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Shattering the surface, she gulped air so cold it torched her throat Eli was nowhere in sight Neither were the dogs No They were just here "M-Mina?" she coughed "Eli?"

To her right, Mina’s head suddenly popped up like a float freed fro, Mina turned frantic circles, looking for a place to go

The raft Furiously treading water, Ellie twisted, trying to get a fix on where she was Got to find the raft, so onto, and Eli, where’s--

To her left ca and spitting A surge of relief: Eli He’d knohat to do He was stronger than her But he’s hurt, he’s hurt, he was bleedingNo, Eli was fine, he couldn’t die, he’d be okay; they’d get out of this and she’d never, ever , she croaked, "Eli, are you--"

A punch of panic stole her breath Instead of Eli, it was the peopleeater, hair strea white with cold, and only feet away No! Stifling a screa that not even a hungry people-eater would be crazy enough to go after her now For the moment, he only seeive her ti in the turbulence To her dised by the current, propelled by the chop and churn

Maybe the ice shelf ? No, no good The people-eaters were there So as her choice? To tread water and hope help would co would it take her to freeze to death, or drown? I’ at all then Ellie turned a wild half-circle, looking for sorab, keep herself afloat And where’s Roc, where’s Eli? They ht now! No, no! She squeezed her eyes tight against the i shivery bubbles boiling fro as blood set them, I should dive, I should try! He would do it for her

"I can’t, I can’t" Her voice was squeaky and thin as a little mouse’s

mo ns ters She kne to swim okay--dead man’s float, sidestroke, a floppy kind of crahere she always got water up her nose--but she wasn’t great in the water The cold blasted her face, leeched ahat little wars were so heavy Her boots had instantly filled ater, and her parka was bloated Treading water noas like trying to run in concrete Eli, Eli, I’ain, she spotted the ice shelf, a jagged white irl in the green scarf, but Lena was gone She had to try If she could battle her way to the stable shelf, sheshe could do either, she didn’t know, but anything was better than just drowning

She flopped in an aard, spastic splash that only sucked ers, inky and long, wrapped around her ankles and tugged, trying to pull her under, kill her Everything hurt Her hands, her feet, her face were throbbing The cold hacked her skin, and she was shuddering all over Without , her head si second, she kept on sinking Her body didn’t seem to understand she was underwater Then, it was as if so deep inside, as left of her, woke up Frantic, she clawed to the surface, spluttered, coughed out one

No Not even a brain yelp, though No energy And where was the people-eater? Everything was starting to get black"N-nuh Muh-paddled, her head cranked so far back she stared at blue sky blushing orange and red, the end co on There was a small huh as Mina resurfaced, but barely, only her snout showing and two terrified eyes

A slap of water swamped her chin A wave broke around her head and rolled past Another hard splash, closer Behind Twisting, she saw the people-eater crashing across the lake, heading for her

"N-n-nuh" Dredging up a last burst of strength, she sith both arhts as tiny and shivery as soap bubbles: What’s he doing, is he crazy? The people-eater’s splashing was closer, harder, wilder Risking a peek, she let out a gaspy, gargly screa A sudden, horrible thought blasted her brain: he would drown her Drown her, tow her body back, and then eat--