The Dream Queen and the Fate of Malsman Lake: Malsman Lake, #2

By Adam J Mangum

Three friends. Two interdimensional prisoners. One small town descending into a new level of crazy.

Sammie and her best friend Rahul didn't think things could get any weirder in Malsman Lake after an alien invasion from another dimension, but they were wrong. As they start sixth grade, a rivalry between two interdimensional prisoners locked beneath Malsman Lake (Cool Guy and the Dream Queen) threatens to destroy the town and perhaps the world. But the two friends have their own problems, as the arrival of a new girl threatens to ruin their relationship. Only Sammie and Rahul can save the world again, if they can fix their friendship in time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adam J Mangum
• Release date: Aug 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781945359231

Book preview

Chapter 1

Malsman Lake was in trouble again, and only Samantha Stadler could save it.

Earlier that year, an extra-dimensional Eggplant Emperor had attempted to conquer Earth through a portal in Sammie’s brother’s closet. With Sammie’s help, it had been closed.

But this one was different. The enemy was coming from the sky, and everything weird that had ever happened in Malsman Lake, Minnesota, was coming back, all at once.

Sammie (no one called her Samantha, except for adults) stood on Main Street next to her friends Rahul and Dylan. Rahul had gotten taller over the summer, finally matching Sammie in height. Dylan stood on her other side, his face scrunched together in determination. Dylan and Sammie both wore Sideralis Academy shirts; it was their favorite book series.

Their town was being invaded again, but this time by creatures who looked like the head of an old mop combined with a slug. The creatures fell from the sky, like the worst snowstorm ever. Dirty white heads like a mop, and slimy slug-like bodies. They were the size of large dogs and smelled like rotting garbage.

There things are grosser than the eggplant dude, Rahul said, watching one fall on top of Norwegian Antiques, crushing the roof.

Reminds me of book six of the Sideralis Academy, Dylan said, gripping tight to a sword. Where had the sword come from? "And just like in Slime Monsters, we’re going to prevail!"

Prevail? Rahul looked over at Dylan. Who talks like that?

We need to close the portal, Sammie said, shielding her eyes from the bright sun. Up in the sky, there was a dark spot. All the mop-head slimers were coming from that hole in the sky. But how do we get to it?

Rahul grinned. Do you think the Dimensionera have like a Batwing?

The Dimensionera were dimensional police, one of whom, Maria Cortez, had helped them defeat the Eggplant Emperor earlier that year. Maria disguised herself as their teacher, Matilda Dillwater.

We’re not doing comic book references, Rahul, Dylan said, waving his sword in Rahul’s direction. Talk Sideralis Academy or stay quiet.

Rahul turned to Dylan, pointing a large gun, like an oversized military rifle. Where had Rahul gotten that gun?

Sideralis Academy is lame, Rahul said. Batman is way more realistic.

Realistic? Dylan replied. Realistic? It’s a rich dude who wears tights and beats up bank robbers.

Sammie sighed. Can you two chill for like two minutes? Mopslugs are taking over the town, and you two are arguing about Batman.

Batman is pretty important, Rahul said, but his voice was softer, his way of surrendering.

How do we close that hole in the sky? Dylan asked, his way of giving up the argument.

Sammie looked around, trying to find out how someone had opened a hole in the sky. As she glanced down Main Street, she mostly saw people fleeing. Mr. Sjostrom was pulling at the leash of Viking, his Komodo dragon that used to be a black lab. Emily Swanson, who was in their class at school, ran past them, gripping her mother’s hand. The only one who didn’t seem at all phased by this was Old Man Weaver who went to Sammie’s church and lived somewhere outside town. He was eating an old-fashioned pretzel, walking away from the scene, looking back at a mopslug with nothing more than a curious glance.

Beyond Old Man Weaver, she saw the source of their problems: Cool Guy. A young-looking guy, maybe older high school or college age, stood at the end of Main Street next to a purple pyramid that was twice as tall as he was. The tip of the pyramid pointed right up to the hole in the sky.

Look! Sammie pointed out the pyramid and Cool Guy to her friends. I think I found our problem.

Cool Guy, Dylan said, pointing his sword.

He’s probably trying to stop it, Rahul replied. He helped us last time.

That part was true. When the Eggplant Emperor had tried taking over Malsman Lake, they’d trapped the invading vegetable at the bottom of the Lake in Cool Guy’s own prison cell. But Cool Guy was a prisoner in the Dimensionera prison, and he must have been put there for a reason.

Cool Guy was not dressed like someone from this time. He wore a leather jacket, a tight white t-shirt and jeans. His hair was big on top, combed back with what looked like a gallon of hair gel. And when he talked, he sounded really old for a young guy.

Just then, Cool Guy leaned against the pyramid and smiled, triumphant. He wasn’t helping this time; he was the enemy.

We’ve got to get to that pyramid and shut this down, Sammie declared.

But maybe Cool Guy is helping, Rahul offered again.

And maybe he’s not, Sammie said. Either way, I think that pyramid is our problem, so let’s take it down.

Her two friends nodded, and then they sprinted down the street toward the purple pyramid.

As soon as they did, a bunch of mopslugs converged on them, sliding faster than their slimy bodies seemed capable of. Dylan swung his sword at one, and it turned into slimy mist. Rahul shot one with his rifle, the red laser turning another one into a slime cloud. Why didn’t Sammie have a weapon?

Dylan and Rahul continued to take down mopslugs, but it was slowing them down. The hole in the sky was getting bigger, and dozens more mopslugs rained down on the town.

How good of a shot are you with that? Sammie asked Rahul.

You know I’m the best, he said as he blasted another mopslug.

Climb up on that roof. Sammie pointed to the nearby drugstore. Give us cover.

Roger that. Rahul ran toward the drugstore, and Sammie noticed he had a rocket backpack and flames came out and shot him onto the roof. Where had he gotten a rocket pack? Sammie wanted one of those.

Dylan stayed with Sammie, and they made much better time as Rahul shot most of the mopslugs out of their way; the ones that got through were sliced by Dylan’s sword.

This also meant there was a constant mist of brown slime in the air, and Sammie and Dylan were wiping their faces clear with their hands. But they were closing in on the purple pyramid and Cool Guy.

Stay back, hip cats, Cool Guy shouted. I have no beef with you. But I am going to completely slime this useless town.

You’re supposed to be a good guy, Dylan shouted back.

Cool Guy smiled a wicked smile. I never said I was a good guy; I just said I’d help you stop that purple blob, Tublat. That’s done. Now I get back to doing what I do best: stirring up trouble.

Sammie stepped around a slug just as Dylan hacked it into mist. We can’t let you slime our town, she said. Turn off your triangle thing.

Cool Guy laughed. Oh, Samantha Stadler, you are a crack up. Once the Pyramid of Imminent Doom is activated, there’s no way to stop it. But just in case I’m wrong… He lifted his hands high above his head.

As he did, a circle of the street around Sammie’s feet lifted up, rising into the air. She screamed. Dylan rose into the air next to her on a growing platform of his own.

Jump! Dylan shouted, jumping back to the street.

But Sammie froze. The ground was getting farther away, and now it probably wasn’t safe to jump. Why hadn’t she gotten a jet pack or a laser rifle or even a cool sword?

She looked up to see the hole in the sky above her. She and her piece of Main Street were headed straight for it. No more mopslugs poured from it. It was just darkness outlined by purple energy that crackled like lightning. Whatever dimension these slime balls had come from, Sammie was about to go into it. She took a deep breath, ready for whatever Cool Guy had thrown at her.

Samantha Stadler! For the fifth time, Rahul is down here waiting!

Sammie sat up in her bed, her body tense. Where was the hole in the sky? Where were the mopslugs?

But there was no hole in sky, no slimy creatures lurking nearby. She was in her room, daylight streaming from the window. What time was it?

She looked over and the clock read 1:30 PM. Had she fallen asleep in the middle of day? Sammie didn’t usually take naps; those were for babies and old people. But she had fallen asleep, and she had dreamed of Cool Guy taking revenge on Malsman Lake.

The dream had felt so real. She could still see the purple pyramid in her mind, and part of her wanted to rush down to Main Street just to make sure it wasn’t there.

And Dylan had seemed so real. But Dylan had moved back to Texas after his house had been sucked into another dimension and his father had been kidnapped by the Eggplant Emperor. She hadn’t told anyone, but she really missed Dylan. It’s not like they had been that close before the Eggplant Emperor, but they both loved Sideralis Academy, the most awesome series of books and movies in the world. And then they had both helped save Malsman Lake, rescuing Dylan’s dad and Sammie’s brother, Colin.

What had her mom yelled? That Rahul was downstairs? She jumped out of bed and took a quick look in the mirror. She ran her brush three times through her long, blond hair and took off for the kitchen, jumping from the top of the stairs to the landing, and then from the landing to the first floor.

Sammie found her mother, Shannon, and Rahul sitting at the dining room table.

Her mother smiled when she saw her, one eyebrow raised. Good morning, sunshine.

I wish my parents let me sleep in until 1:30, Rahul added.

I didn’t sleep in, I was up at seven, Sammie said, resisting the urge to punch him in the arm; Mom wouldn’t have approved of that. I guess I fell back asleep.

It was a Saturday, ten days before school started back up. For once, Mom was not at work.

Sammie’s mom stood up. Well, there’s hours before we’re meeting the Sjostroms for dinner, so go along and play.

We should go on a bike ride, Rahul added, a little too quickly. It’s a super nice day.

Did you talk with your mom about the fair tomorrow? Sammie’s mother asked. Her family was making their annual trek to the Minnesota State Fair the next day.

Rahul nodded. Yes, ma’am. She said that was very nice of you and that I’d bring my own money to pay for everything.

Your family’s not going this year? Sammie asked. Rahul’s family typically made their own trip to the fair.

Nah. Papa said it smells bad and it’s too expensive, and Ma is working with residents and says she’s too busy. I kept bugging them about it, so I think they’re happy you’re taking me.

Sammie’s mom smiled. We’re more than happy to take you. Be here by seven, though. Sammie’s dad gets cranky if we don’t leave early. You two have fun terrorizing the town.

Come on, Rahul said, tugging on Sammie arm.

They ran outside and Rahul jumped on his bike. Sammie pulled hers out of the garage and walked up next to him.

What’s the hurry? she asked. You seem a little spazzy, even for you.

Rahul smiled his goofiest grin. Something weird has happened, Sammie. Finally. After the most boring summer ever, there’s something new for your List of Mysteries.

Sammie had been obsessed with all the weird happenings of Malsman Lake for as long as she could remember. She kept a list of all of it in her closet. At the end of the previous school year, her list had been destroyed by her parents when they’d been mind-controlled by the Eggplant Emperor. Luckily, Maria had helped her rebuild it with the Dimensionera’s own information.

Sammie felt the familiar excitement of finding something strange bubble up inside her.

What happened? she asked eagerly.

Rahul’s grin grew as wide as his face. Old Man Weaver’s rock wall has a piece missing.

Sammie frowned. One rock is missing from a rock wall? Only Old Man Weaver would even notice. That’s not weird.

It’s not just any rock, Sammie. It’s the big one, the one with the plaque saying his farm is part of history. It’s huge. And it was cemented in. Someone hacked it out.

Sammie shrugged. Okay. Let’s go check it out.

You don’t seem very excited, Rahul said with a frown.

It doesn’t seem that strange, not for Malsman Lake. I mean, if you said the whole rock wall disappeared, then maybe. Or that Old Man Weaver had suddenly become thirty years younger.

I don’t think I’d even notice if he got thirty years younger, Rahul replied. He’d still be like ninety.

Sammie rolled her eyes. Whatever. Let’s go check this out.

It seemed very disappointing after dreaming of saving Malsman Lake from mopslugs and Cool Guy. Sammie thought about telling Rahul about her dream, but decided against it. He might tease her about Dylan, and it was just a stupid dream anyway.

A piece of a rock wall didn’t seem very strange in a place with pigs that screamed like eagles and cotton candy that made kids float. But it would have to do.

Chapter 2

It was a long bike ride out to Old Man Weaver’s farm, and the rock wall Rahul had mentioned was beyond that to a place Sammie had never biked to before. It was a hot day for September, and they were both breathing hard and sweating a lot by the time they reached the spot.

But once they got there, it was pretty obvious. In the middle of the old rock fence, a large stone or group of stones was missing.

Rahul pulled to a stop, Sammie just behind. He’d become a much better bike rider that summer, and he could keep up with her now.

I told you, he said between ragged breaths. That’s pretty weird.

Sammie frowned. Probably in any other town in the world, it would be pretty weird. But the missing rock wasn’t floating nearby, and it hadn’t been replaced by colored glass or a ham sandwich.

Could have been just a couple of bored teenagers, she replied, getting off her bike to get a closer look.

Rahul stepped up close to her. Come on, Sammie. How would they have hauled it out of here?

Half the town has a truck. They could have pried it out and then dumped it into the back of the truck and driven off. This seems very normal.

Rahul touched the plaster that had been left behind. Maybe that’s what makes it weird, that it’s so normal.

Sammie laughed. It’s weird because it’s normal?

He rolled his eyes.

Sammie knelt down and took a closer look. Was there anything weird? They were far away from Old Man Weaver’s house, so far that someone could have lit off fireworks and the guy might not have heard. There were a few chunks of plaster on the grass in front of the wall, indicating to her that this had been knocked out by traditional means.

Before she could share her thoughts with Rahul, they both turned at the sound of an approaching car. It was a Malsman Lake police car, and it pulled to a stop right next to their bikes.

Sheriff Vera Masters stepped out of the passenger side, putting her large-brimmed hat on her head to shield against the sun. Sheriff Masters was tall and built like a linebacker. Her brown and gray hair was short, almost invisible below the hat. Her broad face lit with a smile.

One of her deputies, the tall one, stepped out of the other side. He looked too tall to fit in the car.

What a surprise to find our two sleuths out here before me, the sheriff said.

You’ve got to know we don’t know what a sleuth is, Rahul replied.

Look in the mirror, kid. Sheriff Masters walked over and crouched between them near the wall. The tall deputy loomed nearby. What have we found?

Rahul bounced with excitement. The rock with the commemorative plaque on Old Man Weaver’s rock wall is gone, mysteriously taken away.

Looks like the work of a couple of bored teenagers who need school to start, the sheriff replied.

Sammie smiled big at Rahul.

But Sheriff, he pleaded, it’s got to be something more than that, right? I mean, he looked over at the deputy and then lowered his voice to finish, it’s gotta be something weird.

Sheriff Masters was the only adult in Malsman Lake, besides Maria Cortez, who had even noticed the interdimensional invasion earlier in the year. She believed in the weird just like they did, though without their enthusiasm.

Sheriff Masters stood. Anything is possible in Malsman Lake, Rahul, but this one looks pretty straightforward.

Old Man Weaver is going to want that rock back, Sammie said.

The sheriff nodded. My guess is that once school starts, the kids who did this will brag about it and we’ll figure it out. I’ll pull them in and throw around a threat or two, and they’ll give it back. Besides, the kids are lucky that old cuss isn’t the one who owns this anyway. He’d likely hunt them down on his own.

Sammie remembered a story her dad had told her about Old Man Weaver when some kids had gotten into his chickens. He’d chased them down and tripped them all with his cane. He’d pinned the two kids with his feet until the cops had arrived. Dad loved the guy, but most of the rest of the town avoided him.

Rahul looked beyond the wall to the green grass field on the other side. Old Man Weaver doesn’t own this land?

Sheriff Masters shook her head. Mayor Caswell bought this last field from him a couple of years ago. She’s going to be annoyed, but she’s so worried about that stupid time capsule opening that she wouldn’t notice an alien invasion.

No one around here would notice an alien invasion, Sammie added.

The sheriff laughed, making a shotgun sound that made Sammie smile too. True. Sorry, kids. Nothing super weird about this one. You’ll have to get your weird fix somewhere else.

Sammie and Rahul sat on the curb outside of Callister’s, a convenience store in downtown, drinking freezies, the perfect remedy on a hot day.

Rahul drank his personal concoction, the Crazy Ivan, all six freezie flavors combined together in equal parts. Sammie had settled on Raging Razberry.

This summer is boring, Rahul said, taking another big sip through his straw. I mean, I thought this summer was going to be awesome. Nothing interesting has happened in months.

Sammie nodded. After the Eggplant Emperor had invaded Malsman Lake, they had thought they would be fighting a new interdimensional threat each week. Instead they’d been fighting boredom.

At least we get to go to the state fair tomorrow, Sammie said, trying to cheer him up. Usually a freezie took care of a sour Rahul mood, but it hadn’t worked today.

Rahul smiled, taking another drink of freezie. "Yeah. I’ve saved up my money. I’m going to eat a deep-fried Snickers, a deep-fried Twinkie