“He’s saying this creature was never born,” Sally said, her tone anxious. “And if that’s the case, it might never have died. Watch, get away from it now. You’re making me nervous.”

It was a pity Watch didn’t take Sally’s advice. If he had, maybe he would have gotten away. Maybe they all would have. But there were many maybe-mysteries in Spooksville that were never solved. Watch didn’t listen and he didn’t get away.

Watch was poking at the palm when the hand came alive.

The fingers moved. They bent into a claw shape.

Watch dropped the hand and sat back.

But the cold man’s arm was long.

It reached out and grabbed Watch by the foot.

“It’s got me!” Watch cried as he tried to shake loose. “Help!”

They jumped to his side, crowding around the fire. Adam went down on his knees beside Watch’s foot and pried at the fingers with all his strength. But they were like marble and didn’t budge. The hand began to pull Watch toward the block of ice. Sally grabbed a stick and began to pound on it. Cindy kicked at it. Still, the cold arm continued to drag Watch in toward the block.

“Grab a stick out of the fire!” Watch shouted. “Press it to its skin!”

Unfortunately they all turned to follow Watch’s advice at once. Which was a shame because at that exact moment, when their backs were to the block of ice, it exploded. The shards of ice fell over them like debris from a blast. For a moment they didn’t even know what was happening.

But then they saw that the cold man had broken free.

It was standing straight up. Holding on to Watch.

The cold man opened its eyes and stared at them.

The eyes were blue, completely blue. There were no pupils, no eyelashes. They shone with a strange light that sent shivers down their backs. The creature had its arm around Watch’s neck. Clearly it had no intention of letting him go.

“Use the fire,” Watch rasped, shivering uncontrollably. “Try to force him to release me.”

“Maybe we could ask it to let you go,” Cindy cried. “Hey, you big Popsicle, let our friend go!”

In response the creature only stared at Cindy, and the strange blue light from its eyes seemed to envelope her. Cindy backed up and screamed.

“It’s freezing me!” she said.

Adam had seen enough. He had a burning stick in his hand. He rushed toward the creature, waving it in the air. The cold creature turned away from Cindy and retreated. But it continued to hold on to Watch, using him as a shield.

“Let him go or you burn!” Adam shouted. “Sally! Go around his back.”