Beware, the Snowman (2 page)

“It’s kind of like a tradition,” Rolonda continued, avoiding my eyes. “I mean…
well… we just don’t go up there.”

“It’s too cold,” Eli added. “That’s why. It’s just too cold up there for humans to survive. You would turn to ice in thirty
seconds.”

I knew he was lying. I knew that wasn’t the real reason. But I decided to
drop the subject. They suddenly seemed so tense and worried.

“Where are you from?” Rolonda asked. She dug her gloved hands deep into her
coat pockets. “The next village?”

“No. Chicago,” I told her. “We lived in an apartment right on the lake.”

“And you moved
here
?” Eli cried. “From Chicago to Sherpia?
Why
?”

“Good question,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “I live with my aunt, see. And
Aunt Greta decided to move here. So…” I couldn’t keep the sadness from my
voice.

We talked for a few more minutes. I learned that they had lived in Sherpia
their entire lives. “It isn’t so bad. You get used to not seeing many people,”
Rolonda told me.

“And it’s nice if you like snow,” Eli added. “Lots and lots of snow!”

We all laughed.

I said, “See you guys later,” and started walking up the road.

“You’re not going to the top—are you?” Eli called. He sounded really
frightened again.

“No,” I called back. I pulled my hood tight. “It’s getting kind of windy.
I’ll just go a little farther.”

The road curved higher. I crunched my way past a wide, woodsy lot filled with pine trees nearly as thin as pencils. The
trees tilted at all angles. Not one of them stood straight up.

I saw animal tracks in the snow. Raccoon or squirrel? No. Too big. Deer
tracks? I couldn’t tell.

I raised my eyes—and cried out in surprise.

Another sneering snowman stared back at me with its twisted carrot nose and
coal-black eyes.

Its red scarf fluttered in the strong wind.

I stared at the long scar cut deep in its face.

Its twig arms waved in the wind, as if greeting me.

“Why do they build these creepy snowmen?” I asked out loud.

I turned—and saw another one in the front yard across the street. Same
tree-branch arms. Same red scarf. Same scar.

It must be some kind of village decoration, I decided.

But why didn’t Rolonda and Eli want to tell me about it?

Heavy gray clouds rolled over the sun. The snowman’s shadow appeared to
stretch until it swept over me.

I felt a sudden chill. I stepped back.

The sky quickly turned evening dark. I gazed up to the top of the mountain.
Clumps of pine trees hid the top from view.

Should I head back or keep going?

I remembered the fear on Eli’s face when I said I was climbing to the top. And I remembered Rolonda’s cry: “You
can’t
!”

It only made me more curious.

What were they afraid of? What was up there?

I decided to keep going.

A van in the next driveway was buried under a thick sheet of snow. It looked
as if it hadn’t been driven all winter.

I followed the road as it curved away from the houses. The snow became deeper
and softer. My boots sank in as I walked.

I imagined that I was walking on another planet, a planet never explored
before.

The road climbed steeper. Large white rocks jutted up from the snow. Clumps
of slender pine trees tilted in every direction.

There were no houses up this high. I could see only trees and snow-covered
shrubs and jutting rocks.

The road curved again. The wind whistled. I rubbed my cheeks and nose to warm
them. Then I leaned into the wind and kept walking.

I stopped when a small log cabin came into view. I shielded my eyes with a
gloved hand and stared at it.

A cabin way up here?

Why would anyone want to live this high up, away from everyone?

The cabin stood in a square, cleared-out area, surrounded by scraggly, tilting pine trees. I didn’t see any car or sled. I
didn’t see any boot-prints in the snow.

I crept closer to the cabin.

The windows were steamed over. I couldn’t tell if there were lights on inside
or not.

I stepped closer, my heart pounding. I leaned my arms on a windowsill and
pressed my nose against the glass. But I couldn’t see in.

“Anyone home?” I called.

Silence. The wind whistled around the corner of the cabin.

I knocked on the door. “Hello?”

No reply.

“Weird,” I muttered.

I tried the door. I just pushed it lightly.

Maybe I shouldn’t have. But I did.

The door slid open.

I felt a rush of warm air from inside.

“Anyone home?” I called in.

I peeked beyond the door. Dark in there.

“Hello?”

I stepped inside. Just to take a look.

The snow had been so bright outside. My eyes adjusted slowly to the dim
light.

And before I could focus, I saw a white blur.

A
growling
white blur. It leaped on me.

Hot breath. Hot breath on my face.

And a snarling, white creature tackled me to the floor.

“Down! Down, Wolfbane!”

The snarling stopped instantly.

The creature backed off.

“Down, Wolfbane!” a man’s voice ordered sternly.

Gasping for breath, I wiped hot saliva off my face. And realized I was
staring up at a white-furred wolf.

The wolf was breathing hard, too, jaws open, tongue snaking down nearly to
the cabin floor. Its head was lowered as if preparing to attack again. Its
round, dark brown eyes locked on me suspiciously.

“Down, Wolfbane. It’s okay, boy.”

I rolled away from the panting creature and climbed to my knees. Two hands
reached down to grab my hands and tug me to my feet.

“Are you okay?” The man studied me with round, silver-gray eyes. He was tall
and thin, dressed all in denim. He had long, gray hair tied back in a short ponytail. And a thick, pure-white beard.

His eyes glowed like steel marbles. I could almost
feel
them burning
into me.

“Is that… really a wolf?” I demanded.

He nodded, his expression stern, his eerie eyes not moving, not blinking. “He
won’t hurt you. Wolfbane is well trained.”

“But he—” My mouth suddenly felt so dry it was hard to talk.

“You startled us,” the man said, still not blinking, not looking away. “We
were in the back room.” He motioned toward a doorway in the back wall.

“Sorry,” I murmured. “I didn’t know anyone was in here. I thought—”

“Who
are
you?” the man demanded angrily. He narrowed his silvery eyes
at me. Behind the bushy white beard, his slender face reddened.

“I didn’t mean to—”

“Who
are
you?” he repeated.

“I was taking a walk,” I struggled to explain. If only my heart weren’t
pounding so hard. If only my mouth weren’t so dry.

The white wolf uttered a low growl. It stood tensely, head lowered, eyes
locked on me, as if waiting for a command to attack.

“Why did you break into my house?” the man demanded, taking a step toward me.

He’s dangerous, I realized.

There’s something very strange about him. Something very angry.

“I didn’t break in,” I started. “I just—”

“You broke into my house,” he insisted. “Don’t you realize how dangerous that
is? Wolfbane is trained to attack strangers.”

“S-sorry—!” I choked out.

He took another step toward me. He still hadn’t blinked those weird, round
eyes.

My chest tightened in fright.

What did he plan to do?

I didn’t want to find out.

I took a deep breath. Then I spun around—and ran out the door.

Could I get away?

Behind me, the door slammed hard against the cabin wall.

I glanced back—and saw him burst out of the cabin after me. “Where are you
going?” he cried. “Hey—stop! Where are you going?”

I pointed. “Up to the top!” I cried.

“No, you’re not!” he shouted back furiously. “You will not go up there!”

He’s crazy!
I realized.

He has no right to shout at me like that!

I can go anywhere I want to!

He’s crazy.

It had started to snow, large wet flakes, blowing hard in swirls of wind.

I brushed a snowflake from my forehead and ran to the road.

To my horror, the bearded man followed me, half-walking, half-running over
the deep snow.

“Beware, the snowman!” he called.

“Huh?” I turned back to face him. “What did you say?” I cried breathlessly.

The old rhyme flew through my mind for the second time that day…

When the snows blow wild

And the day grows old,

Beware, the snowman, my child.

Beware, the snowman.

He brings the cold.

I don’t
believe
this! I thought. I haven’t thought about that rhyme
since I was five. And now it has run through my mind
twice
in one day!

We stood staring at each other from opposite sides of the road. I saw the man
shiver. He wore only his denim workshirt, no coat. Big snowflakes clung to his
gray hair and his shoulders.

“What did you say?” I asked.

“The snowman lives in the ice cave,” he called, cupping his hands around his
mouth to be heard over the wind.

“Huh? A snowman?”

He’s really nuts!
I decided. Why am I standing here listening to him?

The man lives in a cabin on a mountaintop all by himself except for a white
wolf! And now he’s yelling insane things about a snowman!

“Beware, the snowman!” he repeated. “You cannot go up to the top! You
cannot!”

“Why not?” I demanded. My voice came out higher and more shrill than I had
intended.

“You do not want to meet the snowman!” the man cried. The big snowflakes
covered his beard. His silvery eyes glowed eerily.

“If you meet the snowman,” he called,
“you will never return!”

Totally nuts,
I realized.

That’s why he lives all alone up here.

I spun away. I knew I had stayed too long.

Slipping and sliding, I ran through the deep snow.

Ran as fast as I could. Cold snowflakes slapping my hot face. Heart pounding.

Down the road. Down the curving mountain road.

Panting… panting.

Was that
me
breathing so hard?

Were those
my
thudding footsteps?

No.

Glancing back, I saw the white wolf chasing me. Gaining fast.

Teeth bared. Head lowered to attack.

“Noooo!” I wailed. The big snowflakes stung my eyes as I ran. The white
ground tilted. I stumbled but kept running.

I suddenly felt as if I were trapped in one of those glass balls that snows
inside when you shake them.

I tumbled downhill. The snowflakes flew at me in all directions. The whole mountainside seemed to quiver and shake.

The road! Where was the road?

I lost it in the falling snow. My boots sank into deep drifts.

But I kept running. Down… down.

The steady thud of the wolf’s heavy paws in my ears.

I glanced back and saw it gaining on me, moving rhythmically, easily over the
snowdrifts. Its teeth were bared. Puffs of steam rose from its open mouth.

Running hard, I didn’t see the smooth rocks jutting up along the side of the
road.

My boot caught on one.

“Ohhhh!” I let out a cry as pain shot up my leg. I lost my balance. Stumbled
forward.

Landed hard on my stomach in the deep snow.

I gasped for breath. The fall knocked the wind out of me.

Scrambling to my knees, I watched helplessly as the white wolf closed in on
me.

To my surprise, the wolf stopped a few feet away.

It lowered its head and stared, breathing hard. Beneath the thick, white fur,
its chest heaved up and down. Snowflakes melted on its tongue.

Staring at it in fear, I pushed myself to my feet. I brushed my hair back,
and brushed snow off the front of my parka.

Was the wolf just catching its breath? Would it attack the moment I tried to
run?

“Go home, boy,” I whispered. “Go home.”

My voice barely carried over the wind and snow. The white wolf stared up at
me, still panting.

I started to back up. I was afraid to take my eyes off it.

I took one step back. Then another.

The wolf watched me but didn’t move.

My boots crunched onto the road. Yes! I had found the road! I kept backing
up.

The wolf stood taller. Lowered its tail. Tensed its back.

Its brown eyes followed me. Such human eyes.

What was it thinking? Why did it chase after me?

Was it just making sure that I went down the mountain? Did the strange man
send it to keep me from heading to the mountaintop?

I took another step back. Then another.

The wolf didn’t move.

The snow-covered road curved away. I kept backing up until I was out of the
creature’s sight.

“Whew!” I uttered a loud sigh of relief. Turned. And continued walking fast
toward the village and my new house.

Every few seconds, I glanced back. But the wolf didn’t follow me.

The snow came down hard. I pulled my parka hood over my hair. I held it with
both hands and started to trot along the road.

I wondered if Aunt Greta would be worried about me. I had been gone a lot
longer than I had planned.

Low snow clouds hid the sun. The sky became nearly as black as night.

I started to pass houses on both sides of the road. I could see lights on in
some of them. One house had a blazing fire going in a fireplace. Black smoke
curled up from the chimney.

I passed one of the strange, scar-faced snowmen. His tree-limb arms trembled in the wind. He appeared to be waving at me
as I passed.