Free What Scares You the Most? by R.L. Stine

called The Academy.
    She told her audience about the boat ride to the island. About meeting Donald Marks, The Academyleader. About her teammates and the Life Games competition.
    As she talked, April started to relax. It’s going very well, she told herself. I think the kids are really enjoying my stories.
    As she talked about the kayak race around the island, she glanced at the clock at the side of the stage. Have I really been talking for twenty minutes? she asked herself.
    She took a long sip of water from the glass on the podium. “I guess the strangest thing about the island,” she continued, “was the blue rocks. There were hills of these rocks. They were smooth and dark blue. And the strangest thing about them was they were always cold to the touch—even under the broiling hot sun.”
    â€œWe had a rock-climbing contest on those rocks,” April said. “A race up to the caves at the top. And I—”
    April stopped when she heard the loud chop .
    It seemed to have come from behind her.
    She turned to the sound—and saw a chop mark in one of the cardboard palm trees.
    Chop .
    Another loud, cutting sound. This one to her right.
    She spun to see that another tree had a cut in its trunk.
    Chop. Chop .
    Chop .
    The frightening sound repeated.
    â€œJust like that night!” she cried into the microphone. “Just like that night in the forest!”
    April didn’t want to look at the cardboard trees with their ugly chop marks.
    She closed her eyes tightly—and a picture formed in her mind. She could see herself on the island. She was walking through the woods with Kristen, Marlin and Anthony.
    They were lost. Hopelessly lost. And then they heard it.
    Chop .
    Chop .
    Chop .
    The chopping sounds surrounded them. Echoed through the forest. Came at them from everywhere at once!
    Chop .
    Chop .
    Chop .
    â€œIt—it’s happening again!” April screamed.
    She opened her eyes and saw Pam at the side of the stage, staring at her, mouth hanging open in shock. April saw the puzzled faces of kids in the audience.
    I’ve got to try to continue, she thought. The whole school is watching me.
    She cleared her throat. “A terrible storm came up,” she began, shouting over the chopping soundsall around. “The storm came out of nowhere and—”
    The stage lights flickered overhead.
    Lightning! April thought.
    Lightning overhead.
    A dim, frightening memory floated at the edge of her mind.
    I saw lightning flashing over someone. Someone stood close to me—someone terrifying—and lightning flashed.
    The stage lights flickered again.
    April turned to the side of the stage— and saw her !
    The woman! The woman in the blue cloak!
    Running across the stage to capture her.
    â€œCome with me!” the woman called. “April, come with me now!”

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    â€œTHERE SHE IS! THERE SHE IS!” April shrieked into the microphone. She pointed with a trembling finger at the advancing woman.
    â€œNow I remember!” April cried. “Now I remember everything!”
    The auditorium rang out with startled cries as the stage lights exploded. Lights burst apart. Glass shattered and fell to the stage.
    â€œCome with me, April!” the woman called.
    â€œNOOOOO!” April wailed.
    Kids screamed as April leaped off the stage.
    She landed hard on the concrete floor. Her knees bent and she almost fell.
    Pain shot up her legs. But she kept her balance and took off, running up the long auditorium aisle.
    â€œStop her!” Mrs. Harper was shouting from the stage.
    But the startled kids in the audience didn’t move. April ran up the aisle and out the door. Her heavyfootsteps echoed in the empty front hall.
    A secretary from Mrs. Harper’s office called out to her. “April? What’s wrong?”
    April kept running. Out the front door. Into the bright, sun-drenched morning. Everything glowing. Gold and bright blue and green.
    She ran