9 HEADS UP!

CHAPTER 9 HEADS UP! The snow monster tossed up its head and— BAP! —spiked it like a volleyball, straight for Rip. The flying head stared at Rip with its one eye as it cannonballed through the night air. "Duck!" shouted Alexander, tackling Rip.

The flying head missed Rip. But not Leo. puff! Leo blinked, and sat up. "Where's the ghost?! Why's my face cold?! Where'd this carrot come from?!" Alexander and Rip looked back. The headless snowman had melted into a pile of slush. "Helloooooo?" called a voice. "It's almost lights-out! Back to your cabins, hedgehogs!" Leo stood up. "That's Ranger Harry!" "Yeah," said Alexander. "Our cabin is just over that hill, Leo. Why don't you run ahead? Rip and I will catch up."

"Cabins," said Leo. "Nice, safe cabins." He staggered up the hill. Rip brushed the slush off his shorts. "So I guess that dumb old snowman couldn't get around without its head, huh?" "It wasn't a snowman," said Alexander. He brought out the notebook and flipped through a few pages. "It's in here somewhere," he said. "Let's see... pool-shark, frog-gobbler... snombie!"

SNOMBIE snowman+zombie. HABITAT Forest. DIET snowflakes?

strange clinking noises seem to happen before a snowbie attack. BEHAVIOR These creatures roll along slowly, losing body parts as they move. They throw snowballs at anyone who across their paths. WARNING! You can stop a snombie by knocking off its head.

"Lucky for us, snombies are slow, dumb, and ugly!" said Rip. "We can handle an army of 'em." "I hope we don't have to," said Alexander. "I'm exhausted from dodging one snombie. Let's get back. We'll fill Nikki in at breakfast tomorrow." Suddenly, there were hundreds of clinks, close together, like someone angrily drumming their fingers on glass. Alexander looked at Rip. They both ran to their cabin. The clinks continued into the night.