The Creepy Sleep-Over by Beverly Lewis

ONE
    It was a super Saturday.
    Dunkum Mifflin was jumpin’ happy. He slam-dunked his basketball. Three times in a row! Hoo-ray!
    His name was on Miss Hershey’s reading list. He’d checked it twice. He’d made his reading goal. Twenty-five books in all!
    The reward was a sleep-over at the teacher’s house. Eight kids from Miss Hershey’s class were going.
    They’d eat pizza and junk food. And ice-cream sundaes and root-beer floats.
    Best of all, they were spending the night!
    Eric Hagel and Jason Birchall arrived at Dunkum’s house. They passed the ball around. They talked about the sleep-over.
    â€œWhere’s Miss Hershey’s house, anyway?” Dunkum asked.
    Jason didn’t know exactly.
    Eric didn’t, either. “She used to be on my paper route. But not anymore,” he said.
    â€œDid she move?” Dunkum asked.
    Eric scratched his head. “Guess so.”
    â€œSomewhere out in the country,” Jason piped up. “I heard it’s a haunted mansion!”
    â€œHow do you know?” Dunkum asked.
    Eric and Jason laughed. “Everyone says so,” replied Eric.
    â€œEveryone?” Dunkum said.
    â€œWell, you know.” Jason crossed his eyes. “It’s gonna be such a cool sleep-over. Even if the house is haunted.”
    Eric agreed. “I still can’t believe it. Did I really read all those books?”
    Jason grinned. “Your name’s on Miss Hershey’s list, right?”
    Eric nodded and passed the ball to Dunkum.
    Dunkum shot up . . . up . . . whoosh! “Anyone else going from our cul-de-sac?”
    â€œAbby and Stacy are,” Eric replied.
    â€œAbby oughta be going. She read over fifty books,” Jason said.
    â€œWow! How’d she do it?” Dunkum asked.
    â€œShe’s a bookworm. That’s how.” Eric laughed.
    Dunkum was thrilled. Most of his friends were going to the sleep-over.
    â€œI heard Miss Hershey tells bedtime stories,” Eric said. “Spooky ones.”
    â€œYeah, better watch out,” Jason warned.
    â€œHow come?” Dunkum asked.
    â€œShe likes stuff by Edgar Allen Poe,”said Eric. “Every year, same thing.”
    â€œWho’s this Poe dude?” asked Dunkum.
    Jason started laughing. “Edgar Allen Poe wrote mystery stories and poems. Ever hear of ‘The Raven’? It’s famous.”
    â€œNope,” Dunkum said.
    â€œWell, you’ll hear it plenty,” Eric said.
    Jason flapped his arms. “Sounds wingy-dingy. Get it? Ravens have wings—”
    â€œAw . . . Jason, act your age,” Dunkum scolded.
    â€œWhatever,” Jason muttered and stopped flying around.
    The boys shot some more baskets. “How do you know about the sleep-over?” Dunkum asked Eric.
    â€œMiss Hershey has one every year. The kids from last year’s class told me.” Eric’s voice was low and quiet. “They told me ALL about it.”
    Dunkum hoped the sleep-over wasn’ttoo scary. He wasn’t a scaredy-cat or anything. He just didn’t like creepy things.

    Jason interrupted his thoughts. “You’re not afraid of haunted mansions, are you?” He made his voice sound spooky. “Oooooooooooow!” he squealed.
    â€œYou don’t scare me!” Dunkum said.
    â€œBut Miss Hershey will,” teased Jason.
    Dunkum dribbled the ball hard. He leaped up and dunked it. That’s how he got his nickname—Dunkum. His real name was Edward. But nobody called him that. He was Dunkum—the tallest and best hoop shooter around.
    Dunkum thought hard as he aimed the basketball. Jason could say all he wanted. But their teacher was the best. She wouldn’t plan a creepy sleep-over.
    No way. Dunkum didn’t believe it for one second!

TWO
    It was Friday morning.
    Heavy snow was falling. First storm of the New Year.
    Miss Hershey’s class was all bunched up. Their teeth chattered as they huddled