Matt's Lunch Box

"Matt's Lunch Box" is a short story in More & More Tales to Give You Goosebumps.

Plot

On the first day of spring “Matt Green” comes home from school. Matt was going up stairs to find his mitt in his room. He passed the kitchen his mom was in the kitchen. She called out Matt to say hi and she was wondering how his day was Matt said it was fine. Matt was thinking about how hard it would be to beat Todd fisher for catcher. Matts mom asks matt if we wants a snack Matt says he's not hungry Matts mom is wondering if he's sure she called out after Matt how about some cookies she asks. Matt declined the offer. Matt explains that his mom is always trying to force him eat more she thinks he's too skinny. in the kitchen she waved an apple at him you should really eat something she says he takes the apple and shoves it in his jacket.

His mom is wondering if he ate his lunch today Matt remembers he left his lunch box on the bus. Matts mom wonders if he can get it back Matt denies it so she guesses she is going to have to buy a new one. Then that day Matts mom buys Matt a red plastic rectangle container. It had a comic of three monsters chasing a boy. Matts mom explains to him that this was the only lunch box to find this time of year. Matt thought it was dumb looking. Matt took the lunch box and went up to his room he slammed himself on the bed. He was staring at the picture in his lunch box then he noticed the monsters were flying out in the same lunch box in the picture while chasing the poor boy across the kitchen.

Matt then had a strange feeling that he shouldn't open the lunch box. It was giving him the creeps but he proclaimed to himself that it was only a dumb lunch box. He slowly cracked opened the lid with a voice inside saying we're hungry Matt he shut the lunch box when he heard those words. Matt went to his baseball practice and he is proclaimed starting catcher. Around midnight he heard a strange noise something was knoking it was the lunch box it grew louder. Then the voice in the lunch box wanted Matt to let us out. When he heard those words Matt was to afraid to move.

The lunch box rocked harder and the monsters zoomed out towards Matt the monsters circled closer one of them said they want food. Matt said he didn't have any food one of the monsters said that he doesn't get it and he has to feed them they explain that whoever owns the lunch box has to feed them they are looking for food in his room they found some Halloween candy that Matt had forgotten about they ask where the rest of the food is Matt says he doesn't have any more food. Then they said then we will eat you. One of the monsters sank his teeth in his skin when Matt saw the bite mark he realized he was serious he raced to the kitchen he grabbed every thing he could even the rice cakes.

Matt then gave them the food and the monsters scarfed it down and the next morning Matts mom called him for breakfast the monsters jumped out of his closet saying feed us feed us Matt ran down the hall into the kitchen Matt tried to warn his mom about the monsters but they disappeared behind him. Matts mom had made a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon as Matt was about to eat the little monster swooped down from the fridge onto Matts fork then he ate his food Matts mom turned around and the monster had already disappeared Matt done already she said. Matt tried to warn her about the monsters if he doesn't feed them they will eat Matt and his mom. She gave him a hug she said to him that she was glad he was getting a good appetite. Matts mom said that now she knows who snuck all the the crackers and cookies at night.

At noon Matt sat down at school for lunch when he noticed that his lunchbox was licked clean. His stomach growled Matt hadn't eaten anything since dinner the night before at home he was really starving. He grabbed a giant bag of potatoe chips and the monsters swooped in and forced him to give them the bag he begged the monsters when it would be his turn to eat. They said they will let them eat when they are full they they are never full. Up in his room Matts mom called out for dinner and when Matt got down stairs to eat dinner he saw that his mom had Cooked a feast Matt tried to dig in but the big monster ate all of the food

Matts mom turned around and ask him if he would like seconds Matt tried to make his mom watch him eat so the monsters wouldn't get some of his food she denied saying she had a really big lunch. At midnight a weak Matt went down stairs and tried to eat a bag of cookie but before he even he opened it the big monsters took the bag and ate the cookies and the other two monsters joined in Matt tried to explain to the monsters what would happen if he didn't eat anything. The next morning at breakfast Matt try's to explain to his mom that he hadn't eaten for two days and then trying to explain again about the monsters she doesn't believe him. Matt knew that no one was going to believe him.

A very weak Matt tried to get to the bus but he was too late. Matt knew he had to get rid of the monsters but how. Then suddenly he remembered the monsters said that whoever owns the lunch box owns the monsters. Then Matt saw that there was a yard sale saying everything is 50 cents he slowly put the lunch box on one of the tables hoping no one will see him he then waited. A few minutes later Matt saw that the lunch box was bought by a lady he couldn't believe it he was free using his last bit of strength he went back to his house weak and dazed he threw open the refrigerator door and grabbed a pear and ate it then he grabbed a bunch of other food and stuffed himself until he was sick to his stomach. He couldn't believe how great everything tasted he walked back to school because the bus wasn't there but he thought who cares.

Later at dinner Matt grabbed for his forth helping when the door bell rang his mom went to answer it. It was his uncle Murray he was a travel salesman. He came into the kitchen carrying his brief case and a large plastic bag and said that he brought something for him. I hope it's something to eat Matt joked. Then he mentioned to him that his mom told him that he lost his lunch box the other day Matt said he didn't need a lunch box Matt mom was wondering what has gotten in to him Murray told Matt not to worry. He heard that Matts mom had bought him a great lunch box. He reaches into the plastic bag and grabbed a red thermos then Matt mouth dropped open while his mom proclaimed that is was the same design as his lunch box and then Matt stared in horror as he saw the little monster and winked at him and said to whispered to him. Boy am I thirsty.