The Creepy Sleep-Over (3 page)

No matter what!

FOUR

Miss Hershey's house sat high on a hill.

It didn't look like a mansion. Not a castle, either. But it was big . . . and old. Like a fairy tale house with a snowy roof.

“Wow!” Dunkum whispered.

His mother drove into the driveway.

Dunkum noticed tall trees along the road. And the icicles hanging from the porch. “What a cool place,” he said.

“Sure is.” His mom chuckled. “May I come to the sleep-over, too?” She was only teasing, of course.

It's too pretty to be haunted
, Dunkum thought.

His eyes drifted over the area. A pair of stone lions caught his attention. They were statues, perched near the front door. One on each side.

“Hey! Look
there
,” he said, pointing.

“Lions with full manes,” his mother said. “I wonder where she bought them.”

Dunkum stared at the lions. He didn't care about their manes or where his teacher had found them. He was looking at their mouths. They were closed!

Good
, he thought.
These lions aren't scary
.

But it was daylight. Things always looked better in the light.

“You're going to have a great time,” his mother said.

Dunkum waved good-bye. “See ya tomorrow!”

“Welcome,” Miss Hershey said at the door.

“Thank you,” Dunkum replied. He glanced at the lion statues once more and went inside.

Abby and Stacy were there. They were sitting near a lamp with fringes. Dunkum had never seen a lampshade like that.
Must be old
, he thought.

Jason and Eric were beside the hearth. The flames in the fireplace were snapping. Jason gave Dunkum a high five. “About time you showed up!” Jason said.

“The roads were a little slick,” Dunkum said.

Miss Hershey nodded her head, smiling. “You all arrived safely,” she said. “I'm so glad.”

Dunkum sat down with Jason and Eric. He had a good feeling about this sleep-over. A
really
good feeling!

Milo had BIG ears for a cat. He was black with yellow slits for eyes.

“Say ‘hello,' ” Miss Hershey said to Milo. He was perched on her lap. He only blinked occasionally. And he looked upset. Was that a frown on his kitty face?

Dunkum didn't know exactly. He didn't care much for cats. Rabbits were
his
thing.

Milo's eyes made Dunkum shiver. What a creepy cat! Miss Hershey didn't seem to think so. She was hugging him and talking kitty talk. Or was it baby talk?

Dunkum couldn't be sure.

“Say ‘hello' to the students,” Miss Hershey told Milo.

After many pleas and some kitty kisses, Milo spoke.

It sounded like “Meow” to Dunkum. Nothing more.

Yet Miss Hershey kept fussing over Milo. That spoiled cat of hers.

“You're so-o-o wonderful, baby,” she cooed.

Dunkum thought of his own pet, Blinkee. His poor bunny rabbit would not enjoy being around this many cats. Blinkee would've passed out by now. For sure!

Miss Hershey's pets turned out to be
four
cats. Not eight. Someone had stretched the truth. Times two.

So Milo had three little sisters. All fluffy black cats. They were Muffin, Minka, and Maggie Mae.

Muffin and Minka were OK names. But Dunkum wondered about Maggie Mae. Sounded to him like someone's great aunt.

Miss Hershey served up hot pizza. She made sundaes for everyone. Hot fudge, caramel, and strawberry.

The cats were stuck with tuna delight.

Dunkum wanted hot fudge
and
caramel topping. Both. Abby and Stacy had strawberry topping. Of course.

Eric asked for hot fudge. Jason, too, only he wasn't supposed to have chocolate. It made him jittery. He was having it anyway.

Dunkum glanced around. There were strange Old Mother Hubbard kitchen cupboards. Dark brown. The beamed ceiling was rusty brown. Same as the mantel over the fireplace. Even the hardwood floors were dull.

Dark wood. Black cats. Chocolate topping . . .

Was something scary inside those cupboards? What about the ceiling? Was something about to float down from the beams?

And the music? Abby was right about Mozart. Miss Hershey put on some violin music. Sounded like a mystery waiting to happen.

Miss Hershey's cats were almost finished with their dinner. Dunkum tried not to stare. They were going to have dessert now. They licked their chops and waited.

Milo stopped eating and glanced at Dunkum. Those orange-yellow eyes made him jumpy. Not jumpin' happy. No way!

Dunkum turned around. He saw more goodies coming. Miss Hershey was bringing a tray to the table. “Care for a brownie?” she asked.

“Thank you.” Dunkum took a medium-sized one. They were extra dark. Extra chocolatey, too.

After supper, Miss Hershey began to light candles. Lots of them! There were candles in the windows and on the long mantel. Tall candlesticks on the grand piano.

“Will you play something for us?” Abby asked.

“Yes! Play the piano,” Eric begged.

All the kids chimed in. “Please?”

“Very well,” Miss Hershey said. She went to sit down. But there were no music books in sight.

“How's she gonna play?” Jason asked.

“Maybe she plays by ear,” Dunkum replied.

Jason laughed. “How's she gonna see where to put it?”

That got everyone going. Even Miss Hershey was chuckling.

When things were quiet, she began. The melody seemed a bit gloomy. Dunkum thought so at first. But the more he listened, the more he liked it. Was it more Mozart?

Miss Hershey kept her hands on the piano keys afterward. The last notes were still sounding. Slowly, they faded away.

Then she lifted her hands. The piece was done.

Before the kids could clap, she began to speak. Her words were soft. “I'd like to
recite a poem from memory. It's one of my very favorites.”

Uh-oh
, thought Dunkum.
Is this the bedtime story?

“ ‘Once upon a midnight dreary,' ” Miss Hershey began.

“It's from ‘The Raven,' ” whispered Abby.

Dunkum listened. He wouldn't let this raven poem shake him up. No way!

FIVE

Miss Hershey continued. “ ‘Suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.' ”

The poem excited Dunkum. Was it the flow of the words? Was it the air of mystery?

He really didn't know, but he liked it.

Miss Hershey went on. There was a
visitor
tapping at someone's bedroom door. “ ‘Only this and nothing more,' ” said his teacher.

Suddenly, Dunkum felt something
behind him. He froze. Someone was tapping on his back!

He turned to see.

It was Milo. He was pawing at Dunkum.

Kung fu kitty
, Dunkum thought.

He almost laughed out loud, but he didn't move.

Milo kept it up.

What's he want?
Dunkum wondered.

Miss Hershey was still saying the poem. “ ‘Deep into that darkness peering . . .' ”

It was hard to pay attention. A cat was pounding his fat paw on Dunkum's back.

Was Milo trying to say something? Maybe he had to go potty.

Dunkum didn't know what to do. So he raised his hand. Like in school.

Miss Hershey stopped. “Yes, Dunkum?”

“Uh, I think your cat needs something,”
he said. “Milo's scratching my back.”

Stacy and Abby giggled.

Miss Hershey nodded. “Oh, Milo's just being friendly. He likes you, Dunkum.”

Great
, thought Dunkum.
I don't like
HIM
!

“Now, where was I?” Miss Hershey said. She faced the students. “Does anyone feel a beat, a rhythm in this poem?” Abby and Jason raised their hands.
What's she mean?
Dunkum wondered. He didn't feel any beats. He only felt tapping, from Miss Hershey's cat!

“Listen now,” his teacher said. She continued.

Soon she came to a familiar part. Dunkum knew he'd heard it somewhere. “ ‘ 'Tis the wind and nothing more!' ”