Kory Merritt is a former public school art teacher from western New York who enjoys reading weird stories, looking for strange wildlife, and drawing creepy monsters. In addition to teaching, Kory previously worked as an illustrator for the online game franchise Poptropica and its spin-off book series.
www.korymerritt.com, Facebook: @korymerrittauthor, Twitter and Instagram: @koryjmerritt

Caitlin Kelly, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, is a seasoned voice-over artist with experience in Japan and the United States. She has a BFA in drama and studied musical theater at the Collaborative Arts Project 21, an off-Broadway theater company and musical theater training conservatory. She got started in voice-over work in 2009 while living in Japan where she toured with Disney's World of English and World Family Club as a performer and a puppeteer.

Chapter 2

Kat stopped recording and pocketed her phone. “Want to come to my house tonight? We can edit the footage we shot.”
      “Not tonight,” said Levi. “It’s a school night.”
      “So? It’s the last couple days before spring break. Those hardly count as school days.”
      “Doesn’t feel like spring,” said Twila as she kicked at a slushy snow clump.
      “I’m sure it’ll warm up soon,” said Levi, “and all these weird snowmen will melt.”
      “What do you guys really think about the snowmen?” asked Twila. “Do you think they’re at all connected to”—her voice dropped to a whisper—“. . . the Boojum?”
      Levi’s forehead creased with worry lines. “The Boojum is gone. We beat it. And no other kids have disappeared since then.”
      “We don’t know that for sure,” said Kat. “It can erase people’s memories. For all we know, it could still be hiding somewhere, stealing kids away, and it’s like they never existed.”
      “Right,” agreed Levi reluctantly. “Gotta be careful. But I bet these snowmen are just a prank.” He gave Kat a sideways look. “You swear you didn’t—”
      “I told you, it wasn’t me!” snapped Kat. “There’s no way I could build all these snowmen in one night!” She patted her phone. “That’s why this documentary is going to be so important. Everyone needs to see that something is haunting Cowslip Grove.”
      “Maybe we should ask Willow about the snowmen,” said Twila.
      “Tomorrow’s the day I volunteer at the wildlife clinic,” said Levi. “I’ll ask Willow when I see her then.”
      “Can I come with you?” asked Twila. “I was telling a kid in my class about the animals at the clinic, and he wants to see them.”
      Levi shook his head. “We can’t let strangers know about Willow.”
      Twila folded her arms. “So she’s just going to stay in hiding forever?”
      “Look, we can debate this later,” said Levi. “Right now we’d better get home. The sun’s setting.”
      “Wow,” said Kat. “Big brother bossy man!”
      Levi ignored this. “Come on, Twila.”
      Twila was staring at the nearest snowman.
      “Twila!”
      Twila pulled her gaze away from the snowman and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I just thought, for a second . . . Ah, forget it.”
      “What?”
      “Nothing. Just . . . I don’t know. I could have sworn that snowman was facing the other way.”