9 SNOW FOOLIN

CHAPTER 9 SNOW FOOLIN' Alexander kept an eye out for monsters as he rode to school the next morning. He parked his bike, and glanced back at the hedge where he had seen the goon yesterday. RUSTE RUSTLE! Something moved! Alexander ran over. He dropped to his hands and knees, and peered into the hedge. Just some rocks, a paper cup, and a broken stick. RUSTLE! The stick wiggled. Alexander gasped. That was no ordinary stick it was an arm! The arm of a snombie!

SNOMBIE Throws kid-freezing snowballs RUSTLE-RUSTLE-CRUNCH! A giant snombie rose from the hedge. We melted the snombies last summer, thought Alexander. I know we did! This must be the work of the violet fungus! He squinted looking for tiny purple mushrooms on the snombie's head. But there were none. Alexander braced himself for the icy SPLAT of a snowball.

But instead of walloping Alexander, the big snombie rolled behind the building. Alexander was no longer afraid. He was angry. "Get back here, snombie!" he shouted. CLACK! The back door swung shut. The monster must have run inside! thought Alexander. Alexander ran through the door, into a dark hallway. There was an elevator at the end of the hall, and its doors were closing. The snombie stood inside. "Stop!" Alexander shouted. He dashed to the elevator. He stuck his arm through the doors, touching the snombie's belly. He expected his hand to freeze from the cold. But instead, the snombie felt warm and smooshy.

"Gross!" Alexander shouted, jumping back. The elevator doors slid closed. The indicator on the wall showed the elevator going up to the ninth floor. My classroom's up there! he thought. My friends could be in danger! Alexander hit the UP button. What kind of monster is warm and smooshy? he thought. He flipped through the notebook while he waited for the elevator.

MEANBAG comfy seat that likes to eat. DIET You! BEHAVIOR Meanbags don't mind being sat on, as long as you're watching cartoons.

KICK- KICK! Tiny meanbags are called attacky-hacky-sacks. HABITAT In front of the TV. WARNING! These guys hate commercials! As soon as an ad comes on: CHOMP-CHOMP-GULP!