PW #206: Middle Grade Contemporary Fantasy: THE DREAMON

Manuscript Status: Finished

Mentor Name: Laurie Dennison

Mentee Name: Ellie Firestone

Title: THE DREAMON

Category: Middle Grade

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

Word Count: 61,000 words

Pitch:

Trapped in a nightmare by a soul-scarfing demon, thirteen-year-old Lucy must team up with the Reachers — a group of dream-hopping commandos — to escape within seven days. If they fail, Lucy’s soul becomes the demon’s lunch.

Excerpt:

School started five minutes ago.

My legs pumped faster than the Roadrunner’s, my bike tires squealing as I took a corner right on the edge. The wind tangled my brown hair around my face and backpack straps.

‘Fashionably late’ didn’t cut it. More like here’s-your-seat-in-detention late. Oh-my-gosh-Lucy-you-need-to-get-your-life-together late.

A black lab bounded out of the bushes. I squeezed the brakes so hard I almost flipped the bike over. The dog whooshed past, inches away from my front tire.

It didn’t see the red Chevy coming down the other side of the street. My heart leaped into my throat. “Watch out!”

I looked away a split second before the car hit. Thud. The dog’s terrified yelp tore at my chest. The Chevy gunned its engine and faded away.

“No,” I whispered. The concrete swam as tears stung my eyes. Stupid dog. Stupid driver. Hardly anyone ever drove down this street.

I looked up at the spot where the car had hit, imagining blood, death …

There was nothing there.

I dropped my bike and crouched, running my hands over the clean concrete. Impossible. I’d heard the car make contact. Even if the dog got away, there should be a spot of blood, a tuft of hair – some sign it had been there.

“Wuff!”

I spun towards the sound. A black dog sniffed the back wheel of my bike.

My palms tingled. It had to be a different dog. The only other explanation could be me going crazy. Hallucinating.

The dog looked up at me and wagged its tail. I stretched my hand out, trembling.