10. On the Ice

ON THIN ICE 10 Sam pulled his ice skates out of his backpack and slipped his feet inside. "It's simple! I'll skate down the hall," Sam said, "and I'll pull you guys behind me!" "What?!" Antonio exclaimed. "How are you going to pull us?" Sam whipped his orange hall monitor sash out of his backpack. "With this!"

Lucy and Antonio frowned nervously. But there was no time to argue. Sam laced up his skates. Then Lucy and Antonio tied the sash to Sam's backpack. Lucy glanced back at the thermostat. "Only four degrees to go until Orson shows up!" she said. "Then I'd better skate fast!" Sam said. He flung the door open. Lucy and Antonio each stood upright behind Sam, with their sneakers flat on the ice. They gripped the sash.

"Hold on tight!" Sam yelled. Then he skated out into the hall as hard and fast as he could, pulling them. Sam worked up speed, and soon the three friends were zooming down the halls. Lucy and Antonio's heels skimmed along the ice's surface. The storm blew in through the open windows. Wind howled and snow swirled around Sam as he skated. Huge snow piles had formed along the sides of the halls. Sam kept his head down, skating as fast as he could.

Antonio shouted as he glanced at the floor. "Um, Sam! Those snow piles look alive!" "Antonio's right!" Lucy cried. "Watch out!" Horrifying snow arms grew from the piles. Long, frosty fingers reached for Sam. Sam skated faster, steering into the center of the hall. Antonio and Lucy swung wildly as the monstrous hands clawed at them.

Finally, Antonio shouted, "I can see our classroom!" "When I slow down, grab the doorway!" Sam called out. He turned his heels and skidded to a stop. Lucy and Antonio reached out, grabbed the door frame, and— KA-POW! The three friends crashed into each other and tumbled to the floor. But they had made it. Together, they crawled across the ice, into their classroom: the room that held the secret switch that could stop Orson Eerie...