Locker 13 (The Nightmare Room) (Nightmare Room, 2)

You hold in you hand the key to a shadow world of shivers and screams. Take a step away from the safe, comfortable world you know. Unlock the door to terror. There's always room for one more in...The Nightmare Room. Say hi to Luke. Today is not his lucky day. It's the first day of school, and he just got his locker assignment--locker 13. Lucky 13? No. Not for Luke. He has just opened the door to The Nightmare Room. What will you find in The Nightmare Room next time? Find out in book 3: My Name is Evil?

Amazon.com Review

On the first day of seventh grade, superstitious Luke wears his lucky shirt and carries his lucky rabbit's foot. Alas, an unpleasant surprise is in store for him. He can't believe his eyes when he sees his locker assignment: number 13. Luke's luck goes from bad to worse as he messes up in the swim team tryout, aggravates the school bully, and finds a black cat in his locker! Meanwhile, his best friend, Hannah, is riding high on good fortune. It isn't until Luke finds a new lucky charm in his locker--a tiny skull with glowing red eyes--that the tides begin to turn. Or do they? Is Luke flying too close to the sun, or has his destiny really reversed? His encounter with the diabolical Fate Master is about to transform his life forever--or end it. R.L. Stine is actually in the Guinness Book of World Records as the number one bestselling children's author of all time. His Fear Street and Goosebumps series have spooked delighted children for years, and the Nightmare Room series, which began with Don't Forget Me!, is off to a running start in that direction as well. The action is fast paced; thrills and chills are around every corner. You can't fight it, so don't try to thwart your fate: read on. Book 3 is My Name Is Evil. (Ages 9 to 13) --Emilie Coulter

From the Back Cover

You hold in you hand the key to a shadow world of shivers and screams. Take a step away from the safe, comfortable world you know. Unlock the door to terror. There's always room for one more in...The Nightmare Room. Say hi to Luke. Today is not his lucky day. It's the first day of school, and he just got his locker assignment--locker 13. Lucky 13? No. Not for Luke. He has just opened the door to The Nightmare Room. What will you find in The Nightmare Room next time? Find out in book 3: My Name is Evil?

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter OneGo ahead and scream.No one can hear you. You're no longer in the safe world you know.You've taken a terrifying step . . . into the darkest corners of your imagination. You've opened the door to . . .Welcome...I'm R.L. Stine, and I want to introduce you to Luke Greene. He's that short, wiry seventh-grader standing in front of his locker.Some kids tease Luke about being too superstitious. He wears a lucky shirt to school, and he never goes anywhere without a lucky rabbit's foot tucked in his pocket.Luke doesn't mind being teased. He says you can never have enough good luck.That's why he's so unhappy about his new locker. It's the first day of school, and Luke has been given Locker 13.Luke is staring at the locker in horror--and he has reason to be worried. Now he's going to need all the lucky shirts, and four-leaf clovers, and good-luck charms he can find.Because when he turns the lock and pulls open Locker 13, Luke will actually be opening the door to . . . THE NIGHTMARE ROOM.Hey, Luke'good luck! Who called to me? The hall was jammed with kids excited about the first day of school. I was excited, too. My first day in seventh grade. My first day at Shawnee Valley Junior High. I just knew this was going to be an awesome year.Of course, I didn't take any chances. I wore my lucky shirt. It's a faded green T-shirt, kind of stretched out and the pocket is a little torn. But no way I'd start a school year without my lucky shirt.And I had my lucky rabbit's foot in the pocket of my baggy khakis. It's black and very soft and furry. It's a key chain, but I don't want to ruin the good luck by hanging keys on it. Why is it so lucky? Well, it's a black rabbit's foot, which is very rare. And I found it last November on my birthday. And after I found it, my parents gave me the new computer I wanted. So, it brought me good luck--right?I glanced up at the red-and-black computer--printed banner hanging over the hall: go, squires! support your team!All of the boys' teams at Shawnee Valley are called the Squires. Don't ask me how they got that weird name. The banner made my heart race just a little. It reminded me that I had to find the basketball coach and ask when he was having tryouts. I had a whole list of things I wanted to do: (1) check out the computer lab; (2) find out about the basketball team; (3) see if I could take any kind of special swimming program after school. I never went to a school with a swimming pool before. And since swimming is my other big sport, I was pretty pumped about it.Luke--hi!I spun around to find my friend Hannah Marcum behind me, looking as cheerful and enthusiastic as always. Hannah has short coppery hair, the color of a bright new penny, green eyes, and a great smile. My mother always calls her Sunshine, which totally embarrasses both of us.Your pocket is torn, she said. She tugged at it, ripping it a little more.Hey'get off! I backed away. It's my lucky shirt.Did you find your locker assignment yet? She pointed to a group of kids studying a chart taped to the wall. They were all standing on tiptoe, trying to see over each other. It's posted over there. Guess what? My locker is the first one outside the lunchroom. I'll be first for lunch every day.Oooh, lucky, I said. And I got Gruen for English, Hannah gushed. He's the best! He's so funny. Everyone says you can't stop laughing. Did you get him too?No, I said. I got Warren.Hannah made a face. You're doomed.Shut up, I said. Don't say things like that. I squeezed my rabbit's foot three times. I pushed my way through the crowd to the locker chart. This is going to be an excellent year, I told myself. Junior High is so not like elementary school.Hey, man'how's it going? Darnell Cross slapped me a high five. What's up? I replied. Check it out. You got the lucky locker, Darnell said. I squinted at the chart. Huh? What do you mean?I ran my eyes down the list of names until I came to mine: Luke Greene. And then I followed the dotted line to my locker number.And gasped.No way! I said out loud. That can't be right.I blinked a few times, then focused on the chart again.Yes. Locker 13.Luke Greene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #13#13.My breath caught in my throat. I started to choke. I turned away from the chart, hoping no one could see how upset I was. How can this be happening to me? I wondered. Locker 13? My whole year is ruined before it begins!My heart pounded so hard, my chest ached. I forced myself to start breathing again. I turned and found Hannah still standing there. Where's your locker? she asked. I'll walk you there.Uh . . . well . . . I can deal with it, I said.She squinted at me. Excuse me? I can deal with it, I repeated shakily. It'sLocker thirteen, but I can handle it. Really.Hannah laughed. Luke, you're such a superstitious geek!I frowned at her. You mean that in a nice way--right? I joked.She laughed again and shoved me into a crowd of kids. I wish she wouldn't shove me so much. She's really strong.I apologized to the kids I stumbled into. Then Hannah and I started down the crowded hall, checking the locker numbers, searching for number 13. Just past the science lab, Hannah stopped suddenly and grabbed something up from the floor.

About the Author

R.L. Stine has more than 350 million English language books in print, plus international editions in 32 languages, making him one of the most popular children’s authors in history. Besides Goosebumps, R.L. Stine has written other series, including Fear Street, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room, and Dangerous Girls. R.L. Stine lives in New York with his wife, Jane, and his Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Minnie. Visit him online at rlstine.com.

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