Looking for a captivating story to share with your children? Dive into this thrilling excerpt from Laura Hickey's children's book, Mysterious Chills and Thrills. Enjoy the suspense and excitement as you read this short story aloud to your kids!
Have you ever watched a scary movie and then tried to sleep right after? Your mind races with alternate endings and memorable scenes. But what if you woke up in a world you've never seen before, where you no longer exist, and the only way out is to overcome terrifying obstacles? Could you handle it?
"Let's go play in the woods," suggested Tina.
"I don’t know, last time we did, Mom was really mad," replied Shawn.
"Don’t be such a baby, Shawn! All we’re going to do is check out the old farmhouse... who knows, maybe the tools will come alive to get you... ha ha!" Tina teased.
"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 the dish," grinned Tina. "So you might as well just come into the woods," Tina said proudly.
"Fine!" pouted Shawn.
They started creeping into the woods. Owls hooted, and trees shook in the wind, giving the appearance of the trees trying to reach out and grab the children. They slowly approached the old farmhouse. The sky darkened slightly, signaling something ominous. The branches brushed against the windows, making the children’s hearts race. An eagle above them screamed, sending chills down their spines. Their stomachs tightened, choking their screams. Tina looked over at her brother; her jaw dropped.
Shawn decided to take the lead and opened the door to the 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 the baby now!" teased Shawn. With that, he glanced once more at his sister and went inside. A roar of thunder boomed, scaring Tina and throwing her to the 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 the farmhouse as quickly as she could. 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 began feeling dizzy. The creature’s teeth were clenched in a smile, while its greasy hands held the rope tightly. Tina couldn’t bear to watch. She quickly turned around and screamed...
"I’m sorry, Shawn! I’m sorry for all the teasing I ever did to you!" She started running faster and faster out of the farmhouse and through the woods. Tears streamed down her cheeks. The sound of her heart pulsed 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 the kitchen. "Mom, something’s happened to Shawn. We have to save him!" she exclaimed.
"Mom? Shawn? Who are you?" asked the lady.
"What? What do you mean, who am I... I’m your daughter!"
"I’m not your mother. I don’t even have children," Tina quickly ran up to her room and closed her eyes once she landed on her bed.
This isn’t happening, Tina thought to herself. There has to be a reasonable explanation for all of this. She closed her eyes. The words ‘go back’ appeared in front of the dark space of her eyelids. She quickly fluttered her eyes open and bolted up from lying down. She ran out of her room and rushed down the stairs. The woman who was her mother before looked blankly at her. Once she was outside, she could hear the mushy, misty grass squish underneath her shoes. The air was cooler now and braced her face with every step she took. She wasn’t sure why she was rushing back...she didn’t know what she was going to do when she got there. It felt like a force was behind her, giving her that extra step to continue going. She kept looking at the ground as she ran, she knew she was going to have to look up. She could feel the strange calm beginning to take over. The air was colder, the sky was even darker, she could smell the filthy beast. It was an odor so strong, it could paralyze anyone in their tracks. Tina banged into the doors with all her might, after a few tries...she got into the old farmhouse.
Tools were flying, doors were smashing against the walls into tiny pieces. It could make anyone’s eardrums split. She felt a chilly hand grasp around her arm, she jerked away. The monster was standing right in front of her...she looked all around and couldn’t see her brother anywhere.
"Shawn?" Where was he... "Shawn!" He was nowhere to be seen. She ran from the hideous creature trying to catch her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her brother’s hand. "Shawn...run!!!"
"I can’t, I’m stuck!" he screamed back. Tina ran over to him, trying to untangle his legs from the rope, but the knot was too tight. The beast came behind her and slammed her body against a wall of the farmhouse. She tried to run once she fell, but her legs were in too much pain. The beast came up to her again and this time threw her across the farmhouse. Her back blistered the wall and her vision went black. All she could hear was the faint sounds of her brother crying for her to get up. She opened her eyes and saw her brother looking down at her fuzzily. He looked like he had possessed eyes. She tried to open her eyes more, but it felt like they were stitched shut. Her body felt numb and her mind felt like it was continually spinning around the room.
"Shawn?" she asked quietly but received no response.
She tried to look over and saw herself lying in a bed. "Wake up!" she screamed. But her body lay lifeless in her room. She looked over at her clock and knew within a minute her alarm would go off.
"Wake up, it’s 7:00 AM and you’re listening to Document Jazz," spoke the radio.
"It was a dream?" she asked herself. She ripped off the sheets and bolted down the stairs. There was Shawn eating breakfast while her mother was loading the dishwasher. She quickly walked over to her brother. "Good morning, my dear brother."
"What’s gotten into you?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing," It was all just a bad dream that left her body cringing in fear.
Children's Book Market: The global market for children's books was valued at approximately $10 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3% from 2021 to 2028 (source).
Reading Habits: According to a study by Scholastic, 58% of children aged 6-17 say they love or like reading books for fun, a significant increase from previous years (source).
Impact of Reading: Research shows that children who read for pleasure are likely to perform better academically. A study by the Institute of Education found that children who read books often at age 10 and more than once a week at age 16 gain higher test results (source).
Reading stories like Mysterious Chills and Thrills not only entertains but also fosters imagination and critical thinking in children. So, the next time you’re looking for a story to share, remember the power of a good book and the adventures it can bring to life.
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