The Mountainous Surprise

• Emilio Matanguihan, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2020

I stared at the seemingly endless staircase, wondering if a civilization lay ahead. I imagined my fame spreading across the globe. The steps seemed steep and intimidating, though. I shivered in fright. I took a cautious step forward on the icy staircase, then continued.
'Don't look down,' I reminded myself as I trudged on. Each stair felt steeper, and the landscape became more mountainous. All around me, rocky cliffs closed around me. There were occasional dead trees, their branches like sharp claws. It had lightly started snowing, and I kept gasping for air. The steps looked rock-hard and glossy. Suddenly, I heard a deafening THUMP! My eyes darted pointedly in every direction.
Nothing.
I kept tramping up the slippery stairs, panting. THUMP! There it was again. I sharply swung my head around.
Nothing.
I kept stumbling and wobbling up the steps. A second later, I heard a raucous growl behind me and I felt my waist being roughly grasped. I glanced down. A hairy hand had seized my waist and was now pulling me up higher and higher. Another bellow came from behind and I swiveled my head.
I gasped in shock. He appeared humanoid, but he looked grotesque. White hairs covered his face apart from his eyes and his mouth. He had sickly blue skin. His blue eyes pierced mine. I stared back with hatred. He smelt like rotten blue cheese. He smiled with yellow, abnormal teeth at me. Abruptly, the vile Yeti unintentionally dropped me, and I fell and hit the ground with a sickening CRACK!
My wrist burned with agony as I sprinted down the steps with no good grip. Bigfoot, growling in rage, lumbered awkwardly towards me. Every step of the snowman felt like an earthquake.
He was mere feet away. I quaked in fear. Unexpectedly, my legs gave away, and I tumbled down the stairs. CRACK! It seemed like every bone in my body was breaking. I wasn't gaining speed, and everything blurred.
Abruptly, I felt myself flying...flying? I looked at my waist and his hand was there. The hideous Yeti brought me closer to its face. He opened his mouth wide, and I imagined being in his slimy intestine...
Bullets started whizzing past my ear and hit its target. The ear. The white snowman tethered and, without warning, started to collapse down to earth. The last thing I remembered was falling to the harsh ground...

I woke, dazed. My vision was blurred and my body ached with pain.
I blinked. I recognized a familiar face. I tried to reach out to him, but my arm felt like it had a hot pincer on it.
I blinked again. White hairs smothered the abnormal face.
I blinked again. The yeti's face grinned at me. He'd survived. I screamed like a stuck pig. Abruptly, I heard an English voice, but it sounded unnatural.
"Me want to play with you."
I stared at the yeti.
"Me want to play with you," he replied with a smile.