Tune in Tomorrow

"Tune in Tomorrow" is the second short story from the book More & More Tales to Give You Goosebumps.

Plot
After her father is appointed chief of police, Elizabeth and her family are forced to move from Philadelphia to the boring town of Westgate. Though she hangs out daily with her best friend, Lauren, there is very little to do in the small town. Stuck inside during a rainstorm, Elizabeth flips through TV channels until she comes across a show that catches her attention. It's a soap opera called Looking Towards Tomorrow, and its main character, a girl named Elinor, seems to share Elizabeth's resentment towards living in a town with nothing to do. On the show, Elinor opens the door to find a new neighbor with a letter for her. Oddly, as this happens, Elizabeth's doorbell rings and the exact same scenario plays out: a new neighbor, introducing themselves, before handing her a letter.

Before long, Elizabeth is hooked on the show, watching episode after episode as the hours pass. Her mother comes home and scolds her for watching a soap opera, as they are unrealistic. As Elizabeth keeps watching, a new scene plays out on the show. Elinor hears a loud thud, and finds her mother under a pile of rubble in the basement. Elinor's mother eventually awakens and asks who Elinor is, seemingly suffering from amnesia. Elizabeth laughs at this, but is shocked when she hears an identical thudding sound, finding her mother in the basement, exactly as Elinor's was, not remembering a thing.

Hoping the show could predict what will happen to her mother, Elizabeth tunes in only to view a scene in which Elinor is attacked by a vicious dog. Panicking, Elizabeth begins to research into what exactly Looking Towards Tomorrow is, only to discover that the channel it's on seemingly doesn't exist. She hears a noise at the front door, but before she does, someone cries out "Don't do it!"

The end of the story reveals all the events in Elizabeth's life were part of another show entitled Life With Elizabeth. Lisa, the new narrator's friend, says she thought this show would be good, but is disappointed that it's just another unrealistic soap opera.

Trivia

 * This tale deploys the idea of a story (Elinor's story) within a story (Elizabeth's story) within a story (Lisa's story).
 * The concept of a story within a story within a story returns in Be Afraid — Be Very Afraid!.
 * This story references the movie Rocky.
 * The names of the protagonists match, foreshadowing their parallel fates. First, Elinor and Elizabeth share the first three letters of their names. Lastly, Lisa's name is derived from Elizabeth.