With a partner, read the Prereading information on page 400. Then look at the picture of the tunnel on page 401 and discuss the following questions: What do you know about tunnels? Are tunnels safe? What is it like to enter a tunnel? Would you enter this tunnel? Have you ever entered a pitch-black room or some other dark place at night? What was it like?
1. Read the story, reacting to events as you go. Write down or mark parts of the story. Find a way to keep track of descriptions you like, things you do not understand, and events that remind you of other things. Look especially for parts of the text that are suspenseful. You may use the following system to keep track of your reactions on sticky notes
| When you have this reaction: | Place this mark near the text: |
| I like this description | + |
| I don’t understand this | ? |
| This reminds me of something else | ! |
| This is suspenseful | S |
2. As you read the story, stop at each large capital letter and share reactions you had in the previous section with your partner. Then go on to the next section, again reacting to story events and sharing your reactions. Continue in this manner until you reach the end of the story.
If you are having difficulty making connections to the story, try visualizing the events. Read the story and draw sketches of things as you read. At the end of each section in the story, share your sketches with a partner.
Discuss the story with the whole class. Did the story remind you of a time in your life when you were scared? What parts of the story were the scariest? Reread those parts.