Looking for a story to tell or read out loud to your kids? Enjoy free short story from children's book Mysterious Chills and Thrills, by Laura Hickey. Enjoy!

Don't Go In

Have you watched a scary movie and then gone to bed right after? Your mind scrambles with ideas about different movie endings or parts of movie you really liked? What happens when you go to bed and end up waking up in a world you've never been to? A world where you no longer exist and you have to find your way out by overcoming obstacles...would you be able to handle it?

"Let's go play in woods," said Tina.

"I don’t know, last time we did, mother was mad," replied Shawn.

"Don’t be such a baby, Shawn! All we’re going to do is check out old farm house... who knows, maybe tools will come alive to get you... ha ha!" Tina said in a mocking voice.

"Stop it, stop it right now!" screamed Shawn.

"Hold your horses," laughed Tina.

"I’m going to tell Mom," snickered Shawn.

"If you do, I’ll just lie, and tell Mom who really broke dish," grinned Tina. "So you might as well just come into woods," Tina proudly said.

"Fine!" pouted Shawn.

They started creeping into woods. Owls hooted, trees shook in wind, giving appearance of trees trying to reach out and grab children. They slowly approached old farmhouse. The sky slightly darkened, as a sign to be aware of something deadly. The branches brushed up against windows, making children’s hearts pump faster. An eagle above them screamed, which shot chills up both of their spines. Their stomachs caught in their throats, causing their screams to be choked up. Tina looked over at her brother; her jaw was dropping.

Shawn decided to take over as leader and opened door to farmhouse.

"Wait!" yelled Tina.

"Why?" Shawn asked wide eyed.

"Maybe it’s not such a good idea to go in," squeaked Tina.

"Look who’s baby now!" teased Shawn. With that, he took a look once more at his sister and went inside. A roar of thunder boomed and scared Tina, throwing her to muddy, murky ground. Two seconds later, Tina heard Shawn screaming. "Help me, please don’t let it hurt me!" Tina got to her feet and ran into farmhouse as quickly as her feet could take her. What she saw made her heart skip a beat. She looked up at a horrifying creature that felt like it had pierced her heart with a hot dagger. Shawn had a rope around his neck and there was no doubt in Tina’s mind that this hideous creature was going to hurt her brother.

She could feel her body turning cold, and she began feeling dizzy. The creature’s teeth were clinched in a smile, while his greasy hands held rope tightly. Tina couldn’t bare to watch. She quickly turned around and screamed...

"I’m sorry Shawn! I’m sorry for all teasing I ever did to you!" She started running faster and faster out of farmhouse and through woods. Tears were now streaming down her cheeks. The sound of her heart was pulsing in her eardrums as she breathed heavily. She finally reached her house and went in to find her mother.

A lady, with an apron tied around her, was cooking in kitchen. "Mom, something’s happened to Shawn. We have to save him!" she exclaimed.

I don’t have one, yet. My first taste of it came when my girlfriend got one, and asked if I would set it up for her using my computer. Wearing those now immediately recognizable hip cream coloured headphones, I could feel eyes of every have-not-an-iPod on me with curiosity and maybe a little jealousy. I even started walking differently. Listening to Led Zeppelin, then Radiohead, and then some Bob Marley on my way to school, there was definitely more spring in my step, and I sat through class in a much better mood than usual. For a mere two days it was in my possession and immediately I could feel myself being sucked into its cult.

And why wouldn’t you? An iPod lets you put 10,000 songs inside something size of a pack of cigarettes. Gone are heavy, fragile CD cases and Discman that skips after each step.