Escape from the Carnival of Horrors Read online

As your car shoots up to the top of the next hill, you’re laughing and screaming at the same time. This is great, you think! But then you make a big mistake.

  Turn to PAGE 39.

  Blue is your favorite color. You turn the blue card over.

  There is a message: Help us! You are our only hope. Hurry to the back door of the freak show. Signed, The Freaks.

  “What does this mean?” you ask Madame Zeno. She stares deep into your eyes. Her lips tremble. She leans forward. She’s about to speak.

  And then the lights go out — and a blood-curdling scream rips through the dark!

  You start to bolt for the door when a dim light suddenly flickers. You stare across the table. Madame Zeno is gone!

  You reach out to take the card. And it bursts into red-hot flames! In seconds, the entire tent fills with thick smoke. Flames shoot across the floor. You run for the door.

  Outside, you gulp the fresh air. Whew! You made it.

  You glance back. No smoke. No fire. No tent! Everything has disappeared! What should you do now?

  If you decide to help the freaks, go to PAGE 11.

  If you don’t want to help the freaks, go to PAGE 113.

  “There’s a sign!” you call out to Patty and Brad. “Let’s see what it says.”

  The three of you race through the wet grass. Your socks are drenched. And your sneakers squeak as you run. But that’s not the sound that’s sending chills down your spine.

  It’s the hissing. It’s growing louder.

  “I’m not sure I want to read that sign,” you call out to Patty and Brad.

  “I know what you mean!” Patty shouts back. “I have a feeling we’re not going to like what it says.”

  And you don’t. You reach the sign and read it aloud. “Reptile Petting Zoo! Whoever heard of a Reptile Petting Zoo! What kind of carnival is this anyway?”

  “This carnival is e-evil,” Brad stammers.

  You’re about to agree when you notice the grass in front of you is swaying. Something is slithering through it. Something big. And then it comes into view.

  “Snake!” Brad cries.

  You know you have to run — but which way? Left or right?

  If you run to the left, turn to PAGE 125.

  If you run to the right, turn to PAGE 12.

  You’re too scared to turn around. And too scared not to. Risking a glance over your shoulder, you see a large, dark shape behind you. It’s a big man. No. You squint hard. It’s dark and hairy with muddy leaves and green vines trailing from its body. It’s some sort of swamp monster!

  You run as fast as you can. Your chest is on fire. The swamp monster is gaining on you.

  You know you should keep running, but your heart feels as if it’s about to explode. You have to stop.

  You turn and stare right into the swamp monster’s bloody eyes. “Neat costume,” you say hopefully.

  Good try — but the swamp monster isn’t wearing a costume. He’s real and this, unfortunately, is really …

  THE END

  You decide to wait for Big Al.

  “Big Al has to free the freaks,” you say to Patty and Brad. “If he doesn’t, we’ll tell him we’re calling the police!”

  “Free the freaks?” Big Al says, bursting into the room. “The freaks are free to go any time. This prison is just part of the show. Did you pull that ‘free us’ joke on him?” Big Al laughs heartily.

  “He’ssss lying,” the Snake Lady says. “We’re prisonersssss.”

  “Oh, come now,” Big Al says. “You’re not prisoners.” And with that he unlocks all the cell doors. Then he turns to you and your friends.

  “As you can see, the freaks are free. Now, come with me. You haven’t even tried one game on the midway.”

  “Don’t go with him. It’sssss a trick!” the Snake Lady cries.

  Should you go with Big Al?

  Who’s telling the truth? Al or the Snake Lady?

  If you want to go with Al, turn to PAGE 84.

  If you trust the Snake Lady, turn to PAGE 102.

  Bump.

  A chute opens up. You land headfirst on soft grass.

  You blink several times. A long sigh escapes from your lips. It wasn’t the Doom Slide after all.

  As you climb to your feet you hear someone call your name.

  You glance up and shout for joy. It’s Brad! And Patty’s there, too!

  You tell them about your scary ride on the slide — about how you thought you’d slide forever.

  “Cool!” Patty exclaims. “Let’s all ride it this time!”

  “No!” you tell her. “This carnival is too weird. And dangerous. Something’s not right. We have to get out of here. Now!”

  “Yeah,” Brad agrees. “The faster, the better.”

  “I have an idea,” Patty announces. You and Brad huddle around her. “I spotted a back way out of here. But it’s a little risky. We have to squeeze through a barbed-wire fence — and it’s guarded by the carnival’s security forces. But we should try!”

  Are you going to listen to Patty?

  Follow Patty? Turn to PAGE 48.

  You choose not to take the back way out? Go to PAGE 86.

  The House of Horrors! You have to see it. You just have to!

  “I’ll catch up with you guys later,” you call to Patty and Brad. “I’m going to check out the haunted house.”

  You glance down at your map for directions. The rickety wooden bridge over to your left appears to lead straight there.

  As you start across the bridge, the wooden planks creak under your feet. Then the bridge begins to sway. You look down. Way down. The bridge spans a deep, rocky gorge. Gulping, you grab the handrail. You move slowly. A strong wind blows up from the canyon below. The bridge is swaying wildly now, tossing from side to side.

  A massive spear of lightning splits the sky. Thunder rumbles so loudly you jump and lose your balance. “Help!” you scream as you tumble right over the side — and plunge toward the jagged rocks below!

  How can you save yourself?

  Make a grab for the side of the bridge? Turn to PAGE 46.

  Flap your arms and try to fly? Turn to PAGE 30.

  The walls are closing in faster now.

  You throw your arms out and try to push them away. But it’s hopeless. You’re going to be crushed like a bug.

  You suck in a deep breath — it could be the last breath you take.

  The floor opens beneath your feet!

  You drop down. Down. Down. Down. A long, agonizing scream escapes from your throat as you tumble through space.

  Will you ever hit bottom?

  “Incoming player,” you hear a commanding voice shout. “Stations, everybody.”

  A layer of webbing catches you like one of those nets trapeze artists use. Gasping, unable to understand what’s happening, you bounce up and down.

  Bounce to PAGE 31.

  You start up the brick path to the House of Horrors. Suddenly, someone sneaks up behind you and taps you on the shoulder. You spin around and jump back.

  Standing in front of you is a bony skeleton.

  And it talks.

  “Don’t go in there,” the skeleton says. “Or you’ll end up like me….”

  You stare in terror at the hideous creature. Then you burst out laughing.

  “Wow! You guys really want to make the haunted house totally creepy. This is going to be great!” you say.

  You’re still chuckling as you push open the giant oak door of the House of Horrors. It swings back with a long, loud creak.

  You step inside and find yourself in a narrow hallway. The door slams shut behind you and the hall turns darker than a starless night. “I can’t even see my hands!” you exclaim.

  You stumble ahead slowly, pressing your palms against the walls to guide you.

  When will this tunnel end?

  Look for a way out on PAGE 80.

  Thrumpff! Your foot plows into the doctor’s stomach again. But this time, it smashes right through i
t. And hits … solid steel!

  The crunch of metal echoes in the room — along with the doctor’s screams. “Aiiii!” he wails like a siren.

  You gaze into the gaping hole your sneaker made. Thousands of circuits and wires burn and crackle inside it. The doctor is a robot! Well, an ex-robot now. Your kick totally destroyed him.

  That’s the good news.

  The bad news is headed for you. It’s the monster with the blue horns and red, bulging eyes.

  You scramble out of the net and dash toward the door. But the monster is too quick for you. His tentacle arms shoot out and snatch you. Giant suckers at the ends of his wrists circle your throat.

  You gasp for air as the monster pins you against the wall. Can you free yourself from his oozing grasp?

  Try, on PAGE 91.

  You slowly lower yourself onto the slide. You start to stretch out your legs when the bottom tilts underneath you and throws you forward. You’re sliding! Fast!

  The surface must be made of some kind of special material because you’re zooming down at top speed.

  You hold your breath as you fly through the blackness. A bump sends you bouncing into the air. You scream. And scream.

  When is it going to end?

  Oh, no! Could this be the Doom Slide?

  You hear screams echo in the darkness. You twist around. But you don’t see anyone.

  The ghostly screams grow louder — in front of you, next to you, behind you. Screaming and sliding. And sliding. Never stopping.

  You gasp for breath. And then you hear it.

  A voice cuts through the blackness. Through the screams. A voice that cries, “Welcome to the rest of your life. Welcome to the Doom Slide!”

  THE END

  “Karru marri odonna loma molonu karrano.” You say the magic words and — the dummy comes to life!

  He opens his mouth and speaks. “Hey, you. Your face reminds me of a wart I once had removed.”

  “Come on,” you plead. “We’re the ones who brought you back to life. Aren’t you going to be nice to us? We need your help.”

  “I’m sorry,” the dummy says. “I’m sorry you’re so ugly….” Then he laughs at his own lame joke.

  You stare at him and his face grows serious. “You brought me to life,” he says slowly, “but now you are my slaves.

  “Forever — until …

  “THE END.”

  Wait! This isn’t the way this is supposed to end. Quick — you have one last chance. If the fortune-teller told you a secret number, go to that page now!

  “Nine … ten …”

  “Brad, shut up. Look at this!”

  You point to the letters on the front of the train car.

  You’ve been staring at them the entire time. Why didn’t you notice them before?

  “What about the letters?” Patty says sharply.

  “Eleven …”

  “Don’t you see what they say?” you shoot back.

  “ ‘Right-Way Railroad,’ ” Patty reads. “So what?”

  The chants of the merry-go-round people echo in your head. There’s only one right way. There’s only one right way.

  Could it be?

  “Twelve!”

  Now what?

  Turn to PAGE 52.

  Sorry. It’s not your lucky day. As you dash toward the sign, the giant crane scoops the three of you up and drops you off into a hollowed-out log. You barely have time to sit up straight before the craft reaches the waterfall!

  You hold your breath as the log teeters on the fall’s edge. As it plunges over, you scream.

  A hard spray smacks you in the face and drenches your clothing as you race down the long slide. At the bottom, the log hits a pool of water and sinks.

  You’re still holding your breath as you wait to bob to the surface again. But it never happens. You keep going down.

  Your last thought is that you’re going to set a world’s record for holding your breath underwater.

  You’d better set a world’s record for closing the book and starting over again. Maybe next time you dive in you’ll have better luck.

  THE END

  You step up to the Guess Your Weight on Mars booth. A woman in a space suit motions you inside a gate. You pass through and find yourself in the middle of a courtyard that looks just like a miniature launching site — complete with its own rocket!

  “Security check,” the lady says as she presses your hand onto a fake scanner.

  “So how does this game work?” you ask.

  “I’ll guess how much you weigh on Mars,” she explains. “Then you’ll enter the planet simulation chamber and stand on the scale. If I’m stumped by more than one pound up or down, you win a giant candy bar.”

  “What if you guess right?”

  The space lady doesn’t say anything at first. She just smiles. A nasty smile. Then she answers.

  “You lose,” is all she says.

  Go to PAGE 18.

  Your reflexes are great. You jumped out fast enough and escaped the ghost — that ghost. But you didn’t see the other one behind the car — waiting for you.

  Your heart hammers away in your chest as it circles you. Around and around and around.

  “It’s all right,” you tell yourself over and over. “It’s not real. This is just a ride in an amusement park.”

  You’re still telling yourself that as the ghost plucks you off your feet.

  His black lips part.

  He opens his mouth — wider and wider. Until it’s as wide as an entrance to a cave.

  Then he stuffs you inside.

  Instantly, you feel lightheaded, then light all over. You peek down at your hands.

  You can see straight through them. You’ve been turned into a ghost! And as your senses fade, you hear a distant bell chime twelve times. Too bad. The Carnival of Horrors will be one of your favorite haunts — forever!

  THE END

  Round and round you go. The world is a blur of colors. You can hear the crowd screaming. “FI-NAL! FI-NAL!”

  And the wheel stops.

  “Ahhhhhh,” the crowd gasps.

  What does it mean?

  “YOU WIN,” Big Al says. “Now come this way to collect your prize and go home.”

  Turn to PAGE 131.

  The three of you duck inside the Hall of the Mountain King!

  A painted backdrop of rounded, snowcapped mountains rises on your left. Up in the mountains, a big stone castle rests in the sunshine. A group of cheerful elves picks flowers in the castle’s garden.

  To your right, you spot the ride — wooden carts pulled by real horses. “Come on!” you call to your friends. “Jump in a cart. This is great. We’ll be out of here in no time.” No time — that reminds you. You glance at your watch. 11:45!

  You all scramble into one of the carts and grab the reins. Your horse plods forward, and you pass through a painted stone archway.

  You gasp. Everything in the painted backdrop is now in front of you. And it has suddenly become real. But different!

  The snowcapped mountains rise to black, jagged peaks that pierce the sky. The big stone castle huddles on a scary, dark hill. And the elves — they aren’t picking flowers.

  They’re …

  Turn to PAGE 96.

  You dig deep into the side pocket of your jeans — and find it! The chocolate bar you won.

  It’s a good thing you didn’t eat it all — but will the vulture go for it?

  Without warning, the big bird starts his final approach, diving straight for the nest. You pull out the candy and wave it frantically in front of him. “Treat! Treat!” you holler. These words make your dog at home go wild. But will it work on the vulture?

  Yes! He cracks open his claws — just enough for you to wiggle loose. Then you’re falling, falling.

  You’ve landed on a giant trampoline.

  Fwanggg!

  Now you’re going up again. Higher this time. Now you’re falling again.

  Fwanggg — you’ve bounced
up even higher this time.

  Every life has its ups and downs, but it looks as if you’ll be bouncing up and down forever — and boy, is it fun!

  THE END!

  THE END!

  THE END!

  THE END!

  “Let’s head for the midway and play some games!” you say.

  You, Patty, and Brad jog down a wide avenue. Tents of every color line the street. Carnival music blares from loudspeakers.

  You spot a green neon sign flashing above a yellow-striped tent. The sign reads: MADAME ZENO — FORTUNE-TELLER.

  “Excellent!” you exclaim. “I’m going in!”

  You tell your friends you’ll catch up with them in a minute.

  You lift the tent flap. Inside, one small candle flickers in the dark. You hear a low voice call out, “Enter my chamber.”

  There is Madame Zeno, sitting in the shadows. She wears a long red dress dotted with brightly colored gems. They shimmer in the candlelight. Her black hair tumbles to her shoulders as she bends over a large crystal ball.

  “Welcome,” she whispers. Then she reaches out and gently lifts your hand. “Let me tell you your future.”

  To find your future, go to PAGE 78.

  Madame Zeno studies your hand closely. She traces the lines in your hand with her soft fingers.

  “I see horror in your future. In your immediate future,” she warns.

  “Wh-what kind of horror?” you stammer. “What do you mean?”

  Madame Zeno releases your hand. She picks up a strange deck of cards. She spreads them out on the table. You notice the cards have pictures — a headless man, a bloody sword, a large, evil eye.

  She gathers up all the cards and flips the deck over. Then she deals out a red card and a blue card.