Beware, the Snowman by R. L. Stine Read Free Book Online Page A

tradition,” Aunt Greta confessed. “Very quaint. I
think they’re very interesting looking.”
    “Interesting?” I frowned at her.
    “Well, make me a promise,” she said, yawning.
    “Promise?”
    “Promise me you won’t go running up to the mountaintop to explore the ice
cave. It probably is a very dangerous place.”
    “Well…” I hesitated.
    “Promise,” Aunt Greta urged sternly.
    “Okay. I promise,” I agreed, rolling my eyes.
    But a few minutes later, I decided to break that promise.
    I was lying in my attic bed, my eyes shut tight. Listening. Listening to the
strange howls from the mountaintop.
    Were they animal? Were they human?
    I hate mysteries. I have to know the answers to things.
    I’m going up there, I decided.
    I don’t care what I promised my aunt. I’m climbing up to the ice cave.
    Tomorrow.

 
 
21
     
     
    I didn’t dream of snowmen that night. I dreamed about fluffy white kittens
with sky-blue eyes. Dozens of them. The whitest kittens I ever saw.
    They began climbing over one another. Silently at first. And then they
started to screech and hiss. A frightening, ugly sound.
    Suddenly they all wore red scarves around their necks.
    They clawed at each other, arching their pure white backs. Hissing and
screeching.
    Until I woke up.
    Yellow morning sunlight poured through the round window at the other end of
my bedroom. I could smell bacon frying downstairs. Aunt Greta was already up and
about.
    I decided to climb the mountain right after breakfast. I didn’t want to think
about it anymore. I wanted to go up there and solve the mystery.
    I knew that strange, white-bearded guy Conrad was a problem. If he saw me, he’d try to stop me. He and his wolf.
    But I had a plan to take care of Conrad.
    If only Rolonda and Eli would help…
    As it turned out, I didn’t get out of the house till after lunch. Aunt Greta
needed me to hang curtains with her. And then we put up the paintings and
posters she had brought from Chicago.
    The house was tiny and cramped. But it was starting to feel a little more
like home.
    “Where are you going?” Aunt Greta called as I pulled on my parka and gloves
and started out the door.
    “Uh… nowhere really,” I lied. “Just going to hang out with Rolonda and
Eli.”
    As I said their names, I saw them walking up my front yard.
    I closed the front door behind me and hurried out to greet them. Eli carried
a snow shovel. Rolonda dragged two slender tree branches. She dropped them at my
feet.
    “What’s that for?” I asked. “What are you guys doing here?”
    “We have to build your snowman,” Rolonda replied solemnly.
    “Excuse me?” I cried.
    “You won’t be safe until you have a snowman in your yard,” Eli said.
    “Listen, guys…” I started.
    “The snow is very wet,” Rolonda reported.
    “Good packing snow. It shouldn’t take long. Eli and I brought everything we
need.”
    “But I don’t have time to build a snowman,” I protested. “I want to climb up
to the ice cave this morning.”
    They both gasped. Eli gripped the shovel handle and gaped at me.
    “You can’t—!” Eli cried.
    “Jaclyn, I warned you—” Rolonda said.
    “I have to see it for myself,” I told them. And then I added, “I want you to
come with me.”
    “No!” Eli gasped.
    Rolonda just shook her head. “You know we won’t go up to the ice cave,
Jaclyn. And we don’t want you to go, either.”
    “But if we all go together…” I urged.
    “No!” they both cried.
    I could see real fear on their faces. Staring at them, I suddenly had an
idea.
    “Okay, okay,” I said. “I’ll make a deal with you.”
    They eyed me suspiciously. “What kind of deal?” Rolonda demanded.
    “I’ll stay here and build the snowman—if you will help me when we’re done,”
I said.
    “No. We won’t go with you,” Rolonda insisted. “You can’t get us to go up to
the ice cave, Jaclyn.”
    “No deal,” Eli added sternly.
    “You don’t have to go up to the ice