An exciting adventure novel for pre-teen and adult readers. Gabriel mouse and his friends enjoy a carefree existence in the field along the country road-until the night of the wild summer storm! When a fiery bolt of lightning destroys an abandoned barn across the road, their lives are changed forever. But was the barn really abandoned after all? Rumors have always existed of green-eyed beasts living there, but the mice had never seen them and so never believed in them. Until now. Six creatures have fled the burning barn like shadows in the night, secretly crossing the road into Gabriel's field during the storm, and now live in the nearby woods. Watching... Waiting... Now that danger hunts them down, the mice realize that the rumors are all too true. So Gabriel and a group of friends decide to search for a new home behind the walls of an estate where life is said to be perfect. But the situation is far from perfect before their journey even starts. Gabriel's best friend Simon is falling under the spell of the beasts and puts the mice in grave danger. Will Simon betray them all? Or will Gabriel succeed before all is lost? Let the journey begin... "A captivating, original saga, appealing to readers of all ages, and highly recommended." from Midwest Book Review January 3, 2005 (hardcover edition)