drawstrings of my
parka hood tight. I adjusted my fur-lined gloves and waited for my eyes to
adjust to the white glare of the snow.
Which way should I walk? I wondered.
I had already seen the school, the general store, a small church, and the
post office down the road. So I decided to head up the road, toward the
mountaintop.
The snow was hard and crusty. My boots hardly made a dent in it as I leaned
into the wind and started to walk. Tire tracks cut twin ruts down the middle of
the road. I decided to walk in one of them.
I passed a couple of houses about the same size as ours. They both appeared
dark and empty. A tall, stone house had a Jeep parked in the driveway.
I saw a kid’s sled in the front yard. An old-fashioned wooden sled. A
yellow-eyed, black cat stared out at me from the living-room window.
I waved a gloved hand at it. It didn’t move.
I still hadn’t seen any other humans.
The wind whistled and grew colder as I climbed. The road grew steeper as it
curved up. The houses were set farther apart.
The snow sparkled as clouds rolled away from the sun. It was suddenly so
beautiful! I turned and gazed down at the houses I had passed, little
gingerbread houses nestled in the snow.
It’s so pretty, I thought. Maybe I will get to like it here.
“Ohh!” I cried out as I felt icy fingers wrap themselves around my neck.
3
I spun around and pulled free of the frozen grip.
And stared at a grinning boy in a brown sheepskin jacket and a red-and-green
wool ski cap. “Did I scare you?” he asked. His grin grew wider.
Before I could answer, a girl about my age stepped out from behind a broad
evergreen bush. She wore a purple down coat and purple gloves.
“Don’t mind Eli,” she said, tossing her hair off her face. “He’s a total
creep.”
“Thanks for the compliment,” Eli grinned.
I decided they must be brother and sister. They both had round faces,
straight black hair, and bright, sky-blue eyes.
“You’re new,” Eli said, squinting at me.
“Eli thinks it’s funny to scare any new kids,” his sister told me, rolling
her eyes. “My little brother is a riot, isn’t he?”
“Being scared is about all there is to do in Sherpia,” Eli said. His grin
faded.
What a weird thing to say, I thought.
I introduced myself. “I’m Jaclyn DeForest,” I told them. Their names were
Rolonda and Eli Browning.
“We live there,” Eli said, pointing to the white house. “Where do you live?”
I pointed down the road. “Farther down,” I replied. I started to ask them
something—but stopped when I saw the snowman they were building.
It had one arm out and one arm up. It had a red scarf wrapped under its head.
And it had a deep scar cut down the right side of its face.
“That s-snowman—” I stammered. “It looks just like one I saw across the
street from me.”
Rolonda’s smile faded. Eli lowered his eyes to the snow. “Really?” he
muttered.
“Why did you make it like that?” I demanded. “It’s so strange looking. Why
did you put that scar on its face?”
They glanced at each other tensely.
They didn’t reply.
Finally, Rolonda shrugged. “I really don’t know,” she murmured. She blushed.
Was she lying? Why didn’t she want to answer me?
“Where are you walking?” Eli asked, tightening the snowman’s red scarf.
“Just walking,” I told him. “Do you guys want to come with me? I thought I’d walk up to the top of the mountain.”
“No!” Eli gasped. His blue eyes widened in fear.
“You can’t !” Rolonda cried. “You can’t !”
4
“Excuse me?”
I gaped at them in shock. What was their problem ?
“Why can’t I go up to the top?” I demanded.
The fear faded quickly from their faces. Rolonda tossed back her black hair.
Eli pretended to be busy with the red snowman scarf.
“You can’t go because it’s closed for repairs,” Eli finally replied.
“Ha ha. Remind me to laugh later,” Rolonda
parka hood tight. I adjusted my fur-lined gloves and waited for my eyes to
adjust to the white glare of the snow.
Which way should I walk? I wondered.
I had already seen the school, the general store, a small church, and the
post office down the road. So I decided to head up the road, toward the
mountaintop.
The snow was hard and crusty. My boots hardly made a dent in it as I leaned
into the wind and started to walk. Tire tracks cut twin ruts down the middle of
the road. I decided to walk in one of them.
I passed a couple of houses about the same size as ours. They both appeared
dark and empty. A tall, stone house had a Jeep parked in the driveway.
I saw a kid’s sled in the front yard. An old-fashioned wooden sled. A
yellow-eyed, black cat stared out at me from the living-room window.
I waved a gloved hand at it. It didn’t move.
I still hadn’t seen any other humans.
The wind whistled and grew colder as I climbed. The road grew steeper as it
curved up. The houses were set farther apart.
The snow sparkled as clouds rolled away from the sun. It was suddenly so
beautiful! I turned and gazed down at the houses I had passed, little
gingerbread houses nestled in the snow.
It’s so pretty, I thought. Maybe I will get to like it here.
“Ohh!” I cried out as I felt icy fingers wrap themselves around my neck.
3
I spun around and pulled free of the frozen grip.
And stared at a grinning boy in a brown sheepskin jacket and a red-and-green
wool ski cap. “Did I scare you?” he asked. His grin grew wider.
Before I could answer, a girl about my age stepped out from behind a broad
evergreen bush. She wore a purple down coat and purple gloves.
“Don’t mind Eli,” she said, tossing her hair off her face. “He’s a total
creep.”
“Thanks for the compliment,” Eli grinned.
I decided they must be brother and sister. They both had round faces,
straight black hair, and bright, sky-blue eyes.
“You’re new,” Eli said, squinting at me.
“Eli thinks it’s funny to scare any new kids,” his sister told me, rolling
her eyes. “My little brother is a riot, isn’t he?”
“Being scared is about all there is to do in Sherpia,” Eli said. His grin
faded.
What a weird thing to say, I thought.
I introduced myself. “I’m Jaclyn DeForest,” I told them. Their names were
Rolonda and Eli Browning.
“We live there,” Eli said, pointing to the white house. “Where do you live?”
I pointed down the road. “Farther down,” I replied. I started to ask them
something—but stopped when I saw the snowman they were building.
It had one arm out and one arm up. It had a red scarf wrapped under its head.
And it had a deep scar cut down the right side of its face.
“That s-snowman—” I stammered. “It looks just like one I saw across the
street from me.”
Rolonda’s smile faded. Eli lowered his eyes to the snow. “Really?” he
muttered.
“Why did you make it like that?” I demanded. “It’s so strange looking. Why
did you put that scar on its face?”
They glanced at each other tensely.
They didn’t reply.
Finally, Rolonda shrugged. “I really don’t know,” she murmured. She blushed.
Was she lying? Why didn’t she want to answer me?
“Where are you walking?” Eli asked, tightening the snowman’s red scarf.
“Just walking,” I told him. “Do you guys want to come with me? I thought I’d walk up to the top of the mountain.”
“No!” Eli gasped. His blue eyes widened in fear.
“You can’t !” Rolonda cried. “You can’t !”
4
“Excuse me?”
I gaped at them in shock. What was their problem ?
“Why can’t I go up to the top?” I demanded.
The fear faded quickly from their faces. Rolonda tossed back her black hair.
Eli pretended to be busy with the red snowman scarf.
“You can’t go because it’s closed for repairs,” Eli finally replied.
“Ha ha. Remind me to laugh later,” Rolonda
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