1 Icebound

Frankenstein

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Chapter 1 Icebound In the treacherous waters close to the North Pole, explorer Captain Walton peered over the side of his ship. Only a thin channel of water separated it from the ice. "Drop the anchor," he ordered his crew. "It's too dangerous to continue... I hope conditions improve soon," he added, under his breath. He knew that if the ice kept thickening, it would crush the ship into matchsticks. Would he ever reach the Pole?

The captain gazed into the distance, wondering what mysteries lay ahead. Suddenly, he blinked. A dog sled had appeared on the horizon. "Where did that come from?" wondered Walton, staring. "And who is that driving it? He hardly even looks human!" The sled raced north over the ice and was lost to view. That night, the sailors were kept awake by eerie noises as ice creaked and rubbed against the ship. By dawn, they saw they were completely surrounded by icebergs -and one carried another dog sled. This time, the driver was definitely a human. But he was a pitiful sight, thin and nearly frozen, and most of his dogs were dead.

Walton and his crew helped the stranger on board and into a cabin, where they brought him warm blankets and hot soup. He was barely alive, but the next night, when he had recovered a little, he began to tell the captain his story. "My name," he said, "is Victor Frankenstein, and I have suffered greatly. It all began long ago, during my studies..." As darkness fell and the ice closed in, Captain Walton was held spellbound by Frankenstein's terrible tale...