No Thanks

No Thanks is a scary story for kids about a boy named Jim who has a frightening encounter with a strange-looking man. It is based on a tale reported in The New York Times, March 2,1983 and was featured in the book Scary Stories 3 – More Tales to Chill Your Bones.

On Thursday nights, a boy named Jim had to work late at the local supermarket. He worked as a stock boy in one of the malls outside of town and was often the last one to leave. By eight-thirty his work was finished. He locked up the store and made his way home.

By the time he got out to the huge parking lot, it was almost empty. The only sound he could hear was the echo of his own footsteps on the pavement. As Jim walked down a deserted alleyway, he heard a strange rustling sound.

Suddenly a man stepped out of the shadows. His face was misshapen and deformed.

“Hey, kid! Over here!” he called in a low voice.

The man held out his right hand. He was holding a long, thin knife. The razor-sharp blade glinted in the dim light. Jim stopped in his tracks.

“Nice, sharp knife,” the man said softly.

“Don’t panic,” Jim told himself. He was shaking in his boots.

The man took a few steps toward him and smiled, revealing a row of rotten teeth.

“Don’t run,” Jim told himself. “Just stay calm.”

“Nice, sharp, knife,” the man repeated.

“Just give him what he wants,” Jim thought. “Then he’ll let you go.”

The man came closer. He held the knife up.

“Cuts nice and easy,” he said slowly.

Jim tried to stop himself from screaming out loud.

The man peered into his face.

“Hey, kid, you wanna buy a knife? Only three dollars. Two for five. It’ll make a nice present for your mother.”

“No thanks,” Jim said. “She’s already got one.”

And he ran away as fast as his legs would carry him.