Read Online What Scares You the Most? by R.L. Stine - Free Book Online Page B

thought.
    She pushed Play on the disc player and fiddled with the volume dial as she ran.
    Her running shoes thudded over the sidewalk. She could feel her leg muscles begin to loosen up.
    When the music didn’t start, she found the volume control again and turned it higher.
    April heard singing. She listened for a fewmoments, jogging at a fast, steady pace.
    What is this CD? she wondered.
    And then she stopped with a gasp—and listened to the woman’s voice coming through the headphones.
    The same eerie voice she had heard on the island.
    â€œNo! No!” April cried. “Please, leave me alone!”

22
    The woman’s voice lingered in April’s ears.
    The same slow, sad song in that strange language. The same woman with her low, throaty voice.
    â€œNo! No! It can’t be!” April wailed. “This can’t be happening to me!”
    She ripped the disc player from her waist and heaved it to the ground. Her legs were trembling too hard to jog.
    She held on to a lamppost, struggling to calm her racing heart. Then she turned and began walking unsteadily home.
    Â 
    An hour later April stood in the front hall at school, arguing with Pam.
    â€œPam—I begged you to cancel the assembly!” April said. “I—I really don’t want to talk about the island. You know that I—I—”
    Pam rolled her eyes. “April, the whole school is waiting to hear you,” she said.
    She took April’s hand and began tugging her to the auditorium. “I went to so much trouble setting this up,” Pam said. “I did this whole thing for you .”
    â€œBut I—I just can’t,” April protested. “You know I’ve been having problems. And—”
    Pam didn’t seem to hear her. She tugged April to the auditorium.
    I should have stayed home today, April thought. But I thought coming to school would take my mind off the island.
    I completely forgot about the assembly Pam set up.
    How can I do this? What if something terrible happens to me in front of the whole school?
    â€œIt will be easy,” Pam said, holding open the auditorium door. “Just talk about what the games were like and what you did on the island. Then Mrs. Harper wants to give you some kind of medal or something.”
    She pushed April into the auditorium.
    April swallowed hard as she saw that all the seats were filled. The whole school was there.
    A man raised a camera as she walked in, then flashed her picture. Blinking from the sudden light, April followed Pam to the stage. Kids broke into applause as they saw her.
    â€œWell, our special guest has arrived,” Mrs. Harper, the junior high principal, announced, beaming. She motioned to April, and the applause grew even louder.
    She was standing at a podium in the center of the stage. And surrounding her were four tall cardboard cutouts of palm trees.
    â€œWe even built a set for you this morning, April!” Mrs. Harper said. “To make you feel at home.”
    April stared at the brightly painted palm trees. A chill ran down her back. She took a deep breath and made her way across the stage to the podium.
    â€œI think many of you know April Powers,” Mrs. Harper said, leaning over the microphone. “Well, April recently returned from an exciting adventure on a tropical island. And this morning, we’ve asked her to tell you all about it.”
    Another round of applause as April stepped behind the podium. She felt a tingle of nervousness in her chest. Her mouth was suddenly dry.
    But she was a good speaker. She didn’t get stage fright.
    She and Pam competed on the debate team to see who could speak the best. Of course, Pam had to win every competition. But April believed she was just as good a speaker.
    Gripping the edges of the podium, she leaned forward and began to tell about her trip to the island. She started at the beginning, with the invitation letter she received from the organization