Beware, the Snowman Read Online Free PDF

gripping it
tightly in both hands, squeezing it.
    And I listened.
    Silence now.
    “Who are you?” My cry so tiny and shrill.
    Silence.
    “Who are you?”
    Silence…
    I don’t know how long I sat there, waiting for a reply. But after a while, I somehow drifted off to sleep.
     
    The next morning I told Aunt Greta about the whispered warning.
    She sipped her coffee before replying. Then she reached across the table and
squeezed my hand. “I had bad dreams, too, last night,” she said, still
whispering because of her sore throat.
    “Dream?” I replied. “Do you think it was a dream?”
    Aunt Greta nodded and took another long sip of coffee. “Of course,” she
croaked.
    I spent the day helping my aunt unpack the cartons and arrange our new house.
I searched every carton for the poetry book, but I couldn’t find it. I didn’t
realize how much stuff we had brought from our apartment in Chicago. Such a
small house. It was a real struggle to find a place for everything.
    As we worked, I found myself thinking about Rolonda. She had promised to meet
me at the little village church after dinner. She said she would tell me the
truth about the snowman tonight.
    The truth…
    I pictured her brother Eli’s frightened expression as he stood in the snowy
driveway, watching Rolonda and me. And I remembered how frightened they became
when I told them I was walking to the mountaintop.
    So much fear here in this village. Was it all because of silly superstitions?
    After I washed and dried the dinner dishes, I pulled on my parka and my boots
and prepared to meet Rolonda. I told Aunt Greta the truth. I told her I was
meeting a village girl my age I’d met during my walk.
    “It’s snowing really hard,” Aunt Greta said in her raspy whisper. “Don’t stay
out late, Jaclyn.”
    I promised I’d be home before nine. Then I pulled up my hood, tugged on my
gloves, and stepped outside.
    Does it snow here every day? I asked myself, shaking my head.
    I’ve always liked snow. But enough already!
    The snow came down hard, in sheets driven by a strong wind. I lowered my head
and trudged down the road toward the church. Snowflakes blew into my face and
stung my eyes. I could barely see.
    What a blizzard!
    I wondered if Rolonda would show up.
    The little stone church stood across from the post office. It wasn’t far down
the road from my house. But walking into the blowing snow, it seemed miles away.
    Keeping my head down, I stepped into a deep drift. Cold snow dropped into my
boot, soaking my sock. “Ohhh.” I let out a shuddering groan. “I’m going to freeze !” I cried out loud.
    There was no one around to hear me. The road stood empty. Nothing moved. I
passed a brightly-lit house, but I couldn’t see anyone inside.
    The snow blew against my face, my coat, as if trying to push me back. As if
trying to make me turn around.
    “This is crazy,” I murmured. “Crazy. No way Rolonda will meet me
tonight.”
    Squinting into the gray evening light, I saw the steeple of the church, white
against the falling snow. “I hope it’s open,” I said out loud.
    Ducking my head, I ran across the road—and thudded into something hard. And
very cold.
    Evil black eyes glared into mine.
    And I started to scream.

 
 
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    A second later, hands jerked me away.
    And a voice cried, “Jaclyn—what’s wrong?”
    My scream caught in my throat. I stumbled back, my boots slipping in the
slick, wet snow.
    I turned to see Rolonda, tugging on my coat sleeve. “I saw you run right into
that snowman,” she said. “But why did you scream?”
    “I—I—” I sputtered. I squinted through the falling snow at the snowman, at
his dark eyes, at the scar down his round face. “I—I just freaked,” I
stammered.
    I scolded myself for acting so stupid. Now Rolonda must think I’m a real
jerk, I thought unhappily.
    What is wrong with me, anyway? Screaming because I bumped into a snowman!
    “Why did someone build a snowman like that