Free Zac and the Dream Stealers by Ross Mackenzie Page B

waves.
    â€œWhat’s that?” asked Zac.
    â€œA black dream orb,” said Tom. “This is what’s left behind if a Dream Stealer has been there — inside is a twisted dream.”
    Tilly’s brow furrowed. “How do you know that?”
    â€œ
Myth and Magic
,” Tom said. “Don’t you
ever
read?”
    â€œSo it’s dangerous?” asked Zac, eyeing the orb suspiciously.
    Tom, who seemed to realize at that moment exactly what he was holding, held it out away from himself.
    â€œPerhaps you’d better just put it down,” said Tilly.
    â€œI — I think you might be right,” Tom agreed.
    Zac and Tilly kept a safe distance as he began to put the orb carefully back into the trunk, but a tiny movement drew Zac’s eyes to Tom’s feet.
    His heart almost stopped.
    One of the runaway rats’ jaws was snapping angrily around Tom’s ankles.
    Zac watched in horror as the little set of teeth jumped up and sank itself into Tom’s foot. Tom squealed and performed a frantic tap dance on the stone floor, his arms flailing uncontrollably.
    â€œDon’t drop it!” Zac yelled. “Tom! Keep still!”
    As Tom lost his grip on the black dream orb, everything seemed to play in slow motion. The orb began arching through the air.
    â€œNo!” screamed Tilly, diving at full stretch to catch it. But as she hit the floor, the orb smashed just beyond her outstretched fingers, releasing a cloud of billowing black smoke.

“You idiot!” yelled Tilly.
    Tom backed away, his hands raised.
    â€œStop it, you two!” said Zac. “What is that stuff?”
    The black cloud was growing by the second.
    â€œOh, no,” moaned Tom. He slapped his own forehead.
    â€œHow bad is this, exactly?” asked Zac.
    â€œWe’re about to find out!” yelled Tilly, shielding her face.
    Everything went black as the fog engulfed them.
    The only sound Zac could hear was the panicked breathing of his friends. He couldn’t see them; the fog was impenetrable and yet somehow familiar. That was when he realized: He’d been here before.
    â€œThis is my dream!”
    â€œWhat?” came Tom’s voice.
    â€œThis is the dream I was telling you about.”
    â€œErm, Zac, if this is your dream, then doesn’t that mean that somewhere in this fog there’s —”
    A long, low growl sounded from close by, and the fog began to part.
    â€œWhat are we supposed to do?” asked Zac.
    They didn’t answer. Tom was staring straight ahead, his mouth wide open. Tilly was looking in the same direction, her face a mask of terror.
    Zac turned just in time to see the outline of a huge creature stepping from the fog. As it came into view, he tried to scream, but the sound stuck in his throat.
    The monster was covered in stinking, matted gray fur. Glaring yellow eyes twitched and rolled in their sockets. A grizzled muzzle sniffed the air feverishly, and great globules of steaming drool dripped from a snarling mouth filled with teeth as big as steak knives.
    â€œIt’s a werewolf!” squeaked Tom.
    At the sound of his voice, the creature rushed at him. It was lightning quick, but Tom was quicker. Just as the monster reached him, there was a loud
pop
, and Tom vanished. The werewolf howled in anger and confusion.
    â€œWhere’s Tom?” shouted Zac.
    â€œLook down!” cried Tilly.
    A field mouse was scurrying around the feet of the werewolf.
    â€œThat’s Tom?” Zac hissed.
    â€œYeah,” said Tilly. “Come on, it’s going to squash him!”
    She was right. The werewolf had spotted the mouse and was stamping hard on the ground in an attempt to crush him.
    â€œTilly, wait! Come back!”
    It was too late. Tilly had crept up behind the monster and kicked it on the leg. It spun, covering her in drool, and swung at her with a huge arm.
    â€œNo!”
    Zac sprinted forward, expecting Tilly to cry