growl from the cabin. The wolf must have heard or
smelled us.
I knew it would come running out any second.
“Come on !” I urged in a loud whisper. And I took off for the
snow-covered shrubs.
I ducked out of view just as Conrad and the wolf burst out of the cabin.
“Hello!” Rolonda cried to Conrad.
“Hi!” Eli echoed.
I watched Rolonda and Eli go running up to Conrad.
The wolf lowered its head, watching them carefully.
I saw Rolonda and Eli, both talking at once, chattering with Conrad. I
couldn’t hear what they were saying.
They’re doing it! I told myself, my heart pounding. They’re keeping his
attention.
Time for me to move.
Time for me to make a run for it.
I could hear Rolonda talking to Conrad. I glanced over the top of the bush.
The wolf had its back to me.
Conrad was scratching his gray hair, listening to Rolonda. I couldn’t see his
expression. But I imagined he was very confused and surprised.
I knew he didn’t get any visitors.
He must be wondering what Rolonda and Eli were doing up here!
I forced all of these thoughts from my mind.
It was time for me to make a run for it.
I took a deep breath.
Then, still crouching, I began to run.
My legs felt like Jell-O. My boots sank into the deep snow.
Ducking my head, I darted up the steep mountainside.
Up, up.
I had just passed the bushes when I heard Conrad’s angry shout—“Hey, wait !”
23
I stopped so suddenly, I fell over backward!
I landed hard. The snow seemed to fly up in my face, sweep over me, surround
me. Everything went white.
I’m caught, I realized.
My plan didn’t work.
I stood up and turned to face Conrad.
To my shock, he wasn’t coming after me. He and the wolf were running
downhill. Chasing after Rolonda and Eli.
I heard the wolf utter a high growl. Then they disappeared around a curve.
I stood frozen in place, staring at the spot where they had just been.
Would Conrad harm Rolonda and Eli?
Should I run after them and try to help them?
No. I had to keep going.
This was the plan. This was my chance.
Taking another deep breath, I turned and started to run up the mountainside.
The climb was steep for a while. So steep I wasn’t sure I could make it.
But then the ground leveled off. I found myself on a wide ledge. The ledge
was slick. My boots slipped on the ice.
I pressed my back against the mountain wall.
And gazed up at the ice cave.
Yes!
There it stood above me. A cave as tall as a building. Smooth and glassy, it
reflected the clouds in the sky above it.
I couldn’t see the entrance from here. I was staring at one of the sides.
The ledge narrowed as it curled up to the cave.
I kept my back pressed against the wall and slowly—step by step—inched my
way toward the top.
“Don’t look down!” I murmured out loud.
But as soon as I said it, I had to look.
It was a deep drop from the ledge to the ground far, far below.
If I slipped and fell…
I’m not going to slip and fall! I told myself.
A deep, rumbling sound made me jump!
I grabbed the mountainside with both hands to keep from falling.
The ledge trembled beneath me.
Another low rumble made me cry out in fear.
The ledge trembled again. The whole mountain seemed to shake!
The sound came from the cave.
Is something moving up there? I wondered.
Or is it the normal sound of a mountaintop in the wind?
I gathered my courage and moved forward. Inch by inch.
I had come this far. I refused to retreat now.
The ledge grew narrower, slipperier, as it curved around.
Another rumbling noise made me gasp.
Somehow I held on. And followed the ledge around.
It seemed to take forever. But then the cave opening came into view.
And after that, I saw the most terrifying sight of my life.
24
I didn’t see it at first.
First, I saw the layer of solid ice that covered the ledge. The glassy cave
rose up behind the ledge. The gaping entrance to the cave was blacker than the
darkest night.
I stood
smelled us.
I knew it would come running out any second.
“Come on !” I urged in a loud whisper. And I took off for the
snow-covered shrubs.
I ducked out of view just as Conrad and the wolf burst out of the cabin.
“Hello!” Rolonda cried to Conrad.
“Hi!” Eli echoed.
I watched Rolonda and Eli go running up to Conrad.
The wolf lowered its head, watching them carefully.
I saw Rolonda and Eli, both talking at once, chattering with Conrad. I
couldn’t hear what they were saying.
They’re doing it! I told myself, my heart pounding. They’re keeping his
attention.
Time for me to move.
Time for me to make a run for it.
I could hear Rolonda talking to Conrad. I glanced over the top of the bush.
The wolf had its back to me.
Conrad was scratching his gray hair, listening to Rolonda. I couldn’t see his
expression. But I imagined he was very confused and surprised.
I knew he didn’t get any visitors.
He must be wondering what Rolonda and Eli were doing up here!
I forced all of these thoughts from my mind.
It was time for me to make a run for it.
I took a deep breath.
Then, still crouching, I began to run.
My legs felt like Jell-O. My boots sank into the deep snow.
Ducking my head, I darted up the steep mountainside.
Up, up.
I had just passed the bushes when I heard Conrad’s angry shout—“Hey, wait !”
23
I stopped so suddenly, I fell over backward!
I landed hard. The snow seemed to fly up in my face, sweep over me, surround
me. Everything went white.
I’m caught, I realized.
My plan didn’t work.
I stood up and turned to face Conrad.
To my shock, he wasn’t coming after me. He and the wolf were running
downhill. Chasing after Rolonda and Eli.
I heard the wolf utter a high growl. Then they disappeared around a curve.
I stood frozen in place, staring at the spot where they had just been.
Would Conrad harm Rolonda and Eli?
Should I run after them and try to help them?
No. I had to keep going.
This was the plan. This was my chance.
Taking another deep breath, I turned and started to run up the mountainside.
The climb was steep for a while. So steep I wasn’t sure I could make it.
But then the ground leveled off. I found myself on a wide ledge. The ledge
was slick. My boots slipped on the ice.
I pressed my back against the mountain wall.
And gazed up at the ice cave.
Yes!
There it stood above me. A cave as tall as a building. Smooth and glassy, it
reflected the clouds in the sky above it.
I couldn’t see the entrance from here. I was staring at one of the sides.
The ledge narrowed as it curled up to the cave.
I kept my back pressed against the wall and slowly—step by step—inched my
way toward the top.
“Don’t look down!” I murmured out loud.
But as soon as I said it, I had to look.
It was a deep drop from the ledge to the ground far, far below.
If I slipped and fell…
I’m not going to slip and fall! I told myself.
A deep, rumbling sound made me jump!
I grabbed the mountainside with both hands to keep from falling.
The ledge trembled beneath me.
Another low rumble made me cry out in fear.
The ledge trembled again. The whole mountain seemed to shake!
The sound came from the cave.
Is something moving up there? I wondered.
Or is it the normal sound of a mountaintop in the wind?
I gathered my courage and moved forward. Inch by inch.
I had come this far. I refused to retreat now.
The ledge grew narrower, slipperier, as it curved around.
Another rumbling noise made me gasp.
Somehow I held on. And followed the ledge around.
It seemed to take forever. But then the cave opening came into view.
And after that, I saw the most terrifying sight of my life.
24
I didn’t see it at first.
First, I saw the layer of solid ice that covered the ledge. The glassy cave
rose up behind the ledge. The gaping entrance to the cave was blacker than the
darkest night.
I stood
Similar Books
