budgies, 9 cats, 6 dogs, 5 hamsters, 4 gerbils, 2 rats, 3 donkeys, 1 elephant and 2 horses.

  Kate kindly said “You can sleep on the elephant.” He got together a patched pillow and quilts and then climbed on the elephant. He slept with no troubles until, Flash! Bang! Crack! Thump! And then the silence of death. He woke up as cold as ice and shivering like he was sleeping outside when he was not. He threw himself back to sleep. Screams were loud. Then a bang, fizzle and crack! Thump, Thump. Then bang and a shout! A screech! A shout! A big hiss! Then silence.

 

  The first morning

  “Cock-A-Doodle-Doooooooo!!”

  Yawning, he got up. He climbed down the elephant to find a group of black monkeys holding out some clothes. He dressed and saw Kate was dressing, Ben too. He was wearing a big blue t-shirt and baggy blue pants. His light brown hair lent over his sleepy blue eyes. He went to a blue wooden door and pulled the latch.

  Inside was a small marble sink and toilet with a small cupboard. There was a bath as well, also made out of marble. Inside the blue wooden cupboard were two toothbrushes and one big one. He found an ivory comb and brushed his hair. He then brushed his teeth with lemon and strawberry toothpaste. He then had a bath and dried himself with a patched towel.

  Kate came in, brushed her hair, brushed her teeth and grabbed the big comb and big toothbrush and toothpaste and then rushed out.

  He found her sitting on a blue wooden stool, combing a lion’s mane. Ben was cleaning a donkey’s teeth.

  “Want to help?”

  “Ok!”

  He stroked the lion for Kate and held open the donkey’s mouth for Ben. Then they went down for breakfast.

  Breakfast was: two eggs, boiled, 2 pieces of toast and a glass of orange juice.

  Mr. Besloo stormed in. He mashed down his breakfast.

  “Get off ’ya feet boy!”

  “Why sir?”

  “Help clean up ‘ya parker!”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Same to all ‘ya scallywags!”

  “Yes dad.”

  “Now ‘ya scalp’s! Tell me’ where’s young Patrick?”

  “Young?”

  “Yar’ ‘ya shut ya’ traps!”

  “But he’s fifteen!” Callum and Callum chorused.

  That drove the Scottish man mad! He grabbed for a black cane. Charlie grabbed it instead. He threw it to Lizzy who passed it to Alex! Well, Alex ran and ran and tried to pass… bump! He bashed into Mr. Besloo! Mr. Besloo gave him a beating. But on the second stroke the kids grabbed the cane. Kate rushed in with lions, which ripped his clothes and carried him to his room.

  “Mum has a separate room.” Whispered Ben.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  They then went upstairs. Higher than bens room! At last they reached a golden door with a gold knocker with a ruby in the middle. Knock, knock.

  “WHO IS THERE?” Answered a booming voice.

  “Kate and Alex Mason and Ben.”

  “COME IN!”

  The door swung open. They trod on a golden carpet. The bed
was gold, the table, the chairs and the pictures and walls. There was a boy, 15 years old, black hair and yellow slit cat-like eyes. He had pokey ears. Next to him was a big, golden microphone device.

  “Hello Patrick!”

  “Hi Kate.”

  “How are you?”

  “Fine.”

  The airport again

  Soon they were at the golden airport. The birds wanted to fly! To reach the sky! But they had big chains around their necks. Passengers were boarding already. Soon Mrs. Besloo saw that they were on the right bird and they took off.

  Higher, higher until they saw the clouds… Yuck! They were soaked! Alex was sitting with ben and Sophia and Kate. Four lumps of feathers in a row. They were very tired and found a pack lunch that Mrs. Besloo had made for them.

  “Quarter of the way!” Shouted a bird.

  “I know!” Shouted they’re bird.

  “Only a quarter?” Thought Alex as they were soaked again. Nosedive! Then, after they had eaten lunch and it had been 12 hours! They did a last nosedive and skinned to the ground.

  “First un’s take the fish in first row!” Called Belquick’s loud voice.

  They went to the fish. Alex sat upon a lump of packed scales. After 5 hours of wetness they reached shore.

  Now they dragged their suitcases up the marble staircase and into the hall. January’s snow clung to the windowpanes. They sat down and enjoyed bits of chicken and banana juice.

  Now they wanted to sleep. They sleepily dragged their suitcases in a line to the tower room door. A professor put a key in the old lock. It turned! They went in and trudged up the steps to the tower room.

  They unpacked they’re stuff and changed into pyjama’s. Then Alex climbed up his ladder and swung into bed. TACKY hooted in her cage. He closed the curtains on his bed. Underneath him was a soft mattress and underneath that were wooden planks that were a ceiling to a small den underneath which also had curtains.

  He then went to bed. But he had that dream! Flash! Bash! Screams. Thud, thud. Swish! Crash! Yell! Then the eerie silence.

  Should he?

  Alex looked at his timetable. After breakfast was pet handing.

  “What is pet handing?” Alex asked ben.

  “A ceremony where all first formers are given dogs.”

  “Why is it at the start of our second term?”

  “Don‘t know.”

  Then a big envelope came in through a golden and ruby encrusted letterbox. It had a leopard seal on it.

  “Open it! Open it!” Lots of boys shouted in eagerness. The head boy, Patrick Besloo, Opened it slowly, to the entire boy’s annoyance. Patrick was like that. He loved tormenting younger boys.

  Patrick had black hair and yellow slit catlike eyes and pokey ears. He wore school uniform and a gold badge saying ‘Head boy. Room 10.’

  He at last opened it. It had about ten million little forms in it. Patrick looked at a smaller letter addressed to him. It said:

  Dear Patrick Besloo,

  No more tricks please with the forms. Remember last year? I will not tolerate such stupidity and idiocy and meanness. Your form is with the others.

  Yours faithfully,

  Professor Zipplezack

  He looked glum remembering tears and rashes. He called out the names.

  “Alex Mason!”

  Alex collected his.

  “Ben Besloo!”

  “Ben collected his.

  “Callum Besloo! Callum Besloo!”

  The twins collect theirs.

  Then a lot of other names too. Alex looked at his form.

  Dear Alex Sam Mason,

  We must ask of you to fill in the form underneath:

  Do you wish for a dog? Yes/No

  Do you wish for it to be a girl or a boy? A Yes/No

  Do you agree to all terms and conditions?

  [For terms and conditions please ask your head boy.] Yes/No A

  A: If you have not said yes to the first question then don’t answer

  To answer, scribble out the answer, which is not your choice.

  Yours faithfully,

  Professor Zipplezack

  Alex put Boy and yes to every single one. He even asked Patrick for the terms and conditions.

  He then got dressed and went down for breakfast. Breakfast was: five poached eggs, 6 pieces of toast, 8 glasses of orange juice and 2 big pieces of bacon.

  Dogs, dogs, dogs!

  Alex then saw a big basket of puppies. They were emptied into a golden dish and some howled, some yelped, whimpered or whined. A big list was held in the waiting head master’s hands.

  He called out many names and soon he was past A! Well past M! And soon he was at the Z’s. Then…

  “Alex mason!”

  “Yes sir!”

  Alex stood up and walked to the head master. Left were two, scrawny little black puppies. They each had a white eye so when you put them together they made a white pair of eyes. They were dirty and scratched and torn.

  Many people laughed as he thanked the professor and carried them to his seat. He had a girl and a boy. He called them Lucky, for the boy, and Luckette for the girl. He then went out to try and clean them.

  He did well. First he soaped them very gently. Then he washed off the soap and used the blow dryer to dry them and then giving them blue and pink towels. Then he

  Carried them to his bed.

  He found two small carrier cages and two home cages. He fitted the cages with pink and blue cushions and rugs. TACKY looked in surprise. She hooted to the puppies in a ‘When Alex isn’t here I’m boss’ hoot as if she were setting rules.” Now, now TACKY.” He said “Don’t go about like their mother!”

  He locked the cages and returned to the dining hall where something was going on…

  The fight of the job

  He saw two boys fighting. A couple of other brave boys and girls who had tried to stop them were lying, ragged and torn and bleeding. The head master looked at the two boys and tutted.

  They were a mess. Blood all over the place. They were hitting each over with big sticks and sparks hissed all over the air. They soon were clawing all over each other. The head master yelled an order and the school nurses put the boys and girls who were injured onto stretchers to be taken to the school hospital ward.

  Soon the boys had to retire. As a punishment they had to limp along slowly all the way to the hospital and pay for new school robes. They limped along so slowly! As soon as they got there they collapsed into a heap.

  After that it was a free day, because no one stopped chatting about the fight. Alex found collars and leads for his dogs. He walked them around school but everyone laughed at him. So he went out to see Belquick. He met Kate on the way. Kate had been given a bundle of fluff [A dog] covered in dirt it took hours to clean. Then she carefully took care of it.

  When Belquick saw lucky and Luckette he got out some white bandages and tape and scissors. “Best not to use now.” He said “Nature will heal slowly but we will use the magic that…” He looked around before going on. “That MONF use to heal people.

  “MONF?”

  “It is often said like FOMN or MOFN.”

  “What does it mean?”

  “Normal people. N.F.O.M. No Mascome or fighting. N.M.O.F. “

  "Mascome?"

  "It is Elf langue."

  “Medicine?”

  “Yep. Bandages…”

  He then got busy on Luckette. ‘Ladies first!’ He said. ”Why don’t you take a walk by the river why I work?”

  They walked along the sunlit river. The fish were still waiting. Waiting for a whisper or a burst of giggles or a chortle of laughter. A chatter of staff or student.

  Soon they came back to Belquick. He had patched up both of Alex’s pups and Kate’s!

  Alex’s had some bandages so neat it could have been done by magic!

  They then walked back but on the road something strange happened…

  Alex’s fight

 
; Alex saw a boy of 11 challenging another. Alex stopped him.

  “Hie there!”

  “What?”

  “Stop teasing that kid!”

  “You’ll be next!”

  “Come on then!”

  Alex drew his stick. He put his wand in his other hand. Clash! Bang! Smoke whirled as Alex struck him with his stick. Then Lucky saw Luckette being injured! He bit the boy on the hand. Then Alex hit him so hard he said “I give up!”

  “You do?” Asked Alex “Good.”

  Alex walked Lucky and Luckette back to school. He looked at his times table. Cat handing? This was getting crazy! Tomorrow morning was cat handing!

  Alex undressed and put on pyjamas. He locked all cages and let TACKY go out hunting. He then went to sleep.

  Today was the day. Cat handing. He met Ben and they rushed to the hall. Ben had a stubborn pup, so he found it hard to make it move.

  They got some breakfast: 10 Poached eggs, 6 pieces of toast, 10 glasses of orange juice and 5 big pieces of bacon.

  “Hello, Hello, Hello!” Boomed professor zipplezack. “Let the cat handing begin!”

  A basket of cats was put into a golden dish. Some yowled, howled, scratched and meowed. Alex was last. Two cats. Ginger tabbies. He was laughed at when he returned back to his seat. They were scratched and skin was hanging off them.

  Alex ran back to the dormitory. “What colour is Fighting?” Asked the door.

  “Setan?”

  “You may enter.”

  He got inside and grabbed his times table.

  “Fighting? Again?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who’s there?”

  “The picture by the fire.”

  He looked at the fireplace. There was a person in a frame. He was holding a stick. A brown one.

  “Hello! My name is Baner Batcher.”

  “My name is…”

  “‘Ere, Everyone know’s you are Alex mason”

  “Yes.”

  Alex gave the kittens all they’re things. Blue and pink cushions and rugs. Cat and dog food in cat and dog bowls. Then owl nuts.

  Then he brushed TACKY, Lucky, Luckette, Tabo and Taba. Tabo and Taba were the cats. He washed and shampooed and scrubbed and rubbed.

  Fighting... Again?

  Alex rushed outside. He had his stick and his cats. Tabo and Taba were running alongside him. He soon arrived and saw a professor. She had

  Green eyes and brown curls. She wore fine black robes.

  "Sticks at the hand! Fight!”

  Who was she?

  Alex hit Ben so hard his stick flew out of his hand.

  "Ben?"

  “Yes?”

  “Where is Sophia?”