Free The Birthday Party of No Return! by R. L. Stine

mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”
    â€œI dumped mine in the trash out back,” I said. “It was bad news. I don’t believe in good-luck charms.”
    She laughed. “You’re going to need a good-luck charm at the game tomorrow. I’m going to trash both you guys.”
    We filled out the work sheets. I don’t think glaciers are very interesting. But Miss Harrison must like them a lot. She keeps giving us assignment after assignment about the glaciers.
    Laura and I had a few more cookies. In fact, we finished the plate. Then she went home. “Good luck tomorrow,” she said as she stepped out the door.
    I’ll need it , I thought.
    My last chance.
    Later, I changed into my pajamas and got ready for bed. I felt restless. My stomach kept growling and groaning.
    I knew I couldn’t relax until the trash was picked up and the claw was carried away.
    A soft breeze blew my curtains. I stepped up to my window and gazed outside. My window faces the backyard. I could see Dad’s vegetable garden.
    The tomato plants tilted on their poles. A branch had fallen off the maple tree next to the garage. It lay in the grass, raised at one end like a fat snake.
    Moonlight made the grass shimmer like silver. And … and…
    What was that dark object slithering through the silver grass?
    Like a dark glove scrabbling toward the house.
    I stared down at it, frozen in terror. I watched it slide and crawl through the bright moonlight.
    The claw. The claw … crawling back .
    â€œNooooooo.” I sent a horrified howl out the window. “Nooooooo.”

I spun away from the window and took a deep breath. I could feel the blood pulsing at my temples.
    This can’t be happening.
    This is impossible.
    The claw was crawling to the house, bringing its bad luck back to me.
    Returning so that it could ruin my chances tomorrow morning.
    No. No way!
    Before I realized what I was doing, I was running barefoot down the stairs. The house was dark. Mom and Dad must have been sound asleep.
    I was in my pajamas, but I didn’t care. I burst out the kitchen door and ran into the backyard. My bare feet slipped and slid on the wet, dewy grass.
    A cool breeze blew against my hot face. My pajama shirt fluttered like a kite in the wind.
    White moonlight poured over the lawn. The backyard gleamed, almost as bright as day.
    Where is it? Where?
    My eyes scanned the lawn as I ran. I had to find it.
    What would I do with it when I did? Heave it as far as I could?
    I jumped over the fallen tree limb. The old maple tree creaked and groaned in the strong breeze.
    In the bright moonlight, I could see every weed, every blade of grass.
    And there it was! The dark claw! Scrabbling slowly … so slowly … through the wet grass.
    I stopped, my heart pounding so hard that my chest ached. My knees nearly folded. I took another deep breath, trying to steady myself.
    Then I lowered myself to take a closer look at the crawling claw.
    â€œOh, wow,” I murmured out loud. “Oh, wow.”
    Not the claw.
    It wasn’t the claw. It was a small box turtle. Its square shell dark against the shimmering grass.
    A box turtle. Crawling slowly over the backyard.
    A laugh escaped my throat. I wanted to cheer. But that might wake up my parents.
    A light was on in the kitchen window next door. Did the neighbors see me out here in my pajamas?
    Would they think it was weird that I ran out late at night to stare at a box turtle?
    Well, yes, it was weird. But my life had been weird lately.
    No more. No more weirdness, I told myself.
    I turned to the trash cans behind the garage. The lids were all tightly clamped shut. The claw was safe inside its can.
    As I stared, the metal cans made a rattling sound.
    I started to panic. But I caught myself. And laughed again.
    They were rattling because of the wind.
    It had to be the wind. Right?

Early the next morning, I dropped my backpack in my gym locker and started to get