The Curse of the Bletherwytch

By Anne Wall

When the written word comes under attack for a second time, Alfie Tucker is pitched headlong into another nail-biting race against time to save The Gilded Lexicon. As the daring young adventurer sets out in search of the ancient artefact, he soon discovers there is someone else out there who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the relic. After learning that they too are after The Gilded Lexicon, but for a very different reason, Alfie realises it is vital he thwarts any attempt by the enemy to get to the priceless treasure first. But is he already too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Oct 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504992060

Anne Wall

Anne Wall spent a long and varied working life as a secretary in many fields including fashion, magazine publishing, showbiz and much more besides. Interesting though her past career choices had been, Anne always had an ambition to write for children. Once the decision to carve out a new career had finally been made, she allowed her creativity to get to work. The Librarius Quest evolved from a short story which, after deciding that the mystery/fantasy/adventure storyline had much more to offer, she turned it into a novel. But Anne didn’t stop there. She went on to expand it into a series with further books to follow - The Curse of The Bletherwytch the second in the series and The Witch’s Blood, the third. With more twists and turns still to come in this exciting saga, Anne’s readers can look forward to much more from this busy author in the future.

Book preview

The

Curse of The

Bletherwytch

Anne Wall

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AuthorHouse™ UK

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403  USA

www.authorhouse.co.uk

Phone: [phone]

© 2015 Anne Wall. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  10/28/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-9205-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-9206-0 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Chapter 1    Taken!

Chapter 2    Lost

Chapter 3    The Bletherer

Chapter 4    The Vanishing

Chapter 5    The Mystery Door

Chapter 6    Sui Rarbil

Chapter 7    The Quadrigle

Chapter 8    The Corridor of Souls

Chapter 9    Persephone’s Story

Chapter 10    Mister Porcus Wiggins

Chapter 11    The Cottage Revisited

Chapter 12    The Search for Ludo

Chapter 13    Images of the Past

Chapter 14    Suspicions

Chapter 15    The Hieroglyph

Chapter 16    The Monolith

Chapter 17    Destruction

Chapter 18    A Traitor in the Midst

Chapter 19    Restoration

Chapter 20    Battle to the Death

Chapter 21    Restitution

Chapter 22    Salvation

Chapter 23    The Witch’s Lair

Chapter 24    The Final Chapter?

Chapter 25    Questions Galore!

Chapter 1

Taken!

The streets of Lower Turgle were deserted as the tall skinny girl sauntered along; her gait elegant and unhurried. She looked exotic; her dusky complexion framed by her glossy black hair. And although only thirteen years old, it was obvious she would one day blossom into a great beauty.

But her attire was quite the opposite. It was plain and shabby. Her toes poked through worn, grubby canvas shoes that were obviously too small, indicating a background of straightened circumstances.

Despite the tatters, she seemed happy enough as she wandered along with her head held high; a certain air of confidence about her. It was as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

On seeing the boy, the girl stopped abruptly. They were probably about the same age. She was curious and wondered what he was up to.

It was impossible to make out how tall the boy was; he was squatting down and wobbling about as he struggled against gravity to keep his balance. He was holding a large sketch pad; it was a little too big for him the girl decided. As she studied him with interest, she noticed that he constantly flicked a lock of blonde hair from his eyes; an action that unsteadied him even further.

Although she was some distance away and confident her presence had gone unnoticed, she still approached with caution, keen not to disturb his deep concentration. She was eager to discover what had taken his interest to such a degree. She experienced a flicker of recognition as she tiptoed towards him. But just as she got as close as she dare, he upped and disappeared!

Shocked and not for one moment believing what she had just witnessed, the girl raced to the spot. But all that remained as proof that the boy had been there, were the sketchpad and a discarded pencil still rolling around on the ground.

But of the boy, there was no sign.

Where are you? she screamed frantically as she scooped up his scattered belongings. But she knew exactly what she had seen. He was gone and of that there was no doubt.

She stood statue like, in shock and disbelief before finally loosening her grip on the picture. She held it at arm’s length and studied it carefully. It depicted a large sinister looking house. But it was unlike any drawing she had ever seen before. All the windows in the house were lit and the surrounding trees swaying. It was almost as if the picture was a living image. A huge entrance door swung slowly on its hinges as if to welcome a visitor. A small hand appeared in the gloomy void, almost as if beckoning to her to enter.

So that’s what happened, she whispered in disbelief, as she recalled the moment the boy vanished.

The girl lifted her eyes from the detailed sketch and allowed them to wander as she tried to identify what he’d been looking at. But the undergrowth confronting her was so dense, her view was obscured. Massive rusty old gates formed a barrier directly in front of where the boy had been squatting. There were no windows or doors and definitely no beckoning figure. In fact, there wasn’t even a house. All she could see was a neglected, rubbish strewn site that was so overgrown it was almost impossible to make anything out at all. Hazy shafts of sunlight highlighted an occasional spot as the beams battled to pierce the leafy umbrella of foliage that cocooned the area.

A faded old sign caught her eye. It was virtually hidden from sight by a tangle of brambles. After a bit of a struggle she eventually pulled it free. The sign was large; almost too big to handle. It seemed to indicate that a house on the site was to be demolished. But from what she could, or more appropriately couldn’t, see, it was obvious that the act had already taken place; and probably long ago.

The girl was unsure what to do next as she stood alone in the deserted street; her surroundings still and hushed and the light beginning to fade. A chilly mist slowly descended and hovered tantalisingly just above the ground, casting an eerie atmosphere over the landscape. The place was beginning to give her the jitters.

For a moment, her attention was drawn to a nearby tree. It was clothed in a tapestry of rich autumn colours and was already starting to shed its summer mantle. She watched in fascination as one particular leaf, which had turned a stunning shade of red, suddenly lost its grip. It descended slowly, swinging gently from side to side as it made its way silently to the ground.

The girl’s thoughts then returned once more to the boy. She wondered if she should she go in search of him. Or maybe she would be better off just going home for tea. The thought crossed her mind that perhaps she hadn’t really witnessed anything at all, but then swiftly changed her mind and resolved to get to the bottom of what had actually happened to him.

The girl stood and eyed the towering gates that hung precariously from centuries old hinges. Two massive pillars still stood solidly to either side, each topped with a huge stone orb. In fact, to her, the gates looked so grand she couldn’t help wondering if, in days gone by, they hadn’t once been at the head of a long sweeping driveway.

Perhaps I can squeeze just a little way in, she persuaded herself as she sidled up to them.

She laid the picture carefully on the ground and wasted no time in tearing away at the creeping vegetation that had entwined itself around them, barring her way.

But that wasn’t all that was holding the gates fast. They were gripped by a thick covering of rust that over time had weighed them down to such a degree they had become imbedded in the ground beneath them.

With as much effort as she could muster, the girl pushed hard against one of the colossal pieces of ironwork. But it gave only a little.

That’s not going to work, she sighed crossly, her exertions rapidly turning her face the colour of a ripe tomato. Not one to give up, she battled to think of another plan.

That’s it. That’s what I need to do, she decided as she slowly backed up towards one of the gates; her intention to try and push it open just enough to squeeze herself through. She scoured the ground for something to brace her feet against. But all she could find was a deep indentation. It wasn’t much but it was going to have to do. Thankfully it was just the right size to lower her dainty feet into. She braced herself against the massive frame and pushed with all her might. It creaked and groaned in protest. But then, little by little, the ancient barrier surrendered to the girl’s Herculean efforts and against all the odds, relinquished its grip.

She cried out in alarm as without warning one of the hinges broke away, threatening to send the great monster crashing to the ground. Just in time she managed to leap out of the way, shocked at just how much damage her feeble attempts had caused.

The girl squeezed her slender frame through the tiny gap and once inside, wasted no time in looking for some sort of trail or clue that would lead her to the missing boy. But on thinking back to the manner of his disappearance, she realised that finding any trace of him would be unlikely.

The area behind the gates was vast. It was cloaked in a damp, shifting mist that when coupled with the watery beams of late afternoon sunlight filtering delicately through the trees, the effect was both dramatic and eerie.

Deeply engrossed in what she was doing, the girl hadn’t noticed she was being watched. It was as she took her first cautious steps into the wilderness that a warning cry rang through the air.

Persephone! the voice called out; its owner quickly racing towards her. There then followed a confusion of clattering; the sound of objects being hastily tossed to the ground.

What on earth do you think you are doing? Don’t you know it’s not safe in there! a posh, plummy-toned voice cried as a concerned, boyish face peered at her through the gates.

Oh it’s you, Ludo Poddington-Grant. You made me jump. I thought….. I thought……

You thought I was Alfie - Alfie Tucker – didn’t you and that he’d come back? Ludo said bluntly to the stunned girl as she squeezed back through the gates to join him.

You saw it. You saw Alfie disappear? Persephone asked in amazement.

I certainly did; awesome or what? What an exit. But you were right there. So what exactly happened? the curious Ludo babbled on, impatient for a plausible explanation to what he thought he’d just witnessed.

Not for one minute thinking that Ludo would believe her, Persephone decided to hold off telling him, at least for now. She needed to know exactly what he’d seen before giving anything away.

So where were you? she asked cautiously.

Well, it was really weird. I passed Alfie hours ago. I was on my bike on my way to the lake to do some fishing. I called out to him, but he was so wrapped up in what he was doing he totally ignored me. So you can imagine how amazed I was to find him still here when I came round the corner just now. He must have been here for hours, he concluded.

"But what exactly did you see? Or more importantly, what did you think you saw?"

Oh it’s too ridiculous really. If I tell you, you’ll think I’m stupid or that I need glasses, Ludo joked embarrassingly.

No I won’t, I promise Persephone assured him. Come on. Give.

Ok, Ludo said taking a deep breath. He hesitated, keen to avoid sounding like a complete idiot. From where I was standing, it looked as if he jumped into his picture! There. See I told you you’d think me mad. But I’m not. I really did see him just………disappear into thin air, he said as he paced up and down, running his hands through his hair. The pair then stood for a moment in stony silence. Ludo peered cautiously through his fingers, fully expecting a stinging retort from Persephone. He studied the girl’s face intently; keen to gauge her reaction to what must have sounded like an utterly ridiculous revelation.

But Persephone’s response surprised him.

"I know you did. I saw it too. That was exactly how he vanished - straight into the picture. Only I think he got well…….er…….sucked into it. It was as if he had no choice. It just happened! Persephone cried. One minute he was there. The next he was gone!"

So what do we do now? a bewildered Ludo asked, assuming Persephone would know exactly what their next move should be.

Gosh. I don’t know. But we can’t just leave him there. I mean, he might never come back if we don’t do something. Suppose he gets stuck wherever he is – forever.

Ok, Ludo agreed, before continuing, "then I guess we’ve got to go after him. I mean he might actually need rescuing," he concluded as he pondered further over the bizarre and rather abrupt departure of his friend.

It was at this point Ludo decided that Persephone needed a little more convincing. Although he couldn’t remember much of what had taken place, he was aware that at some time in the past Alfie had been instrumental in rescuing him from a very sticky situation. In view of what had just happened he decided that perhaps now would be good time to return the favour. But Ludo was nervous. He’d never revealed the event to a soul – not even discussed it with Alfie.

Right, an unsmiling Persephone said after listening to Ludo’s scant account of the sorry tale. If Alfie helped you out of a scrape in the past, no matter how insignificant, then I guess it’s up to us to help him now.

Smarting from the ‘insignificant’ comment, Ludo followed on close behind Persephone and squeezed through the narrow gap. The pair hadn’t taken more than a couple of steps before their surroundings took on a distinctly different feel. A sudden breeze whipped up. It unsettled the hovering mist, sending it erratically off into the distance. After a couple more footfalls, the pair stopped abruptly as a great house loomed up out of the haze. It was large and dilapidated and looked as if it would collapse at any moment. And what’s more, the dark and mysterious edifice had a chillingly unfriendly feel about it.

Well I declare. I do believe this is Alfie’s picture! Persephone announced excitedly as, without so much as an ‘excuse me’ she scampered back through the gates to retrieve the piece of artwork. She was keen for Ludo to see the offending article for himself.

It’s the house isn’t it? That house there is the one in Alfie’s picture. Look, she said as she pointed eagerly to the masterpiece. But where did it come from? It wasn’t there a minute ago. How on earth could it have just appeared out of nowhere? Persephone cried.

The building did indeed look sinister and seemed more than capable of concealing many a dark secret behind its forbidding facade. After discussing the ins and outs of architecture, it didn’t take the pair long to come to the conclusion that it had to be hundreds of years old. They studied it from top to bottom and end to end. Long ago, it must have been a very grand mansion indeed. It had tall twisted chimneys that were built of minute red bricks, laid in intricate patterns around them. Parts of the house resembled an old castle. It even had castellations that jutted skywards from seemingly random towers that were dotted about the building. Grubby diamond paned windows framed by large blocks of stone were set deep into the thick brick walls. But the house looked out of place, hidden as it was behind a suburban, tree lined street. The strange building would have looked far more at home deep in a forest in a far off land.

Persephone and Ludo edged hesitantly towards the house, their eyes drawn to its massive entrance. The chunky wooden door sported a heavy iron knocker with an old bell-pull to one side. The door itself was ajar and swung creakily on its hinges, the opening revealing the tiny hand Persephone thought she’d seen in Alfie’s picture. Once again, it beckoned. Taken aback, the pair cast their eyes down to the picture. The hand in the picture was beckoning too.

You know what we’re gonna have to do, don’t you? Ludo said as he looked directly into Persephone’s dark velvety eyes.

Yes, she said gravely. We’ve got to follow the same route as Alfie, haven’t we?

"Indeed we have. But don’t worry. We will find him. We’ve got too!" Ludo exclaimed, trying his hardest to sound reassuring.

Then, much to Persephone’s dismay, Ludo suddenly turned tail and disappeared through the gap in the gates and was gone.

From the street outside, lots of banging, clattering, huffing and puffing reached the bewildered girl’s ears. She had no idea what to expect next until finally, back through the gates with an armful of fishing equipment, the panting boy reappeared.

Can’t be leaving this lot outside, can I? It’ll be gone in a flash. Besides, it took me forever to save up for it. I’ll hide it all over here, he announced as he flung his possessions to the ground, before going to great lengths to conceal the stash from prying eyes.

There, that should keep it all safe enough for now, a satisfied Ludo announced as he backed out of the