Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark

After a movie, Donald drives Sarah, his date, to the top of a hill on the outskirts of town. However, a news bulletin on the radio says that a murderer, armed with a knife, has escaped from a nearby prison; moreover, the killer has a hook in place of his missing left hand. Sarah insists that they leave, much to the annoyance of Donald, who says that they’re perfectly safe up on the hill and that “[g]irls are always afraid of something” (62). As he starts the car, Sarah thinks she hears a scratching noise, like “somebody […] trying to get in” (62), but Donald scoffs. After driving her home, he declines her invitation to come inside for cocoa. When he walks around the car to open her door, however, he finds a hook hanging from the door handle.

A young woman, too poor to afford a fancy gown for the formal dance that she has been invited to, tries a pawnshop, where she finds a white satin evening gown that looks lovely on her. At the dance, she attracts all eyes and has a wonderful time, but as the evening wears on, she feels dizzy and tired.