Escape from the Carnival of Horrors Read online

  BEWARE!!

  DO NOT READ THIS

  BOOK FROM

  BEGINNING TO END!

  Welcome to the Carnival of Horrors. This is no ordinary carnival. Here you’ll find awesome rides. Exciting games of chance. And the weirdest Freak Show ever.

  Do you dare to enter?

  Are you brave enough to risk the Supersonic Space Coaster? Can you make it through the House of Horrors alive?

  This scary adventure is all about you. You decide what will happen. And you decide how terrifying the scares will be.

  Start on PAGE 1. Then follow the instructions at the bottom of each page. You make the choices.

  If you make the right choices, you’ll escape from the spine-tingling Carnival of Horrors in time. If you make the wrong choice … BEWARE!

  So take a long, deep breath, cross your fingers, and turn to PAGE 1 to GIVE YOURSELF GOOSEBUMPS!

  Contents

  Beware!!

  Title Page

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  29

  30

  31

  32

  33

  34

  35

  36

  37

  38

  39

  40

  41

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  45

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  48

  49

  50

  51

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  55

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  57

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  60

  61

  62

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  125

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  129

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  131

  132

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  134

  135

  Teaser

  About the Author

  Also Available

  Copyright

  “What do you want to do?”

  “I don’t know, Patty. What do you want to do?”

  “Not fair, Brad. I asked you first.”

  Patty and Brad. Your two best friends. Arguing. As usual.

  It’s the last week of August. And Patty and Brad haven’t stopped fighting since your summer vacation started.

  Patty likes being bossy. You don’t mind, though. It’s no big deal.

  It’s hard to win a fight with her anyway. You don’t know why Brad even tries. You guess it’s because he doesn’t want to look like a wimp in front of a girl.

  “There’s nothing to do. I guess I’ll just go home,” Brad says. He shoves his hands in his pockets. Then his shoulders slump and he sort of shrivels up. You guess Brad is kind of a wimp — even if he is your best friend.

  “You’re so boring, Brad,” Patty complains. Whenever Patty complains, her freckles really pop out. Now there are about a million of them spread across her face.

  “Hey! I know what we should do!” Patty suddenly bursts out.

  Go to PAGE 2.

  “Let’s bike over to Bennet’s Field and watch them set up the carnival!”

  “I don’t know,” you answer. “It’s getting dark, and Mom said I have to be in by nine.”

  “It’s only a quick bike ride,” Brad says. “Are you some kind of wimp?”

  Brad calling you a wimp? You can’t believe it!

  “Okay. Okay,” you agree. “But if it’s as bad as last year, there won’t be much to see. Don’t you remember the main attraction?” you remind them. “The ride they called Terror Track? It turned out to be a baby choo-choo train that circled around and around and around.”

  It doesn’t matter what you say. Patty’s made up her mind. You’re going to ride over to the carnival.

  A hot, humid breeze blows in your face as you pedal along. Patty’s in the lead. No surprise. And Brad’s puffing behind you.

  It’s dark by the time you reach Bennet’s Field.

  You and your friends drop your bikes in the grass and race across the moonlit field, toward the huge wooden fence that surrounds the carnival.

  To take a closer look, turn to PAGE 3.

  As you reach the carnival entrance, you hear music coming from inside. Not the usual corny organ stuff they always play. But some really strange music. It sounds familiar and totally new at the same time.

  Brad stretches his neck to try to peer over the fence. But no luck. The fence is way too high.

  Patty jiggles the padlock on the gate. It’s sealed shut.

  “I guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow night when the carnival opens,” Brad says.

  “No way,” Patty says. “Let’s climb the fence. Now!”

  “Are you crazy?” Brad says. “We’ll get caught!”

  “Come on. There’s probably no one in there,” Patty replies.

  Your friends turn to you to cast the deciding vote. You glance at your watch. It’s almost 9:00 P.M. If you’re going to get home in time, you should start back now.

  What are you going to do?

  If you decide to go home, turn to PAGE 10.

  If you climb the fence to get inside, turn to PAGE 6.

  “Wh-what do you mean?” Brad asks, trembling all over.

  “I just had an idea. A great idea,” the man replies. “I want you kids to stay and try out the rides before the grand opening tomorrow.”

  Patty’s eyes open wide. “Cool!” she says.

  “Are you sure it’s all right with the owner?” you ask.

  “I’m Big Al, the manager. And what I say around here goes.”

  Big Al digs around in his checkered jacket and pulls out three maps. He hands one to each of you.

  “Study them carefully,” he says. “If you have any questions, ask them now.”

  Your eyes fall upon the map. You have a question. But when you gaze up, Big Al is gone. He’s vanished!

  “A whole ca
rnival to ourselves!” Patty exclaims. “Where should we start?”

  You stare down at your map once again. You notice that the carnival is split in half. On one side are the rides. Tons of them. On the other side is the midway, packed with games of chance and the Freak Show.

  What will you try first?

  To go on the rides, turn to PAGE 34.

  To check out the midway, turn to PAGE 77.

  “Come on, run!” you yell to Patty and Brad as you spin around. “There’s got to be another way out!”

  Big Al blows a whistle. Its shrill blast hurts your ears. He blows it again and, suddenly, dozens and dozens of carnival people appear out of nowhere. But they don’t look the way they did before.

  Some have green flesh. Some are deathly white. Their rotting skin hangs from their bones. Above their sunken cheekbones, their eyes glow an eerie yellow.

  You watch in horror as more and more of them appear.

  What should you do? Your legs won’t budge. You can’t think clearly. You’re terrified! You stand there — frozen — in a trance.

  But Brad breaks the spell when he screams out, “They’re ghosts! That’s why they’re wearing those old-fashioned clothes. They’re dead!”

  “Watch out! Over there!” Patty yells. “That — that ghost … It’s coming right at us. Run!”

  Run to PAGE 127.

  “Let’s do it!” you say to your friends. “Let’s climb the fence!”

  Patty is halfway up before you finish speaking. You let Brad go next. You’re last.

  It’s a hard climb up. There’s really no place on the fence to get a good grip. But you make it to the top, swing your legs over, and tumble down. You land on the grass. You’re inside!

  You and your friends gaze around. It’s pretty dark — the only light comes from torches. At first the carnival looks the same as it always does. Dinky rides. Hot dog wagons. Then the lights start to flicker on in every corner of the field — the rides start to move. It’s as if the whole place is magically coming to life.

  “Hey! Look at that giant roller coaster!” you exclaim, pointing up ahead. “They never had a roller coaster before!”

  “Yeah,” Brad agrees. “And the whole place is a lot bigger than last year!”

  “This is awesome!” Patty says as she sprints toward the rides.

  Race over to PAGE 7.

  You and Brad take off after Patty. You all stop in front of the roller coaster.

  “Wow!” Patty says as she gazes up at it. “It’s like a rocket to outer space!”

  Beyond the roller coaster, you spy a castle surrounded by a moat. And a spooky-looking haunted house sitting high atop a hill.

  “These are the coolest rides I’ve ever seen!” you say. “They still have that dumb choo-choo train over there,” you point out, “but we could ride this stuff all night and never go near it!”

  Patty grabs your arm and tugs you over to the other side of the carnival — to the midway. Brad races after you.

  “Hey! Where are all those dinky wooden booths from last year?” you ask as you gawk at the amazing games of chance.

  They’re gone. And in their place are giant video games and huge spinning wheels studded with hundreds of blinking colored lights!

  “Get a load of that!” Brad suddenly cries out.

  You and Patty spin around.

  You can’t believe what you see!

  Be more amazed on PAGE 87.

  You wander over to the Wheel of Chance and immediately notice two strange things.

  First, you read the sign on the booth. It says “Wheel of No Chance.” Then you hear the barker’s voice calling, “Step right up!” But there’s no one there.

  No one but a green-and-yellow parrot.

  “Excuse me,” you say, hoping someone will answer. “Is this game open?”

  “No, I’m standing by this wheel for my health,” the parrot cracks. “Now, do you want to spin or what?”

  The parrot is obviously annoyed. “Mammals,” he mutters. “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”

  You steal a glance around. Maybe you should skip this game. But Big Al sneaks up behind you.

  “Spin,” he says. “You must earn enough points to win.”

  “But how will I know if I have enough points?” you ask.

  “Spin!” It’s his final word.

  Go to PAGE 9.

  Here’s how to spin:

  Close your eyes and twirl your finger over the wheel on this page. Then let your finger land somewhere on the wheel. Look at the number you’ve landed on. Go to that page next.

  Quick! Go to the page you landed on!

  OR

  If you landed on SPIN AGAIN, spin again.

  You’ve decided not to sneak into the carnival? You’re going home instead? Well, it’s a good thing Patty usually makes all the decisions. Otherwise, you’d never have any fun! And this book would be over before it began!

  Go ahead. Take a deep breath. Then go climb the fence. You’re not scared — are you?

  Turn back to PAGE 6.

  You’ve decided to help the freaks. As you race down the midway, you spot Brad and Patty.

  “Listen, guys,” you tell them, lowering your voice. “We’ve got a problem. A big problem.”

  You take a deep breath and tell them all about Madame Zeno and the blue card.

  “So,” you finish saying, “somebody might need our help in the back of the Freak Show.”

  “What’s a freak?” Brad asks nervously.

  “Remember the poster we saw when we came in? The one with the three-headed man and the lady with the snake body?” you remind him.

  Brad bites down on his lip. “Are they really real?”

  “Sure they’re real,” Patty chimes in. “I once saw a bearded lady at the circus.”

  “I don’t know,” Brad says. “It sounds kind of creepy.”

  “Well, Madame Zeno said this was my fate. I’m going to help them — whatever they are. Are you guys in?”

  “You bet,” Patty answers, her eyes shining with excitement.

  “Okay, okay. I’ll go,” Brad mumbles.

  “Then let’s hurry!” you exclaim.

  Race to the back of the Freak Show on PAGE 35.

  You run to the right. “Follow me!” you cry out to Patty and Brad.

  You run faster than you’ve ever run in your life. Your sides ache, but you keep on going.

  When your chest feels as if it’s about to burst, you finally stop. And hear a crash behind you. Then at both sides of you. Then in front of you. Trapping you.

  “Welcome to the Reptile’s Petting Zoo,” a deep voice echoes through the darkness.

  Reptile’s Petting Zoo? You thought the sign said Reptile Petting Zoo.

  “Our alligator has been so lonely,” the deep voice continues. “Waiting and waiting — for his new pets to arrive. And here you are — finally.”

  THE END

  The room is dark, but all around you, you hear hushed moans. “Help us! Help us!”

  “We’re in a prison,” Patty says. “And look at the prisoners! They’re weird!”

  Patty is right. As your eyes grow accustomed to the darkness, you see cell after cell. Each one holds a strange-looking prisoner. There’s an enormous fat lady who’s nearly busting out of the bars. A giant. A dwarf. A young lady with boa constrictors wrapped around her waist. And a woman with a long black beard!

  “We’re the freakssss,” the Snake Lady says. “Every night when the sssshow endssss, the masssster lockssss ussss up.”

  “The master? You mean Big Al is —” you start to say.

  “You must help us!” the giant interrupts.

  “Sssssssh,” the Snake Lady says. “The master’sssss coming — you musssstn’t be here! Go! That way!” She points to a door down the hall.

  Escape through the door down the hall, go to PAGE 48.

  Stay and talk to Big Al, go to PAGE 62.

  You reach out slowly and touch the
red card.

  To your amazement, a 3-D heart magically appears and rises from the flat surface. Then it starts to beat! Tha-dump, tha-dump. It must be some fancy optical illusion. You lean closer to figure out the trick.

  “Yowwwww!” you screech and jerk back to avoid the warm red liquid that nearly squirts in your eye. Is it blood? It looks like blood. “Wow! Cool effect,” you say. “How did you do it?”

  “Turn over the card,” Madame Zeno orders. “Do it now!”

  Madame Zeno really gets into her act. Doesn’t she know this is just a game? you think. But you do as you’re told.

  Big deal. No weird pictures. No hidden fortunes. All you see are the numbers 1, 3, 2 shimmering in gold script against a midnight background. “What does it mean?” you ask.

  “You will know when the time is right,” the fortune-teller whispers. Her voice is so low, you can barely hear her. “It could save your life!”

  What does she mean? Turn to PAGE 41 to find out.

  Round and round the wheel spins. It finally lands on number 15. NO CHANCE.

  No chance. Does that mean what you think it means?

  No chance at all.

  Zip.

  Zero.

  Nothing.

  Nada.

  Negatory.

  Yes. That’s exactly what it means. You have met …

  THE END

  “Hi!” you say to Big Al. “Who are all those people?”

  He doesn’t really answer your question.

  “Welcome to the Carnival of Horrors,” he says. “You must play or pay. We have many games on our midway. You must play two.” He practically spits the word must out. “If you succeed, you can win prizes. But if you lose, you pay with your life!”

  Boy, he’s really laying it on thick, you think. But it’s a pretty cool gimmick. “Okay, I’ll play a game. Then I’ve got to go home.”

  “No one goes home,” Big Al says, “until they play. You must play two games. And survive.”

  “Okay. Okay,” you mutter to yourself.

  You glance around the midway at the two closest games. Guess Your Weight on Mars and the Wheel of Chance. You have to pick one to start, or you’ll never get out of here.

  For Guess Your Weight on Mars, go to PAGE 72.