"Mom! Mom!" The frantic cry startled Mrs. Krantz, prompting her to leave the dishwasher half-emptied. She hurried in the direction of her adopted daughter's bedroom, only to collide with the terrified girl as she fled.

"What's wrong, Sue Ellen?" the moose woman inquired.

"I don't know how, or why," said the cat girl in a panicked, high-pitched voice, "but Zeke's dad just attacked me!"

"He did what?" said Mrs. Krantz, now outraged. "How did he get inside the house? Are you sure it was him?"

"It was him, I swear," said Sue Ellen, clinging to the woman's hips. "First I heard Fern's voice, then the gateway to the other dimension appeared, then Zeke's dad grabbed me and dragged me through."

"Did he hurt you at all?" Mrs. Krantz inquired.

"No," was Sue Ellen's reply. "Once we were on the other side, he just let me go."

Mr. Krantz stepped into the scene, drawn by the shouting. "You say it was Zeke's father," he said curiously. "Was it Zeke's father from our universe, or a copy of Zeke's father from the parallel universe?"

"What difference does it make?" said his wife sharply.

"I'm a comic book fan," the moose man stated. "I have to pay attention to such details."

Blocks away at the England home (some preferred to call it the England compound), the lady of the house heard the phone ring as she was changing her child's diaper. After quickly wiping her hands, she picked up the receiver and said, "Hello?"

"Mrs. England, this is Mrs. Krantz, your son's teacher," the voice spoke. "Would your husband happen to be home?"

"Yes, he is," replied the Pomeranian woman. "I'll fetch him right away."

Mrs. Krantz heard a second or two of silence on the line…followed by an unearthly scream.

As late as it was, Zeke's classmates didn't hesitate to congregate at the Chanel mansion, where the boy had been living. The pom lad sat on a leather chair, giving free rein to his tears, as Mickie made vain attempts to console him.

"My dad's dead," Zeke sobbed miserably. "He turned into a pillar of salt."

"There, there," said Mickie sweetly. "Here's a ten-dollar bill. Go buy yourself some ice cream."

Sue Ellen found herself surrounded by boys, though their purpose was far from romantic. "I can't imagine why the parallel-universe Mr. England is involved in this," said Alan to his companions.

"Neither can I," said Binky with a shrug. "Maybe he and Fern are friends in the other world."

"I doubt that," Sue Ellen chimed in. "One of his friends shot at Fern right outside this house, remember?"

"Maybe he stole the Entangler from Fern," Arthur theorized.

"They were working together," Sue Ellen insisted. "I know I heard her voice."

"She promised to destroy it, yet, here we are," said Alan. "That's the last time I entrust a powerful and dangerous artifact to a girl."

"Hey, I resent that!" the cat girl snapped.

"Take it easy, Sue Ellen," said Binky facetiously. "He didn't know you were a girl when he said it."

"I just had an idea," said Arthur.

"What?" said Alan, Binky, and Sue Ellen in unison.

"Why would Mr. England drag Sue Ellen into the other dimension, just to let her go?" he asked hypothetically. "To me, it's pretty obvious."

"I'm not following you," said Binky.

"Do you remember who it was that snitched on Fern's parents, and sent them to their deaths?" the aardvark boy went on.

"I sure do," said Sue Ellen. "It was the other me…the bad me."

"Of course!" said Alan, pounding his palm with his fist. "Good old-fashioned revenge. By bringing our Sue Ellen into her dimension, she was able to kill her Sue Ellen without even having to touch her."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" exclaimed Binky, waving his hands to silence the others. "You're accusing Fern of murder."

For a second or two they silently stared at each other, astonished by Binky's remark.

Alan was the first to speak up. "Binky's got a point. It is hard to believe that a nice girl like Fern would stoop so low. Let's remember, however, that in the world she comes from, she and others like her are fighting for their freedom against ruthless enemies. We don't know what kinds of moral compromises they've been forced to make. Add to that the shock of watching the execution of her parents on a YouTube video, and you've got yourself one disturbed little poodle."

"She's one sick puppy," said Arthur. "Sorry, I just had to say that."

"Okay, maybe she has flipped," said Binky.

"We've got to help her," said Sue Ellen earnestly.

"I agree," said Alan. "But first we've got to find her, and then we've got to stop her, before more people die."

"Alan's right," said Binky.

"Easier said than done," Arthur put in. "You're talking about a girl who can turn invisible and jump across dimensions."

"Come to think of it," said Alan, "it does seem pretty hopeless."

"Alan's right," Binky repeated.

To be continued