over here?" Alana said.
"Mister Six pointed me this way. I guess he wants us together."
"What do we do now?" Alana said.
James looked up through the window at the slowly, silently advancing army of slithering creatures and said, "My guess is your dragon is too big for Mister Six to get out by himself. That's where we come in."
"How?" Alana said.
James shrugged and said, "We have to go in and get him."
"In there?" Alana asked hoarsely. "With all those…things?"
James looked through the window again, his eyes widening at the sight of the scary-looking Gila monster, but he did his best to keep cool and he said, "You can stay here. I'll go get him."
"No," Alana said. "I'm not leaving him alone. I'm going with you."
"All right. Now we just have to wait for the signal."
Mister Six was sitting on the highest shelf now, watching the scene unfold beneath him. Herman had finally pulled the last of the snakeskin out and managed to get the lid back on, and the sorcerer had finished stirring and sniffing his foul potion. Herman stood triumphantly with the loose skin in his hand, but as he opened his mouth to announce his achievement, he froze in place. All of the black and green and speckled things were nearly on top of them, and about to pounce. "Boss?" Herman squeaked.
"What is it?" the sorcerer grumbled. "Do you have my snakeskin..." the sorcerer's voice vanished just as a large vampire bat extended its wings directly over his head and released a deafening screech. At that sound, all of the creatures leapt from the walls and aimed their fangs, claws, and stingers at Prospero and Herman.
"Now!" James shouted. Both he and Alana forced the cabin's front door open and grabbed Star, rolling and pulling the heavy dragon across the bare wood floor as Herman and the sorcerer ran around screaming in terror. The bat was in the sorcerer's hair, pulling it out in long, white fluffs. The Gila Monster had Herman cornered, snapping its jaws angrily as a dozen black worms crawled down the walls, about to drop down the inside of his shirt.
James and Alana had to use all their strength to heave Star through the door. They immediately began pulling on the cords of the net but it was no use. The net was too strong and wrapped around him too tightly. "We need scissors," James said.
As if by magic, a pair of old rusty scissors came sliding across the floor toward the door, followed by Mister Six. The cat yowled at James to pick them up and he fit them inside the section of net covering Star's mouth. The dragon was looking at them with wide, pleading eyes and James said, "We've got you, buddy. We're not letting anything happen to you. Just stay still." Mister Six quietly pulled the cabin's front door shut, leaving the two men inside with all their squiggly attackers.
Herman was yelling for the sorcerer to help him, whipping his wooden spoon at the Gila monster like a lion tamer, but the sorcerer was too busy trying to yank the bat off of his head and pluck a fat, hairy spider from his shoulder.
"Hurry!" Alana said.
James quickly snipped the net around Star's head and front legs, assisted by the dragon's pushing against the frayed strands to rip them apart. Just as James fit the scissors into the netting binding Star's hind legs, they heard Prospero shout, "Where is my dragon?"
"Here!" James said, putting Alana's hand on the scissors. "Keep cutting until he gets loose." James stood up just as the cabin's front door opened. The sorcerer was glaring down at him.
James was not nearly as tall as Prospero, but he put up his fists anyway and said, "You touch either of them and you'll answer to me."
Alana called out her brother's name in fright but Star nudged her with his nose and said, "Get me loose so I can help."
"Okay," she said nervously. "I'm not very good at cutting, though."
"You'll be fine," Star urged. "Hurry up."
The sorcerer looked up and down at James and
"Mister Six pointed me this way. I guess he wants us together."
"What do we do now?" Alana said.
James looked up through the window at the slowly, silently advancing army of slithering creatures and said, "My guess is your dragon is too big for Mister Six to get out by himself. That's where we come in."
"How?" Alana said.
James shrugged and said, "We have to go in and get him."
"In there?" Alana asked hoarsely. "With all those…things?"
James looked through the window again, his eyes widening at the sight of the scary-looking Gila monster, but he did his best to keep cool and he said, "You can stay here. I'll go get him."
"No," Alana said. "I'm not leaving him alone. I'm going with you."
"All right. Now we just have to wait for the signal."
Mister Six was sitting on the highest shelf now, watching the scene unfold beneath him. Herman had finally pulled the last of the snakeskin out and managed to get the lid back on, and the sorcerer had finished stirring and sniffing his foul potion. Herman stood triumphantly with the loose skin in his hand, but as he opened his mouth to announce his achievement, he froze in place. All of the black and green and speckled things were nearly on top of them, and about to pounce. "Boss?" Herman squeaked.
"What is it?" the sorcerer grumbled. "Do you have my snakeskin..." the sorcerer's voice vanished just as a large vampire bat extended its wings directly over his head and released a deafening screech. At that sound, all of the creatures leapt from the walls and aimed their fangs, claws, and stingers at Prospero and Herman.
"Now!" James shouted. Both he and Alana forced the cabin's front door open and grabbed Star, rolling and pulling the heavy dragon across the bare wood floor as Herman and the sorcerer ran around screaming in terror. The bat was in the sorcerer's hair, pulling it out in long, white fluffs. The Gila Monster had Herman cornered, snapping its jaws angrily as a dozen black worms crawled down the walls, about to drop down the inside of his shirt.
James and Alana had to use all their strength to heave Star through the door. They immediately began pulling on the cords of the net but it was no use. The net was too strong and wrapped around him too tightly. "We need scissors," James said.
As if by magic, a pair of old rusty scissors came sliding across the floor toward the door, followed by Mister Six. The cat yowled at James to pick them up and he fit them inside the section of net covering Star's mouth. The dragon was looking at them with wide, pleading eyes and James said, "We've got you, buddy. We're not letting anything happen to you. Just stay still." Mister Six quietly pulled the cabin's front door shut, leaving the two men inside with all their squiggly attackers.
Herman was yelling for the sorcerer to help him, whipping his wooden spoon at the Gila monster like a lion tamer, but the sorcerer was too busy trying to yank the bat off of his head and pluck a fat, hairy spider from his shoulder.
"Hurry!" Alana said.
James quickly snipped the net around Star's head and front legs, assisted by the dragon's pushing against the frayed strands to rip them apart. Just as James fit the scissors into the netting binding Star's hind legs, they heard Prospero shout, "Where is my dragon?"
"Here!" James said, putting Alana's hand on the scissors. "Keep cutting until he gets loose." James stood up just as the cabin's front door opened. The sorcerer was glaring down at him.
James was not nearly as tall as Prospero, but he put up his fists anyway and said, "You touch either of them and you'll answer to me."
Alana called out her brother's name in fright but Star nudged her with his nose and said, "Get me loose so I can help."
"Okay," she said nervously. "I'm not very good at cutting, though."
"You'll be fine," Star urged. "Hurry up."
The sorcerer looked up and down at James and
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