Hello. I'm R.L. Stine. I write the Goosebumps books.

It's been a long journey we've been on, in honor of giving readers a scare for 30 years. You've seen many of your worst nightmares leap off the pages. You've seen them on your television. On your stage. In your theme park attractions. In your comic books. In your video games. On your computer. On your phone. And even in your local theater.

All this, from one single mind. And a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

But Mr. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself". He's not wrong. It's the strongest and oldest human emotion. It's what drives us to survive. It's kept us alive…so far.

But do you know what our greatest fear is? No, it's not clowns. It's not the thing under your bed. It's not what's right behind you this very second. It's not the dark, not the sea, not falling from heights, not even enclosed spaces. It's not even death!

No…humanity's greatest fear is Xenophobia. The fear of the unknown. What fuels our phobophobia, of fear of being afraid, stems greatly from this. Xenophobia could be someone who's different from you. Someone who's a complete stranger. It can be strange noises in the dark. Weird voices in your head.

It can even be aliens. And things that our minds just CANNOT comprehend. The best example? From a horror writer more scary than even myself: H.P. Lovecraft.

In this story, the horror is even MORE horrifying. What better way to end the series? Our heroes are about to learn that not all fears can be faced or overcome. Sometimes the best option is to run. But even THAT doesn't work. So this is your only chance to not read this story. Lest you lose yourself in the nightmare you call madness. Reader beware…you're in for a scare…