Picture Dictionary & Books : Free for English Learner!

It's called Out Beyond, and the people in it are very real, not just good guys and bad guys.

There's always one character moving around, keeping you on the edge of your chair, and by the time it all winds up in a surprise ending, you find this character is not a real person, he's supernatural.

The program goes on till eleven o'clock, and Mom won't let me watch it on school nights.

I get the pillows comfortably arranged on the floor, with a big bottle of soda and a bag of popcorn within easy reach.

The story starts off with some nature shots of a farm and mountains in the background and this little kid playing with his grandfather.

There's a lot of people in it, but gradually you get more and more suspicious of dear old grandpa.

He's taking the kid for a walk when a thunderstorm blows up.

Right then, of course, we have to have the alternate sponsor.

He signs off, finally, and up comes Pop.

"Here, Davey old boy, we can do better than that tonight. The Governor and the Mayor are on a TV debate about New York City school reorganization."

At first I figure he's kidding, so I just growl, "Who cares?"

He switches the channel.

I jump up, tipping over the bottle of soda on the way.

"Pop, that's not fair! I'm right in the middle of a program, and I been waiting weeks to watch it because Mom won't let me on school nights!"

Pop goes right on tuning his channel.

"Do you good to listen to a real program for a change. There'll be another western on tomorrow night."

That's the last straw.

I shout, "See? You don't even know what you're talking about! It's not a western."

Pop looks at me prissily.

"You're getting altogether too upset about these programs. Stop it and behave yourself. Go get a sponge to mop up the soda."

"It's your fault! Mop it up yourself!" I'm too mad now to care what I say.

I charge down the hall to my room and slam the door.

I hear the TV going for a few minutes, then Pop turns it off and goes in the kitchen to talk to Mom.

In a little while he comes down and knocks on my door.

Knocks—that's something.

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