Page 124

“Pull the cord, Paige!”

“I’m trying,” she shouted.

She gave it another yank, and the engine roared to life. A smile spread across her face, and she tugged on her glove before she gripped the handlebars and set the sled into motion.

The snowmobile skidded forward. Paige held tight to the handlebars as she flew backward, nearly toppling off the back.

“Have you ever driven one of these before?” Dewey shouted.

“No,” Paige called as she veered around, trying to turn the sled back toward their car.

“Wow, can’t tell.”

Paige shook her head as her cheeks burned already from the frosty air. “Shut up, Dewey.”

The yeti eyed them as they wound around on the sled.

“Look out! You’re going to hit him,” Dewey shouted.

Paige twisted the sled’s handlebars sharply, veering away from the monster as he swiped at them.

“Trees! Trees,” Dewey called.

“I see them,” she shouted as she wobbled the handlebars, trying to avoid them.

A tree branch smacked her in the face, dumping snow all over her. She shook it off, trying to wipe it from her eyes, which went wide as she spotted the object in front of her. They careened straight toward an enormous fir tree.

“Ah!” Paige shouted as she yanked the steering to avoid a collision.

“Whoa,” Dewey shouted as he wobbled on her back.

“Sorry, nearly wrecked. Close call.”

“Watch where you’re going. I’ve got our six. I’ll let you know if the… Oh crap!”

Paige weaved around another tree, pine needles scratching at her arm. “What? What crap?”

“He’s back! The yeti. He’s running toward us. Go faster. Faster!”

“I’m trying, but there are too many trees.”

“Go around them.”

“Yes, obviously,” she said, her lips difficult to move from the cold.

She sank her chin down into her coat and zigzagged around a few more trees, increasing her speed. The engine whined underneath her as she slid the skis from side to side.

“You’re losing him. Way to go, Paige!”

A grin crossed her almost-frozen lips, and she throttled higher, turning the handlebars sharply as the trees flew past them. “I think I’m getting the hang of th–“

She twisted the handlebars to miss another fir tree. The skis slid as they hit a bank of snow, and the snowmobile toppled, throwing them off.

They landed in a drift. Paige tried to push herself up, sinking deeper into the snow.

“Get up,” Dewey urged. “He’s coming.”

“I’m trying. The snow is super deep.”