Domain of the Billowy Masses

By Joanne Durda

A beautiful fairytale adventure with colorful characters for teens and adults, as well as young children. Thrills, spills and black humor abound in this exciting fantasy adventure. When Marcus awakes one morning to discover the Tooth Fairy has not visited, he knows something is up. Little does he realize that she has been captured by the scheming wizard - and it is up to Marcus to save her. Would you be strong enough to overcome the evil that lurks in the shadowy corners of the Cuspid Castle?

• Language: English
• Publisher: G2 Rights
• Release date: Aug 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9781782810612

Book preview

The Disappointment

The abrupt awakening of the sun shone its colorful hues of yellows, oranges and golden tones through the windowpane of Marcus’s upstairs bedroom. The thin, athletic frame of a seven-year-old boy, wrapped like a cocoon inside his blankets, stirred slowly within his bed as the warmth from the sun shimmered upon the soft skin of his face and brought forth the blue highlights from his wavy black hair.

My friend has risen, Marcus mumbled to himself as he felt the sun’s warmth upon his handsome, dimpled, boyish face.

Marcus sluggishly opened his sleepy blue eyes and felt the heaviness from his extra-thick, long bluish lashes. He blinked his eyes several times, trying to overcome his drowsiness. After several seconds, his memory began to register and he jerked himself up from his pillow to an upright position. Turning around, he lifted up his pillow to see if his extracted tooth had been taken and a silver dollar put in its place – like the silver dollar left once before by this midnight visitor for another tooth extracted from his mouth sometime ago.

The tooth lay without emotion or feeling under his pillow. Marcus moaned with disappointment. Got to be a reason why she didn’t come! Marcus exclaimed thoughtfully to himself. He unwrapped himself from his cozy cocoon, threw off his covers as he jumped out of his bed and took flight in his nightshirt across his bedroom floor, out of his bedroom door and down the hallway until he came to his parents’ closed bedroom door, all the time shouting: Mom! Dad!

Marcus’s dad, Condido, rolled over and snorted. His mom, Enrica, blinked her weary eyes open as she heard her only child’s footsteps pitter-patter down the hallway towards their bedroom door.

Oh, Condido, don’t tell me you never woke up last night to do your parental duty? Enrica moaned with drowsiness.

With his eyes still closed, Condido replied, You were supposed to help me wake up! Remember?

Oh, Condido! Enrica wailed.

Marcus stood before his parents’ closed bedroom door and shouted, Mom! Dad! She didn’t come last night!

Condido yawned loudly as he told his only son, Marcus, go downstairs and eat your cereal. We’ll be right down.

Enrica listened to her son’s footsteps as he left their bedroom door and made his way back down the hall towards his own bedroom. A distressed Enrica sat up in bed and looked down at her husband sleeping next to her.

There’s going to be hell to pay now, you know. You can explain this one, Enrica boldly informed her husband. A snort was Condido’s only response.

Marcus sighed as he made his way back towards his bedroom and spoke quietly to himself, Got to be a reason.

He dressed himself for the day in his blue jeans and green striped tee shirt. He carefully tied his white tennis shoes. Neat – always neat, Marcus thought to himself as he inspected his tied laces. He remembered the very first time his mom had taught him how to dress himself and informed him that being neat and well-groomed at all times reflects your personality. My Mom – so neat, trim and bold! Marcus smiled to himself – a smile which brought the dimples out on his handsome boyish face and made him look like the cute, innocent little boy that he was. Marcus made his way down the hall and into the bathroom. He combed his hair and carefully brushed his teeth. Satisfied with his appearance, he finally went downstairs towards the kitchen.

Marcus stood for a second in the kitchen doorway and took in the scene before him – the same scene every morning. His father was sitting at the kitchen table drinking his coffee while reading the morning newspaper. His mother was preparing his dad’s breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. Marcus sat down quietly across from his father at the kitchen table, his thoughts registering how his father was always so firm and so organized.

Condido looked up from his newspaper and saw Marcus staring at him with a long straight face. He quickly reverted his eyes to his newspaper – trying to avoid the confrontation that was about to take place between Marcus and himself.

Why didn’t she come last night, mom? Marcus asked his mother, without taking his eyes away from his father.

Ask your father. He has all the answers, Enrica replied nonchalantly.

Marcus continued to stare at his father. Condido felt his son’s eyes upon him, which made him feel uncomfortable. He uttered a sigh as he folded up his newspaper and put it aside. Condido looked intensely at Marcus and informed him seriously, We have a problem here, son. You see, this mean, handsome wizard is holding the Tooth Fairy Princess captive inside her Cuspid Castle.

Her Cuspid Castle? Marcus asked curiously.

Condido cleared his throat and replied, Yes, the Tooth Fairy Princess is being held in captivity within the Cuspid Castle’s deep dungeons, filled with decayed and rotting teeth.

But why? Marcus asked with concern.

It seems this handsome wizard has fallen in love with her but she will not return his love, Condido explained.

Why? Marcus asked again.

This wizard is forcefully capturing all the kingdoms of the castles within the Domain of the Billowy Masses. The wizard has brought sorcery, havoc and evil magic with him to destroy the comfort and happiness within all the realms of the kingdoms, Condido continued to explain seriously, with the confidence that he could convince his son of the reason the Tooth Fairy had not visited him last night.

Where’s the Domain of the Billowy Masses? Marcus asked, his curiosity deepening.

The dwelling place of the Kingdom of Dreams, within the purple clouds, Condido replied, satisfied that he was holding his son’s interest.

The Kingdom of Dreams? Marcus asked suspiciously.

Yes, anybody’s dreams! Condido exclaimed.

Who will rescue her?

Her Tooth Army, who are trained Tooth Warriors, Condido replied smartly.

Where’s her Tooth Army now? Marcus was still suspicious.

Being held prisoners within the darkened dungeons beneath her Cuspid Castle – where the river flows through, Condido replied hastily.

Then how will her Tooth Army rescue her? Marcus questioned in despair.

Silence settled on the room as Condido tilted his head sideways, deep in thought.

Enrica walked over to the table and put Condido’s breakfast plate in front of him. Your father will have to think about that one, Marcus, Enrica smirked.

Enrica was amazed with the creative power of her husband’s imagination and left him alone to ponder how the captive Tooth Army was going to rescue their Tooth Fairy Princess.

Condido cleared his throat. Silence followed. Sensing that Condido was falling deeper and deeper into his own trap and could not ponder anymore, Enrica took control of the situation. Let your father eat now. He has to go to his office and check on his business soon.

Ever the obedient son, Marcus reluctantly rose from the kitchen table and left the kitchen. It was a most disturbed Marcus that went outside and sat on the lovely pink sandstone porch steps to contemplate further what his father had explained to him about the Tooth Fairy Princess. As he sat, he watched his five-year-old neighbor, Melanie, watering the huge rocks and stones placed around the front yard of her parents’ beautifully landscaped home. Marcus knew her parents loved the outdoors and took more pride in the appearance of their yard than they did with the inside of their house.

Melanie looked up to see a gloomy Marcus watching her. The sun shimmered on her blonde locks, making the little girl, with skin as white as snow, look like a tiny princess herself, in her soft pink sundress and white sandals. She set her hose down in front of the rocks she was so intently watering and walked over to Marcus.

Melanie, why are you watering the rocks instead of the flowers? Marcus asked with curiosity.

So that flowers will grow from the rocks and then the rocks will smell so sweet! Melanie exclaimed with glee.

Oh! Marcus replied flatly. He suddenly noticed there was something strange about Melanie’s face. Looking closer, he saw black, inky circles drawn around her exquisite turquoise eyes.

Why did you draw circles around your eyes, Melanie? Marcus asked, dumbfounded.

I heard my mom tell my dad that she thinks I need glasses. So, I took an ink pen and drew glasses around my eyes so that I can see better, Melanie explained smartly.

You sure do the most strangest things, Melanie. My dad would probably say you had a lot of character, Marcus told her. Have you showed your parents your glasses?

No, I wanted to try them out first, she replied with the cute innocence of a child. Why so gloomy, Marcus? Melanie asked with concern. You look like a rain cloud!

Because the Tooth Fairy Princess is being held captive in her Cuspid Castle by a wicked wizard! Marcus exclaimed sadly.

How do you know that? Melanie asked in disbelief.

I got no silver dollar for my tooth last night. So, I knew something was wrong.

You mean you get silver dollars? Melanie asked, astounded. My brother only gets pennies!

Well, maybe he don’t brush his teeth enough! Marcus replied.

I don’t like brushing my teeth. Sometimes I just pretend to brush them, Melanie told Marcus.

Don’t pretend anymore – brush them properly! The Tooth Fairy won’t want them! Marcus firmly told her.

Melanie’s face lit up as she asked him, Why don’t you rescue the Tooth Fairy Princess?

Well, I guess I’ll have to! Marcus exclaimed.

The Whirlwind

Marcus took his evening shower and dressed himself in his blue nightshirt. He took special care to brush his teeth and rinse well and double-checked his teeth in the bathroom mirror to make sure he had not missed a spot. Satisfied, he made his way down the hallway towards his bedroom and climbed into his bed. He turned around and lifted up his pillow. The tooth was still there – waiting for her. A contented Marcus rearranged his pillow and then stretched out his arm to turn off the light on the nightstand next to his bed. He laid his head on his pillow and soon drifted into a troubled sleep – worrying about the fate of the Tooth Fairy Princess. Will she come tonight? Marcus asked himself thoughtfully.

Sometime during the night there crept a sense of timeless unreality into the calm stillness. A sudden crackle of flashing silver and platinum light broke the peace of the night and violent thunderclaps rolled through the masses of dark, angry clouds. The weeping rain dropped from the fine velvet mist and splashed into puddles. The powerful force of nature, which carried the hidden fear enshrouded from within, sprang into a massive summer thunderstorm. The velocity of the wind grew, seeping into Marcus’s bedroom through the cracks in the windowsill.

Silent whispers of his imagination ran rampant into the night. A breath of chilled air with a timeless empty feeling crept through his soul as it slithered through oblivion. He felt the bitter cold of this oblivion and shivered in his warm bed. A sleeping Marcus tossed and turned, disturbed by the echoes of the thunderstorm caressing his soul. He heard the onset of silent footsteps echoing in the frozen night. Echoes! Echoes! Marcus wondered where all those echoes were coming from.

A whirlwind took form in his bedroom and Marcus’s very soul, a creamy-white being, took leave of his body. This creamy-white being entered a calm nightmare, filtering itself among masses of purple clouds shimmering with platinum dust-specks and sprinkled with gold. Marcus’s voice, another echo, cried out, "I am within the