The Twisted Tale of Tiki Island Read online

  RUMBLE!

  Uh-oh. What’s that? Is it your imagination, or is the lagoon really trembling under your feet?

  RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

  No. It’s not your imagination at all!

  Should you warn the skeleton men to stop laughing before it’s too late? Or should you let nature take its course and try to escape when the walls of the lagoon tumble?

  If you warn the laughing skeleton men, go to PAGE 44.

  If you let the walls come tumbling down, go to PAGE 69.

  You rush over to Gina, ready to yank the mask off her face.

  “Just kidding!” Gina crows. She pulls off the purple Tiki mask easily and drops it on the pile of the other rejected masks. “Got you!” she teases.

  “You jerk!” you scold. But you can’t help chuckling. You and Gina burst out laughing.

  Then you notice the masks on the wall trembling slightly. “Shhh!” you hush Gina. She stops giggling immediately.

  You and Gina stare at the masks on the wall. They click and clack as some unseen force shakes the room. You hear pounding.

  Footsteps!

  Huge, heavy, loud footsteps!

  “Wh-wh-what’s that?” Gina stammers.

  “Whatever it is,” you murmur, “it’s big!”

  You glance around, searching for a way out. There’s a tunnel on the other side of the room. But that’s where the footsteps are coming from!

  The only other way out is the way you came in — through the secret door. Which leads back into the cave with the waiting Tiki warriors!

  The footsteps are even louder now! What should you do?

  If you take your chances with the Tiki warriors and run back through the secret door, turn to PAGE 18.

  If you think you’ll have better luck staying where you are, turn to PAGE 105.

  As soon as you make the wish, everything changes! You’re no longer standing on the volcano searching for Gina. You’re back in the water, snorkeling!

  Brightly colored fish dart through the purple coral. To your surprise, Gina taps you on the shoulder. She points to an opening in the reef. It’s an undersea cave. She wants you to explore it with her.

  You’re about to follow Gina. You glance down at the ocean floor. You thought you saw something gleaming.

  But there’s nothing there. No, you realize, I must have been seeing things.

  Then you pop your head out of the water. You notice Kala waving and yelling from the boat. A shadow slices through the water. Now you remember.

  It’s a shark!

  Go to PAGE 52.

  “Why should they be afraid of an old mask?” Gina demands.

  “Ssshhh!” you whisper. You yank Gina behind a bush to watch.

  Oates strides out of the shack. Every worker he passes falls to the ground. Some scream in fear. Some kneel before Oates as if he were royalty.

  “Don’t you see?” you murmur to Gina. “There must be a power connected with the Tiki mask. Wearing it makes him a leader of some kind. That’s why he wanted the mask so badly.”

  Gina gasps. “Look!” She points a shaky finger toward the opposite edge of the jungle.

  Your body trembles. Dozens of figures wearing Tiki masks creep out of the jungle!

  Turn to PAGE 131.

  Dr. Oates sure is moody, you think. He swings from nice to mean to nice awfully fast.

  So fast that he’s already back to smiling.

  “I must have that Tiki Eye,” he tells you. “I’ll give you money for it. I’m willing to pay any amount. Within reason, of course.”

  You glance at Gina. You can see she’s thinking what you’re thinking. Some extra cash could come in very handy while you’re on vacation.

  “Well,” you begin, “would fifty dollars be fair?”

  Dr. Oates laughs. “Fifty dollars! No, that’s not fair. I’ll give you each one hundred dollars! Now that’s fair!”

  Is it?

  You wonder what makes this broken stone piece worth anything at all.

  If you take the money, turn to PAGE 30.

  If you turn down the offer, turn to PAGE 13.

  “Swim, Gina!” you shout. “Swim away!”

  You and Gina desperately stroke through the water. You glance back over your shoulder. You watch in horror as the skeleton leaps off the ragged-edged deck and glides effortlessly toward you.

  “He’s after us!” you scream. How can a skeleton swim? you wonder. His dried, white bones rattle against each other as he races to catch up with you.

  You and Gina swim as fast as you can. But the terrifying bone man is gaining. A wide-brimmed, feathered pirate hat casts a shadow over his skeleton face. But you can see his mouth wide open in an angry scream.

  When you reach the black-sand shore, he’s right behind you. Breathlessly, you tear off your snorkeling gear and toss it on the beach. Gina is right behind you. You notice several tunnels in the wall of the cave. You dart into the nearest one.

  “Follow me, Gina!” you yell. Your legs are unstoppable now. You race into the tunnel, leading the way. Your heart pounds as you dash through the twists and turns. Then you glance behind you.

  Both Gina and the skeleton are gone!

  Turn to PAGE 70.

  In the first painting, four figures gather around a fire in a cave. Two of the figures are Tiki warriors. Two are kids dressed in shorts and T-shirts.

  Like you and Gina.

  In the next panel, the warriors hold long-handled tools over the fire. Each tool ends in a different shape. One has a sun. The other has a moon.

  You gasp when you see the third panel! In it, the Tiki warriors are using the tools to brand the kids!

  A movement near the fire distracts you from the terrifying wall paintings. The two Tiki warriors turn around. And they’re holding red-hot branding tools!

  Just like the ones in the paintings on the wall!

  Things are getting too hot to handle!

  “Flash the Tiki Eye at them,” Gina urges.

  You don’t know what the Tiki Eye’s powers might be. Maybe it will scare them off. Or maybe it will just make them angry.

  You glance at the sharp stalagmites rising from the cave floor. Could you use one as a weapon?

  Do something! Unless you want to smell burning flesh! Yours!

  If you flash the Tiki Eye at the warriors, turn to PAGE 33.

  If you grab a stalagmite and use it as a sword, turn to PAGE 60.

  That’s because he has seen a ghost!

  A second later, you and Gina see the ghost, too.

  A twelve-foot-tall mass of vapor takes shape. A scarred and scratched Tiki mask appears where the head should be. War paint decorates its shimmering arms and legs.

  “Oh, no!” Dr. Oates murmurs. “It’s the spirit of the Tiki King. There are many legends about him. He died trying to take over the island. He failed. Now he walks as a ghost, still attempting to win his last battle.”

  “Do the legends say if he’s dangerous?” you ask nervously.

  “V-v-very dangerous,” Dr. Oates stammers.

  “Do the legends tell how to escape?” Gina is so frightened, her voice squeaks.

  Dr. Oates anxiously rubs his face. “I-I-I can’t remember!” he cries.

  The ghost seems to be searching for something. Trees topple as he yanks them out of the ground. Dirt and stones fly as the spirit kicks aside bushes and plants.

  And now, he’s headed straight toward you!

  Keep your knees from shaking until PAGE 37.

  “No!” you cry. “Don’t throw us in the brig. We’ll lead you out of here. We’ll do anything you say. Just let us go. Please!”

  “A wise decision,” Captain Bones snaps. Then he turns to the skeleton crew. “Bring the treasure!” he commands.

  The skeletons hurriedly lift trunk after trunk filled with gold, gems, and jewels they stole from the Tiki Islanders years ago. “Lead the way, then,” Captain Bones orders you. “And don’t try any funny business!”

  You and Gina d
ive over the side of the pirate ship. The skeleton crew jumps in after you. Even with the weight of the treasure chests they manage to swim through the water.

  “What will we do now?” Gina whispers as she swims next to you. “Are we really going to let them go through with their plan to take over Tiki Island?”

  “Not if my own plan works,” you reply. “Go along with what I say and do.”

  Go to PAGE 127.

  “Get it off of me!” you yell. You shake your foot as hard as you can. The eye doesn’t budge. It stares up at you.

  Your heart pounds as you realize the truth. “Hooahtoo was right,” you wail. “It’s the curse! The eye will be on me wherever I go!”

  “Just kick it off,” Gina orders.

  “Don’t you think I’m trying?” you snap. You shake your foot again. The stone fragment doesn’t move.

  Gina kneels down. She tries to pry the stone eye from your sneaker.

  Without warning, your foot suddenly kicks out. It knocks Gina hard on the chin. She flies backward several feet.

  “Gina!” you cry. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to —”

  Gina cuts you off. “Forget it!” she huffs. “That’s no way to treat someone who’s trying to help!” She storms away.

  You gaze after her sadly. She’ll never believe that it was the Tiki Eye on your shoe that made you kick her. It was as if it was controlling your foot!

  And now, the eye on your sneaker is making you walk!

  Fast!

  Quick! Race-walk to PAGE 80.

  The dirt walls are covered with masks. “There are even more masks than there are lizards!” you exclaim. “There must be a zillion Tiki masks in here!”

  “This must be where the special Tiki mask is hidden!” Gina declares. She stares at the enormous collection of masks. “But how will we ever figure out which mask is the right one?”

  “It’s obvious!” you exclaim. “The correct mask is the one that’s missing an eye, dummy!”

  Gina glares at you. “Well, duhhh,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Who are you calling dummy, dummy?”

  She waves a hand at the collection of masks.

  You step closer to the wall, to take a better look.

  “Oh,” you murmur.

  Sigh in frustration. Then turn to PAGE 117.

  You try to pull yourself up the smooth tree trunk. But you’ve barely moved an inch when two of the unmasked men in skeleton wet suits run and grab you. They drag you down and throw you next to Gina.

  “You found me!” Gina exclaims.

  “You may regret it,” the fake skeleton with the whip grunts. “Okay, you nosy kids,” he continues. “So you two wanted to do some exploring, eh? You should have quit when you found the shipwreck. You should have settled for a few crummy gold coins and gone back to where you came from. You don’t really think we’re going to share the diamonds with you, do you?”

  “We didn’t even know the diamonds were here,” you sputter. “We don’t want them. We just want to get back to the Tiki Resort.”

  “Ha!” the man with the whip laughs. He snaps his whip in the air and brings his face next to yours. “Sorry, kid,” he says. “There’s no going back. Your exploring days are over!”

  Go to PAGE 71.

  You don’t want to risk opening the door. You don’t want to face those Tiki warriors again.

  Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The pounding footsteps come closer.

  Closer. Closer.

  Your mouth opens to scream. But you are too terrified to make a sound.

  Then, the largest lizard you’ve ever seen emerges from the tunnel and enters the mask room. It’s so huge, its back brushes against the ceiling. Its flicking tongue nearly reaches across the room.

  It takes another heavy step toward you. The Tiki masks rattle and fall to the floor. The lizard flicks its split tongue at you, missing you by inches. Gina collapses to the floor beside you.

  The monstrous reptile takes another step closer. Again, it flicks out its tongue. Now you can see the rows of sharp teeth gleaming in its gigantic mouth.

  “Eyyyyahhh!” you shriek. You hold up your hands to protect your face.

  The lizard lifts its huge webbed foot.

  And freezes.

  Go to PAGE 58.

  You don’t know how you stand it, but finally the five-hour course ends.

  The tape finishes.

  Gina snores in the corner. You stand and stretch. Then Dr. Oates unlocks the door and enters smiling.

  “So?” he asks. “Did you enjoy my lectures?”

  “Well, um … ,” you stammer, not sure of what to say.

  But it doesn’t matter. Before you can respond, Dr. Oates grips your arm. He brings his face close to yours. “Now tell me why you’re really here,” he demands.

  You have no choice. You unroll your towel to show Dr. Oates the stone piece.

  But it’s not there!

  It’s disappeared!

  Turn to PAGE 28. Maybe the mysterious eye is over there, looking around!

  “Gina!” you scream. But she can’t hear you over the roar of the churning lava pool below. You don’t know what you want to say, anyway. Maybe just “good-bye.”

  You’re about to yell your farewell. You clear your throat.

  Then you remember the Tiki Eye. It saved you before.

  Maybe it can save you again.

  You face the eye toward the ocean of liquid fire. The glow of the eye meets the glow of the hot lava. For a second, nothing happens.

  Than a powerful jet of hot wind whooshes up from below. It blows you and Gina upward. Higher and higher. Farther and farther from the fire.

  You hold the Tiki Eye to your lips and kiss it. “Thank you!” you shout.

  The wind changes direction. With the power of a tornado, you and Gina fly into a small chamber inside the volcano mountain. You hit the rock wall with a THUD! and fall to the ground.

  Turn to PAGE 34.

  The skeleton must have grabbed Gina. You turn around and race back out of the tunnel. You stand on the shore, gazing at the shipwreck in the blue-black water.

  You gasp! The horrible skeleton is dragging Gina through a window in the side of the ship!

  You dive into the pool and swim toward the tilting ship. “I’m coming, Gina,” you whisper to yourself. “Don’t worry!”

  You swim underwater most of the way. As you approach the half-sunken ship, you open your eyes underwater to see it. The pink glow from the cave walls lights the scene.

  The ship is huge! Its hull is stabbed by the rotted half hull of another ship. Treasure is scattered about the ocean floor like so much ocean junk. Gold coins, pearls, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires dot the sand.

  You’d love to take a closer look. Exploring a pirate ship filled with treasure would be awesome! But Gina needs you on deck.

  Besides, two very scary-looking skeletons stand guard inside the ripped hull of the ship.

  Turn to PAGE 32.

  “Come on, Gina,” you say hurriedly. “Follow that guy!” You start up the mountain.

  “But the volcano!” Gina gasps, scrambling after you.

  “Hooahtoo said we’re in danger as long as we have the stone piece,” you remind Gina. “He also told us we have to go to the volcano to get rid of it. The volcano erupting may be the danger he was talking about.”

  “Just throw it away!” Gina pleads. She stops climbing. “Let someone else find it and put it back. Besides, you’re at the foot of the volcano. Maybe this is close enough!”

  Gina’s face is red, and she’s almost shouting.

  You don’t want her to be mad at you. And maybe she’s right. The volcano could be dangerous.

  But if you throw the stone away down here, will the curse go away with it?

  Or will the curse be worse because you didn’t follow Hooahtoo’s instructions?

  Maybe you should pretend to throw the stone away. Later, when Gina is calmer, you can continue your mission.

  If you throw the
stone piece up the mountain, turn to PAGE 124.

  If you pretend to throw it away to calm Gina, turn to PAGE 24.

  “We didn’t give it to him, he bought it!” Gina protests. “We have to get out of here! What if he looks at us through those evil Tiki Eyes? Please! Let’s go!”

  “All right,” you agree. “Let’s go!”

  You dart down the path. But a figure in a Tiki mask blocks your way. You turn around and face another silent Tiki guard. You’re surrounded. And so is Gina!

  You know Gina is surrounded, because you can see her through the Tiki guard in front of you.

  Gulp!

  That’s right.

  You can see through all of the Tiki guards.

  These aren’t Dr. Oates’s masked workers. These are full-fledged Tiki warrior spirits. Commanded by the wearer of the Tiki mask. And you-know-who is in charge!

  Dr. Oates bellows more of the terrible chant:

  “Tiki Eye! Tiki Eye!

  Use your power

  Make them —”

  Well, you know the rest. No need to rub it in. Why torture you with the awful words? Let’s just get this over with.

  But don’t feel too bad. You were very brave. Right up to

  THE END.

  You take the deepest breath you can. Then you swim after Gina toward the cave in the reef. You know the shark is close behind. You hope the cave entrance will be too small for the huge fish.

  You squeeze through the opening. You don’t dare glance back at the shark. You just keep following behind Gina, swimming deeper into the cave.

  This is deeper than you’ve ever snorkeled before. The cave darkens as the walls come closer and closer together. It’s more like an underwater tunnel than a cave. You worry that soon you won’t be able to fit through. What if you get stuck in here?