By the time Spencer awoke, deep snow had drifted against the windows. He rolled out of bed and stumbled to the kitchen. He made a cup of hot chocolate, then went out onto the deck of the cabin.
Quiet out here.
Spencer drew a deep breath. He liked the snow. And the quiet it brought.
If only I had someone to share it with, he thought. Someone like Diane.
He glanced toward the window of her room. Maybe she would get up before the others. Maybe she would join him.
“Hey, Spence!” He turned to see Cassie, wearing neon-blue ski pants and a bright blue jacket.
Diane followed her out onto the deck. Her long, blond hair was woven in a braid. She yanked a blue knit cap low over her forehead and flashed Spencer a smile. His heart surged.
He remembered how it felt to kiss her. But then he thought of Lenny’s punch.
Spencer touched his mouth. Still sore.
“We’re going out to play in the snow,” Diane said brightly. “Lenny and Jordan are getting ready now. Come with us, Spencer?”
“Let me grab my coat,” he answered. He followed the girls through the cabin and outside.
Cassie turned a circle in the deep snow and fell backwards. She swished her arms up and down.
“What are you doing?” Spencer called.
“Making a snow angel, of course!” she cried.
Diane grabbed Spencer’s hand and pulled him down into the snow. They sprawled there giggling and making angels until Lenny and Jordan showed up.
Spencer glanced up at them. The expression on Lenny’s face frightened him. He hasn’t forgiven me for kissing Diane, Spencer realized.
“Look at that, Len,” Jordan said. “Spencer’s moving in on our girlfriends.”
“Hey—he’s a lot more fun than you!” Cassie teased.
Lenny snorted in reply. “Then you can be on Spencer’s side,” he snapped.
“What do you mean?” Diane asked.
“A snowball war!” Lenny declared. “Jordan and me against you, Cassie, and Spencer.”
Diane giggled. “Okay, you’re on.” She held out her hands for Lenny to help her up. Diane pulled away and kicked through the snow. “Come on, guys!” she yelled.
Laughing, Cassie ran after her. Spencer followed slowly. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Lenny had something nasty planned. More than just a snowball fight.
The girls started the battle. They launched a couple of snowballs at Lenny’s head. He ducked.
Cassie squealed. Jordan pelted her, and she fell back into the snow.
Spencer saw Lenny glaring at him.
I hate that guy. I can’t believe he came to my uncle’s cabin when I didn’t even invite him, Spencer thought bitterly.
Diane and Cassie tossed handfuls of snow. Spencer bent down and began packing his own snowballs—extra hard. Then he melted them with his hand to form a layer of ice.
He waited until Lenny turned away. Then he picked up an iceball and pitched it at Lenny with all his strength. It sped through the cold, clear air.
Spencer watched in horror as it whizzed past Lenny—and smacked Jordan on the side of the head.
Jordan uttered a cry and went down as if he had been hit with a hammer.
Before Jordan could get up, Spencer grabbed another iceball and hurled it at Lenny. Direct hit. It slammed Lenny in the mouth. He yelped and reached for his face.
Spencer smiled grimly. That’s for punching me last night, he thought.
Spencer saw a thin trickle of blood at the corner of Lenny’s mouth. Lenny wiped it with his glove. Drops of blood stained the white snow.
Lenny yanked Jordan to his feet and pointed at Spencer. Jordan rubbed his head.
Lenny and Jordan stalked angrily toward Spencer.
Spencer felt the bitter taste of fear rise up in his throat.
Diane stopped throwing snowballs. “What are you guys doing?” she cried.
“Spencer is using iceballs,” Lenny growled.
Both girls stared at Spencer. “Why?” Diane demanded.
Spencer couldn’t meet her eyes. He shrugged. “I didn’t mean to. Maybe they froze.”
Lenny and Jordan stopped on either side of Spencer. “Maybe they froze?” Lenny repeated. “Give it up! You made them hard as a rock.”
Spencer felt his heart pounding. What was I thinking? he wondered. He was no match for Lenny—and definitely not for both Lenny and Jordan.
He tried to sound tough. But his voice shook anyway. “It’s only a dumb snowball fight. Why don’t you just chill, Lenny?”
Lenny snorted. “Why don’t you?”
He jumped forward. Jordan moved at the same time. They shoved him headfirst into a deep snowdrift.
“Let’s bury him!” Jordan yelled.
“Excellent!” Lenny cried, laughing.
Get away! instructed a voice in Spencer’s head. Crawl away from them!
He struggled to move. Tried to wipe the snow from his eyes.
But Lenny held his arms. Then sat on his legs.
Spencer yanked one arm loose. But snow filled his eyes and his mouth.
White all around now. Frozen white.
Which way? Spencer thought frantically. Which direction is up? He clawed blindly at the snow.
But it felt so heavy on his arms. Heavy on his back.
He felt them pile more snow on top of him. Felt its weight crush him down. Down. Even deeper into the white.
He gasped for air. But with every effort at breathing, he took in a mouthful of snow.
Drowning, he thought. I’m drowning in snow.
From far away he heard Diane and Cassie laughing.
Lenny and Jordan chanted, “Bury him! Bury him!”
“Please stop,” Spencer pleaded. But the snow filled his mouth. His tongue felt frozen. Numb. He gagged, his mouth stuffed with icy snow.
“Lenny!” Spencer heard Diane’s voice. “Stop. He’ll freeze!”
Lenny’s laughter sounded miles away. “It’s just a joke!”
Just a joke. The words echoed in Spencer’s head. A joke.
The icy cold penetrated his clothes and boots. He had no feeling in his hands. His arms. His feet and legs.
So dark inside the snowdrift. So quiet.
The weight of the snow pressed down. Crushing him.
Paralyzing him.
Voices came from a long way off. Laughing. Chanting.
“Bury him! Bury him!”
Alive.
Spencer pushed against the packed snow. Pushed against the frozen walls. Pushed with everything he had.
His muscles strained.
He remained packed in the snow.
Frozen.
Panic filled him. What could he do? How could he tell them he was freezing?
Calm down, he told himself. Stay calm.
Diane would get him out. She wouldn’t let Lenny hurt him.
Voices. Muffled words. Spencer tried to concentrate on the sounds. They seemed so far away.
Pain shot up his right leg. He fought to move.
Tired. Too tired to try again.
Time passed. How long? He wasn’t sure.
He heard Lenny’s voice. Louder than before. “Race you home, Spencer!” Lenny called.
“We can’t leave him here.” Diane’s voice. “He’ll freeze.”
“He’s okay,” Jordan said. “He’s just angry … wants us to think he can’t get out.”
Spencer strained to hear the voices. I can’t move! he wanted to scream. Help me! Somebody, please!
I can’t get out!
“Let’s head back to Shadyside.” Lenny’s voice again.
“We can’t leave Spencer.” Diane arguing with him.
“He has a car. He can get back on his own.” Whose voice was that? He felt confused. Who was talking?
The voices faded away.
Silence.
Spencer wondered if he had fallen asleep. He felt so tired now. So sleepy.
He heard a car start.
The sound made Spencer alert.
Jordan’s Jeep! They started up the Jeep!
Terror warmed Spencer. He pushed against the snow with everything he had. He opened his mouth to scream, but it filled with more snow. The only thing that could scream now were his thoughts.
They couldn’t drive away! They couldn’t leave him here. Buried in the snow.
Buried alive.
Come back, he wailed silently.
I can’t move. I can’t breathe.
I’m so cold.
Diane, please. You’re not going to leave me here to die.
You’re not going to leave me.