his nose, on the wind roaring in his ears. His mom helped Norman onto the side of the road.
Norman peed into the dark ditch.
The family stood silently outside the car, Myles and his mother willing Norman to hurry up. Car exhaust blew in their faces, along with the rain. Myles counted to twenty again and again, but it was the pee to end all pees. It was never going to end. It was epic.
Hurry up, Norman!
Then ⦠a smoky blur behind the trees! The trees swayed, a twig broke ⦠a huge, misty head loomed above the treetops and wispy arms reached out ⦠red eyes shone through the darkness. The monsterâs deep whisper filled the air.â¦
⦠I see you, Mylesâ¦.
CHAPTER 11
RED ICE!
M yles tried to scream. He very, very badly wanted to call out to his mother and his little brother that they were in danger.
But he couldnât. His voice was gone. His throat was closing. He couldnât breathe. Myles squeezed his eyes tight and hugged himself as hard as he could.
⦠I see you, Myles.â¦
The monsterâs voice floated through the trees, and long, streaming, misty arms reached out toward him. Myles bit his tongue as tears welled up beneath his eyelids. Suddenly, somewhere, very, very far away, on a farm across the fields maybe, a dog barked. It made Myles feel slightly ⦠better. Like he wasnât completely alone in the world.
Youâre not real! Youâre not real! Leave my family alone! Please, please hurry up, Norman!
It was the bravest thing heâd ever done. Myles wanted, very badly, to run into the car and hide. But he couldnât leave his mother and little brother to face the thing following him, the monster of mist and fear, alone. He stood with his arms across his chest, rain slashing his face, his eyes screwed shut, trying not to scream. He wanted to be brave. But he was frozen to the spot. Another tree snapped â the misty monster was coming.â¦
âFinithed!â Normanâs sharp little voice called into the wind.
Myles had never moved so fast. He tore open the car door and jumped inside. His mother moved just as fast, strapping Norman into the car seat then shutting her own door. She was soaked, with rain dripping off her nose.
âWell,â she said breezily, âthat was an adventure!â Myles smiled weakly at her then peeked back at the woods. Misty grey arms disappeared behind the trees.
Then ⦠âICE!â Norman shrieked. The trees rocked back and forth. Norman saw it too!
âDRIVE!â Myles yelped.
His mother stepped on the gas pedal, and the car lurched back onto the dark road. The wipers shrieked across the windshield.
âRED! ICE!â Norman yelled from the back seat.
âFaster, Mom!â Myles was too scared to look out the window. There was a blur beside the car. Then â¦
⦠a deer raced onto the road, and for a moment all Myles could see was a white tail and hooves. Mylesâs mom slammed on the brakes, and everyone lurched forward.
Thank goodness for seatbelts , Myles thought.
âRED ICE!â Norman called out again, pointing out the front window. And Myles could see what he meant. Red eyes. The deerâs eyes were bright red in the headlight. Just like the fox, just like the chickens.
Just like the monster out there â¦
The buck turned to face them and lowered its head. Its huge antlers looked like ghostly arms reaching out to them. Myles gulped.
âOh, itâs so beautiful!â Bea said, yawning and stretching awake.
âHe is handsome, isnât he?â Mylesâs mother said. Myles couldnât believe his ears. They thought the deer was beautiful? It loomed out of the darkness. It had red eyes, even Norman said so. It had antlers that looked like arms. It almost ran into them.
Why couldnât they see how scary the deer was?
His mother honked the horn, which sounded ridiculous and tiny against the wail of the rain and the wind. The deer looked
Norman peed into the dark ditch.
The family stood silently outside the car, Myles and his mother willing Norman to hurry up. Car exhaust blew in their faces, along with the rain. Myles counted to twenty again and again, but it was the pee to end all pees. It was never going to end. It was epic.
Hurry up, Norman!
Then ⦠a smoky blur behind the trees! The trees swayed, a twig broke ⦠a huge, misty head loomed above the treetops and wispy arms reached out ⦠red eyes shone through the darkness. The monsterâs deep whisper filled the air.â¦
⦠I see you, Mylesâ¦.
CHAPTER 11
RED ICE!
M yles tried to scream. He very, very badly wanted to call out to his mother and his little brother that they were in danger.
But he couldnât. His voice was gone. His throat was closing. He couldnât breathe. Myles squeezed his eyes tight and hugged himself as hard as he could.
⦠I see you, Myles.â¦
The monsterâs voice floated through the trees, and long, streaming, misty arms reached out toward him. Myles bit his tongue as tears welled up beneath his eyelids. Suddenly, somewhere, very, very far away, on a farm across the fields maybe, a dog barked. It made Myles feel slightly ⦠better. Like he wasnât completely alone in the world.
Youâre not real! Youâre not real! Leave my family alone! Please, please hurry up, Norman!
It was the bravest thing heâd ever done. Myles wanted, very badly, to run into the car and hide. But he couldnât leave his mother and little brother to face the thing following him, the monster of mist and fear, alone. He stood with his arms across his chest, rain slashing his face, his eyes screwed shut, trying not to scream. He wanted to be brave. But he was frozen to the spot. Another tree snapped â the misty monster was coming.â¦
âFinithed!â Normanâs sharp little voice called into the wind.
Myles had never moved so fast. He tore open the car door and jumped inside. His mother moved just as fast, strapping Norman into the car seat then shutting her own door. She was soaked, with rain dripping off her nose.
âWell,â she said breezily, âthat was an adventure!â Myles smiled weakly at her then peeked back at the woods. Misty grey arms disappeared behind the trees.
Then ⦠âICE!â Norman shrieked. The trees rocked back and forth. Norman saw it too!
âDRIVE!â Myles yelped.
His mother stepped on the gas pedal, and the car lurched back onto the dark road. The wipers shrieked across the windshield.
âRED! ICE!â Norman yelled from the back seat.
âFaster, Mom!â Myles was too scared to look out the window. There was a blur beside the car. Then â¦
⦠a deer raced onto the road, and for a moment all Myles could see was a white tail and hooves. Mylesâs mom slammed on the brakes, and everyone lurched forward.
Thank goodness for seatbelts , Myles thought.
âRED ICE!â Norman called out again, pointing out the front window. And Myles could see what he meant. Red eyes. The deerâs eyes were bright red in the headlight. Just like the fox, just like the chickens.
Just like the monster out there â¦
The buck turned to face them and lowered its head. Its huge antlers looked like ghostly arms reaching out to them. Myles gulped.
âOh, itâs so beautiful!â Bea said, yawning and stretching awake.
âHe is handsome, isnât he?â Mylesâs mother said. Myles couldnât believe his ears. They thought the deer was beautiful? It loomed out of the darkness. It had red eyes, even Norman said so. It had antlers that looked like arms. It almost ran into them.
Why couldnât they see how scary the deer was?
His mother honked the horn, which sounded ridiculous and tiny against the wail of the rain and the wind. The deer looked
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