by Sue Bentley
“Where are we going, Storm?”
“You will see very soon,” replied Storm mysteriously as his little puppy ears flapped in the wind.
They flew above treetops and almost brushed the top of a church spire. Julie spotted the old shoe factory and then they began drifting downward toward a detached old-fashioned, red brick house.
Julie’s feet touched grass as she landed beside Storm. They were in a back garden, with neat paths and flower beds.
An idea suddenly popped into Julie’s head. “Is this Isaac’s house?”
Storm nodded enthusiastically. “We are going to take Teddy to a new home!”
“Hang on a minute . . .” Julie began, not sure that Storm had really thought this through. But with another whoosh of gold sparks they were shooting through the house walls.
“Oof!” Julie breathed as they silently exploded into a large, modern kitchen. It had lots of cabinets and stainless steel things. There was a nice table and chairs at one end.
Luckily, the kitchen was empty. Part of the floor was taken up by a roomy wire cage with a cozy bed inside and dishes for food and water. Dog toys were all around. Teddy was curled up on a fleecy blanket, his paws twitching as he slept.
Julie frowned. She had expected to find Teddy shut up in a small cage inside a garden shed, but this cage looked more like a really fancy pet hotel.
Just then, Julie heard footsteps coming toward the kitchen. She and Storm were going to be discovered at any second!
“Quick, Storm. Do something!” Julie whispered.
Just as the kitchen door began to open, there was a tiny flash of gold light and Julie felt herself tingling all over. There was a collapsing sensation and the table and chair legs seemed to shoot up around Julie like giant trees.
Storm had made them the size of mice!
Quick as lightning, Julie and Storm scuttled behind a chair leg. They watched as a giant woman in a robe, who Julie guessed was probably Isaac’s mom, forked dog food into a bowl and opened the cage to put it inside. “Here you go, boy,” she said.
Teddy’s nose twitched as he smelled the food. He leaped out of bed, tail wagging, and started to chomp the food.
Isaac’s mom bent down to watch him. “I hope those new puppy-training classes are going to work. Isaac really wants to keep you and we do, too. If you weren’t so destructive in the house, you wouldn’t have to sleep in your cage, would you?” She sighed. “I do hope we don’t have to find you a new home. It’ll break Isaac’s heart.”
“She seems really nice, doesn’t she?” Julie whispered to Storm.
Storm nodded.
Julie felt a stir of guilt. “We got it all wrong, didn’t we? Teddy might be a real problem pup, but Isaac and his mom and dad are being really good to him.”
“Teddy does not need to be rescued,” Storm woofed in agreement, looking as shame-faced as Julie.
Isaac’s mom went and opened the back door into the garden, before returning to the kitchen and opening cabinets. Fresh air and sunlight poured into the room.
“Come on,” Julie urged, seeing their chance. She sped toward the back door on her tiny legs and scrambled down the step and into the garden. Storm ran alongside her.
Once outside, they hurried along the path that led to the back gate and out of view of the kitchen. There was a faint stretching sensation and a noise like a squeaky balloon and Julie and Storm were normal size again.
“That was so cool!” Julie said, looking forward to flying home magically again. She stretched her arms out in a mock Supergirl pose. “Let’s go, Storm!”
But it was too late.
“Hey! What are you two doing here?” called a voice from above them.
Julie looked up to see Isaac peering down at them from his open bedroom window.
Chapter ★ SEVEN ★
“I didn’t think I’d see you and Storm again so soon!” Isaac said, sounding pleased.
“Er . . . no,” Julie said, her mind racing. “We came over to see if you and Teddy . . . um . . . wanted to meet up later or something,” she improvised.
Isaac grinned delightedly. “Yeah, great idea. Maybe we could—” His face dropped as he seemed to remember something. “Mom’s arranged for me to take Teddy to training classes this afternoon. You wouldn’t want to come to that, would you? It might be good for Storm, too,” he said hopefully.
“I do not need training!” Storm yapped indignantly.
“Sounds like Storm’s saying he’d love to come!” Isaac guessed.
Julie bit back a grin as Storm frowned and laid back his ears. “Maybe we could just come and watch,” she said tactfully. “Where’s it being held?”
“The community center, next to the church. It starts at 2 PM.”
“I know where that is. Okay, I’ll check with my mom. If I’m coming, I’ll see you there. Gotta go now,” Julie said as she remembered that her mom and dad would soon be wondering where she’d gone. She unbolted the garden gate, which opened directly into the side road.
“How did you two get in here, by the way?” Isaac asked, sounding puzzled.
Julie thought quickly. How was she going to explain the locked gate? “I’m a good climber! Couldn’t resist it,” she said, quickly slipping outside and closing the gate.
There was no one in sight and they couldn’t be seen from Isaac’s house. Across the road, a thick hedge screened the other houses. Once again Julie felt the light feeling spread through her as golden sparks swirled around and she and Storm zoomed up into the air.
They were back home in no time. Her mom was just walking down the stairs in her nightgown, her hair still wet from the shower.
“Did you have a good walk?” Mrs. Harding asked.
“Yes, thanks,” Julie said casually. She told her about bumping into Isaac and the dog-training classes. “I said I might see Isaac there. Is that okay?”
“Of course it is. I’m going shopping later, so I can drop you and Storm off. We can meet up afterward if you like and come home together.” Her mom smiled. “I’m glad you’re starting to make friends here.”
Julie smiled back, happy to know that Isaac looked after Teddy properly. “Me too!”
“Put that puppy on a leash! At once, please!” A voice boomed as Julie walked into the training session with Storm in her arms. The instructor had her hair in a bun and wore a sleeveless, flowered dress and flat, clunky sandals.
Everyone turned around to look at Julie. Blushing, she placed Storm on the floor and clipped on his collar and leash. “Sorry, Storm. Looks like they have strict rules here,” she whispered to him.
“I do not mind being captive for a short while,” Storm woofed amiably.
Julie spotted Isaac waving at them from across the room. She and Storm hurried over to him.
“Hi! I’m really glad you came!” Isaac rolled his eyes. “The instructor’s a bit of a witch, isn’t she?”
Julie nodded. “You can say that again!”
There were about forty owners and their dogs in the room. With people talking and dogs barking, the noise was deafening.
Storm’s ears swiveled and he looked up at Julie in concern.
“I assume it’ll be quieter once the class starts,” Julie said, patting him reassuringly. She noticed that Teddy didn’t seem fazed by the noise. He was wagging his tail and pulling at his leash as if he wanted to play with the other dogs.
“Get into a large circle, everyone. Come along,” the instructor ordered, waggling her hand at anyone who hung back. “That’s it, don’t be shy.”
Julie didn’t dare say that she’d only come to watch. This was the scariest woman she’d ever met. She walked forward and joined the circle. “Come on, Storm. Let’s join in. It might be fun,” she whispered.
Storm looked doubtful, but he trotted after Julie nonetheless.
“I’m Lucy Jackman, but you can all call me Lucy,” said the instructor.
The first exercise was teaching the dogs to walk at heel. Two of Lucy’s hel
pers kept an eye on things and offered words of advice if needed.
“Pull gently on the leash, while saying ‘Back’ firmly, to bring your dog to heel,” one of them instructed.
Isaac tried, but Teddy kept dancing around and trying to bite his leash. He seemed more interested in all the other dogs and kept lunging at them, his tail wagging furiously.
Julie noticed that poor Isaac soon looked very flustered.
“Next, we’ll practice the recall,” Lucy said loudly. She explained how owners could teach their dogs to learn their names and to come when called.
Storm was enjoying himself and acting like an obedient pet, but Isaac was having a lot of trouble with Teddy. The little mongrel wouldn’t respond when his name was called, no matter how hard Isaac tried.
“It’s hopeless,” Isaac groaned after another twenty minutes. “Teddy’s too boisterous. He’s just not paying attention.”
“Well, it is only his first training session,” Julie commented.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Isaac said, shrugging.
“I’m going to demonstrate the basic sit and stay now,” Lucy said. She walked over to Julie and held out her hand. “May I borrow your puppy?”
“Um . . .” Julie couldn’t think of a reason to refuse and she didn’t think Lucy would have listened, anyway. “Okay, then,” she murmured, handing over Storm’s leash.
The trainer jerked on the leash so that Storm lifted his head and high-stepped into the center of the room. Lucy suddenly stopped dead. “Sit!” she ordered, pressing a firm hand on to Storm’s back. “Be firm. Your puppy needs to know who’s in charge,” she said briskly.
Storm blinked in surprise, but lowered his fuzzy bottom and sat down. Lucy smiled in a self-satisfied way. She put Storm’s leash down and walked backward slowly, saying, “Stay!”
Storm did a doggy shrug. He yawned and scratched the fur on his tummy with one back leg and then got up and ambled over to Julie.
“I have had enough training now,” he yapped.
“Okay. We’ll sit this one out—” Julie began, reaching down to pat Storm, but before her fingers even brushed his fur, Lucy swooped forward and grabbed the little puppy’s leash again.
As the trainer tried to drag him back into the middle of the room Storm gave a tiny growl of protest. He laid back his ears and straightened all four legs, so that his claws skittered across the wooden floor.
“Come along now. No unruly little pup’s going to get the better of me!” Lucy said, with a determined glint in her eye.
Julie smiled inwardly. Do you want to bet? she thought.
Chapter ★ EIGHT ★
Storm threw back his head and suddenly stopped dead.
Lucy was jerked to a halt so abruptly that her clunky sandals knocked together with a loud clatter and she almost fell over her own feet. The trainer turned to Storm, her mouth sagging open in surprise as she tried to work out how a tiny puppy had suddenly become as strong as a fully grown Great Dane!
Sighing heavily, she picked Storm up and tucked him firmly under one arm.
“This is unacceptable! Come along now.”
But the annoyed little puppy had a rather unmagical solution to being manhandled.
“Ugh!” Lucy cried as a sprinkle dampened her flowery dress. “He peed all over me!” She put Storm down hastily, reached for a tissue, and dabbed at her dress.
Storm scampered back to Julie and sat beside her, looking pleased with himself.
“Storm, you are so bad!” Julie scolded gently, her mouth twitching.
The rest of the class erupted with laughter, including Isaac. Most of the dogs began joining in, barking and yapping, all except Teddy who danced around on the spot.
“Good for you, Storm!” Isaac spluttered. “That Lucy is so bossy!”
Everyone grew calm and the class continued. The final exercise was retrieval. The puppies were supposed to pick something up and return with it to their owners. Teddy simply grabbed the rubber dumbbell and ran around the room with Isaac at his heels.
“I give up,” Isaac puffed, red-faced, coming over to sit beside Julie and Storm, who were sitting this one out.
The class ended ten minutes later and the owners and their dogs all filed outside. Julie stood talking to Isaac before she went to meet her mom. Storm and Teddy stood nose to nose, their tails wagging companionably.
“Well, that was a lot of good. Not!” Isaac said gloomily. “Teddy was as naughty and boisterous as he always is.”
“He’ll be better next time. You’ll see,” Julie said encouragingly. “Look, he seems to be quite friendly with Storm now.”
Isaac nodded, still looking downhearted. “That’s something, I guess.”
Julie felt really sorry for him. Isaac tried so hard to get Teddy to behave.
“Do you want to go for a walk across the fields tomorrow afternoon?” she said, hoping to cheer him up.
Isaac brightened up a bit. “Yeah, okay. Do you want to meet outside your gran’s apartment after lunch? The field’s close to there.”
“See you there then! Bye for now.” Julie waved as she set off toward the stores to meet her mom.
Julie hadn’t been asleep for long that night when she woke abruptly to the sound of growling and snapping. She blinked sleepily. She must be imagining it after having spent all day with mischievous dogs.
But as the dogs continued to bark outside, Julie realized that she wasn’t dreaming or imagining it. This was real.
Storm was tucked right under her chin, like a furry scarf, and Julie suddenly sensed that he was trembling all over. As she sat up, Storm gave a mournful whine and ducked under the duvet.
“What’s wrong?” Julie asked gently, lifting the duvet to look at him. “Are you sick?”
“Shadow knows where I am! He has put a spell on those dogs outside, so that they will attack me,” Storm said in a muffled whimper.
Julie leaped out of bed and peered through a crack in the bedroom curtains. She could see a man standing under the street lamp struggling with two long-toothed dogs. Their pale eyes glinted in the moonlight.
As she watched, the man scolded the dogs and got them under control. Their scary faces seemed to soften. He led them away and the growling and snapping gradually faded.
Julie turned back to Storm. “It’s okay. They’re gone now. You’re safe.” She got back into bed and Storm crawled up toward her. Julie gathered his warm, little body into her arms.
The tiny puppy was beginning to calm down, but his big, midnight blue eyes were wide and anxious. “Shadow will send more dogs to attack me. Normal dogs will become just like those you saw outside. I may have to leave suddenly, without saying good-bye,” he told Julie.
Julie felt a sharp pang. She couldn’t bear to think of losing her little friend. “We could find somewhere else to hide you, then maybe Shadow will give up looking and you can stay with me forever!”
Storm looked at her, his little, round face deadly serious. “I cannot do that. One day, I must return to my own world to help my mother and lead the other wolves. Do you understand that, Julie?”
Julie nodded sadly, but she didn’t want to think about being so lonely again. She felt determined to enjoy every single second of her time spent with Storm. “Let’s go back to sleep,” she said, changing the subject. “We’re meeting Isaac and Teddy tomorrow. That’s something to look forward to.”
Storm yawned and nodded. He cuddled into the crook of Julie’s arm as she snuggled them both into a fold of the duvet.
Chapter ★ NINE ★
Isaac and Teddy were already waiting outside the old shoe factory building when Julie and Storm arrived the following afternoon.
“Hi, Isaac. Hi, Teddy.” Julie bent down to stroke the little dog’s shaggy, black fur. Teddy bounced up and down excitedly, whining and pawing at her. “Too much love! Calm down, boy,” Julie laughed. Bending down she gently pushed the boisterous pup away.
Teddy sat down and looked at her quizzically.<
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“You seem to be able to get him to behave, but he takes no notice of me,” Isaac grumbled.
“I must have learned something from dog-training class after all. Even if Storm didn’t!” Julie said.
She and Isaac laughed as they remembered what a disaster it had been.
“That Lucy woman was a nightmare, wasn’t she? I hope it’s a different trainer next time,” Isaac said as they started walking.
The field was only five minutes away, in the opposite direction of the park. Once there, Julie and Isaac let the puppies off their leashes. Storm and Teddy immediately rushed around trying to sniff out rabbits.
Julie and Isaac walked along, chatting and enjoying the warm sunshine. Bright yellow dandelions dotted the grass and pillowy clouds floated across the blue sky.
To one side of the field, Julie could see a big sign and a high wire fence around some partly built houses. The fence had been bashed down in one place. As it was a Sunday, there was no sign of any workers or heavy machinery.
Teddy suddenly spotted a rabbit that was heading for the gap in the fence. He flew after it and ran headlong on to the building site.
“Teddy! Come here! It’s dangerous over there!” Isaac called, breaking into a run.
Julie wasn’t surprised when Teddy just kept on going. Storm ran up to her. “Do not worry. I will go and fetch Teddy,” he panted.
Storm tore off ahead of them both as Julie ran to catch up with Isaac.
By the time Julie pounded up to the building site there was no sign of either puppy. Isaac was already standing there, looking around. “Where are they?”
Julie shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ll go this way. Why don’t you look over there?”
“Okay.” Isaac set off toward a big pile of sand.
Julie walked past a huge cement mixer, picking her way carefully over scattered bricks and bits of wood that were lying around. She glimpsed a small, black shape scampering toward a plank that had been placed as a makeshift bridge over a deep ditch.