14. Some Like It Hot

SOME LIKE IT HOT 14 Sam skated faster and faster. The horrible snow monster was right on his heels. Sam spotted the radiator. It loomed ahead of him. It was huge taller than he was, and it was old and rusty. He zoomed toward it! He turned his heels and slid to a sharp hockey stop. Ice sprayed the radiator, and the rusty metal sizzled.

Sam's mind raced as the storm bore down on him. I need to wait until the last moment to get out of the way, he thought. I need to trick this icy monster into slamming into the radiator. It's the only way to defeat the spinning tornado and release Lucy and Antonio! The radiator hissed and rumbled. Sam felt like his back was on fire. But he didn't move. The monstrous snowman swirled and spun toward him. Sam waited. Its eyes stared at him. But still, Sam waited.

Lucy and Antonio swirled in the air, spinning around and around. But still, Sam held his ground. The storm's face grinned at Sam— a grin full of icy fangs! The terrible storm was almost upon him. Then, at the very last second, Sam dove! He hit the floor beside the radiator with a loud WHOMP. He felt the ice and snow whoosh past him. A second later—

KA-BOOM!!! The horrible snow monster slammed into the radiator! The radiator cracked open from the force. Hot steam burst forth and mixed with the ice and snow. A misty cloud filled the hallway. It was so thick that Sam could barely see anything.

Then— PLOP! THUMP! Lucy and Antonio crashed to the floor beside Sam. The mist began to disappear. Then a sound came from deep within the school... Sam knew it was the pained howling of Orson Eerie. Sam knew he had put a stop to Orson's evil plan.