Marlene rushed out of school .  It was the last day of school.  She was so excited
for summer break.  Marlene thought, “Where’s Caitlin?  I have to invite her to come to the
mall with me.” “Oh, well I’ll call her later,” she told herself.  Just then Gavin ran past her.
 “Hey, Gavin,” she said.
 “Hey, Marlene, what’s up?” Gavin asked.
 “Nothing much.  Have you seen Caitlin?” asked Marlene, “I want to invite her to
go to the mall with me.”
 “Nope, haven’t seen her,” he replied.
 “Oh, I almost forgot. I have to go home and make my summer to-do list,” Marlene
started, “You’re invited to come over if you want to.”
 “No thanks I have to catch up on my video game playing.  I am beginning to get a
little rusty,” replied Gavin walking home.
 “Bye,” Marlene called.
 Marlene had to get home too so she could call Caitlin.
 On her way home Marlene saw a girl whom she hadn’t recognized.  The girl was
looking at the sky in astonishment.
 Marlene said, “Excuse me are you new here?”
 “No,” she replied, “I’ve been here my whole life.”
 “I’ve been here my whole life too and I’ve never seen you,” said Marlene, “Oh,
and my name’s Marlene Cytrus.”
 “Nor have I ever seen you, I’m Chloe Bussinger,” the girl said.
 “Well, what were you looking at?” Marlene asked.
 “Oh yeah, I was looking at the clouds they were in the shape of the world’s
continents, weird huh,” said Chloe.
 “Definitely,” said Marlene, “Do you want to go to the mall with me?”
 

 “I guess, are we the only ones going?” asked Chloe.
 “No, I have to invite my best friend Caitlin,” Marlene responded.
 Marlene ran home and tried to call Caitlin, but no one was home so, she decided to
go with out her.
 Chloe and Marlene walked to the mall.  When they arrived they went inside.  They
saw Caitlin and a boy talking about .  .  .  . socks?
 “Hey, Marlene sorry I didn’t invite you, but I met this boy, Neil and we decided to
go to the mall,” said Caitlin happily.
 “That’s okay it happens,” Marlene said, “anyway this is Chloe.”
 “We met when Marlene was on her way home,” Chloe said.
 Just as they finished their hello’s the lights in the mall went out.  Then a mysterious
force nudged them out. Caitlin screamed.
They were soon outside when the mysterious force was revealed. The mysterious force
appeared to be a 20 foot tall talking fox.  The only thing the children did was look at him
puzzled.  Chloe looked around only to find they weren’t the only kids looking at the fox.

There was a girl and a boy who seemed to be about twelve.
 “Children climb on me and hold on,” said the fox, “wait where’s the seventh kid?”
The kids looked at him strangely
 “Well, don’t worry about it.  Get on,” said the fox.  The children did what he said
except for Mackenzie.
 “I’m Mackenzie and you can forget it! I ain’t getting on no mysterious fox.  Count
me out,” the boy exclaimed.
 “Come on.  We don’t have much time,” said the fox.
 “I have three questions first.  Number one. Where are we going?  Number two.
What are you talking about the seventh kid? And last but not least.  Who in the world are
you?” Mackenzie asked.
 “All right if I tell you will you get on?” asked the fox.
 “Maybe,” Neil said.
 “One, we are going to Star Street.  Two, there are seven of you that are supposed
to come and three, my name is Sly and Lord Xavier has sent me.”  answered the fox.
 “Oh, what’s the seventh kid’s name?” asked Neil.
 “I don’t know his exact name but the kids are Marlene, Gavin, Chloe, Caitlin, Neil,
Kara, and Mackenzie,” answered Sly.
 “I know a Gavin!” Marlene exclaimed, “ He’s the only one in our school.”
 “There are no Gavins in our school and I’m Kara,” said the girl.
 “I’m Marlene.  This is Caitlin, Chloe, and Neil,” Marlene introduced.
 “Marlene and I know where Gavin’s house is but you’ll have to take us there, Sly,”
said Caitlin.
 “Of course,” Sly said.  Neil thought to himself, “What’s up with everyone?  Am I
the only that thinks going on this fox may lead to trouble.”
 They soon arrived at Gavin’s house.  Marlene jumped down from Sly and knocked
on the door and said, “Gavin!  Are you home?”  He answered the door and fell over after
seeing the fox.
 “Oh, my gosh!” cried Marlene, “Are you okay?”
 “Yeah, are you okay?” giggled Gavin.  All the children laughed.
 “That’s not funny!  I was worried,” hollered Marlene.
 “Anyway what’s up with the fox?” asked Gavin.
 “He wants you and all of us to come with him,” sniffed Marlene, “On some weird
adventure to some place called Star Street.
 “Yes that’s true, and I’m Sly climb aboard,” said Sly.
 “I never thought my summer vacation would end up like this,” Chloe said.
 Just as Gavin and Marlene climbed aboard, Sly started to float up.  He just kept
going up.
 “Whoa,” the kids said simultaneously.  They were almost there when Chloe said, “I
never told you Sly, I saw some weird looking clouds a while ago they were shaped like the
world’s continents.”
 “That was Lord Xavier’s warning to tell me to get you seven,” answered Sly.
 “What’s so special about us?” asked Mackenzie, “Oh, I also never asked you,
who’s Lord Xavier?”
 “You’ll find out what’s so special about you soon enough,” started Sly, “and Lord
Xavier is the young ruler of Star Street.”
 “How old is this ‘young’ Lord?” asked Gavin.
 “He’s sixteen,” Sly answered.
 “He’s not that young!  He’s older than me,” said Kara.
 “To our people he’s pretty young,” said Sly, “but he’s almost as smart as the wise
old mouse, Henry.”
 They soon arrived at Star Street, and of course it was in the sky.
 “Wow, this place is unbelievable!” said Mackenzie excitedly.
 “Look at all the weird-looking animals.  They are so cool!” Chloe exclaimed.
 “Shhhhh, they’ll here you Chloe,” said Caitlin.
 “Please don’t call them weird-looking,” said Sly.
 Just then an announcement hit the intercom, “Would the Nightmare Chasers please
come to my castle. I repeat would the Nightmare Chasers please come to my castle. Thank
you for your attention.”
 All the kids said the same thing, “Nightmare Chasers?!”