Hello there, Aral Stein Story Club members.

I'm Ivy, your host, and caretaker of those strange and spooky tales from the hidden

vault of R.L. Stein.

Today is another chilling tale.

This flighty tale story club members might send you into the stratosphere.

It's one I call, it's no picnic.

Kylie Grant didn't want to go on a picnic with her family.

Why?

Shall we count the reasons?

For one, it's outdoors, which means she has to spend time with her younger brother, Timmy.

And the biggest one? Creepy crawlies.

Eating outside is an invitation for a bug buffet.

What's even the point of a picnic?

You have to drive for a long time, set up your dinner table in the middle of nowhere, and eat food.

What's wrong with chowing down on the kitchen?

Kylie had just gotten a new gaming system for her birthday, and she wanted to play it with her friends.

Picnic? She didn't need no stinking picnic. Her mom said they were almost there. Kylie nodded,

not really hearing her as she was jamming out to her Spotify playlist

in the back seat. Timmy, as usual, was being his annoying six-year-old self by blowing spit

bubbles and poking her with a Cheetos encrusted finger. If she didn't have music in her earbuds

right now, she was pretty sure she'd lose her mind. And then, the music died.

What? Oh, no. Her phone said no service.

...