Escape from the Carnival of Horrors Read online

  But wait! It is circling back now in a nice, slow approach. It glides up to you, and gigantic hands pull you onto the boat.

  “You saved me!” you cry.

  You gaze up and gasp in surprise. The man in the other boat isn’t a man — it’s a monster with a drooling snout and rows of jagged teeth.

  “Save you? Save you?” the monster repeats.

  His red eyes light up. “Save you … good idea,” he says. “I won’t eat you now. I’ll save you for a midnight snack!”

  THE END (Burp!)

  You make it! You make it out of the park!

  You also make it out of the state!

  In fact, the last time anyone saw you, Patty, and Brad, you were all a tiny blip on NASA’s radar screen.

  Congratulations! You escaped from the Carnival of Horrors.

  Happy landings!

  THE END

  “I’m not going anywhere with you, Big Al. I believe the Snake Lady!”

  “So do I,” says Patty.

  “Me, too!” Brad echoes.

  “That’s too bad,” Big Al says. Then he turns to the Snake Lady.

  “And as for you, Miss Reptilia — I told you, you’ve been overacting. If these kids believe you, we won’t be able to torture them with our real horrors.”

  “Ssssssorry, bosssssss,” she says. “Sssssso what do you want me to do with them?”

  You can hardly believe it! Real horrors?

  “What kind of carnival is this?” you shout.

  “The Carnival of Horrorssssss,” the Snake Lady answers — and that’s the good news.

  Turn to PAGE 120 for the bad news.

  “We’ve got to jump,” you tell Patty and Brad. “It’s our only chance.”

  “Okay,” Brad agrees as your cart inches up to the chopping elves.

  “Come on,” you cry. “Now!” But Brad is too paralyzed with fear to move. You and Patty grab him and haul him toward the side of the cart.

  Your cart has reached the elves! One of them smirks as he lifts his ax.

  It’s right above your neck.

  You picture your head tumbling down the side of the mountain.

  With a loud cry, all three of you jump. You land with a thud on a rocky ledge. It breaks your fall. But the rock is too weak to hold all of you.

  You scream again as the edge tears loose and the world drops from under your feet. You tumble over and over, down the side of the mountain.

  Go to PAGE 109.

  You push open the red door. Another tunnel lies beyond it. You follow its twists and turns, and you realize that you’re sloshing through cold muddy water. It grows deeper and chillier as you go.

  With a cold shudder, you decide to head back — until you hear a slurping noise behind you. Whirling around, you watch in horrible fascination as giant earthworms crawl out of the mud. Gross!

  No way you’re heading back there. You clench your teeth and slog onward. Up ahead, you see a dim green light. Great! An exit.

  As you reach the end of the tunnel, you hear a low growl behind you. At first you try to pretend it’s your imagination. But there’s no mistaking the sound of thudding footsteps. Getting closer. And closer. And now it’s breathing down your neck!

  Go to PAGE 61.

  It’s a tree branch! Grabbing at you. Tugging, tugging at your hair. You can’t break free. Its gnarly stubs dig in deeper as you struggle.

  Suddenly, you feel something wrap itself around your arms. Then your legs. Closing in tighter. Tighter.

  You gaze down and see them — black knobby tree limbs twisting around you. Strangling you.

  You drop hold of the steering wheel and begin to claw at the branches, ripping them away.

  And then you peer up — and see a terrifying sight. It’s a huge tree. And you’re headed straight for it! You grasp the steering wheel to regain control of the boat. The tree is just inches away.

  Are you going to CRASH?!

  Turn to PAGE 90.

  “Unless what?” you scream. “Tell me!”

  “You can escape the Carnival of Horrors if you leave before closing time.”

  “When is closing time?” you shoot back.

  “When the last ride stops….” the lady whispers. “At midnight.”

  You glance at your watch — 11:40. Twenty minutes — that’s not so bad. But how do you get out of here?

  As if the lady can read your mind, she says, “There’s only one right way.”

  Then all around you, the crowd begins to chant.

  “ONLY ONE RIGHT WAY, ONLY ONE RIGHT WAY.” They repeat it over and over again.

  “What is it?” you scream. “Which way?”

  It’s useless. They’re not going to tell you.

  But it’s not midnight yet. There’s still time to figure it out.

  Until the floor begins to tremble. And the walls begin to shake.

  Earthquake!

  Turn to PAGE 42.

  “Sorry, Brad. I think Patty’s right,” you tell him as you turn toward the Hall of the Mountain King. “I think I spotted an exit there when we first came in.”

  Patty runs ahead. “Look!” she cries out. “There’s the path. It leads past the Hall of the Mountain King to the exit.”

  “Yeah, but who are those people up there?” Brad asks. “They’re blocking the way.”

  You peer up ahead and see them — the people in the old-fashioned clothes. And they’re still chanting — “Only one right way, only one right way.”

  “They’re not going to let us out!” Brad panics.

  “Okay. Okay. I have an idea,” you say calmly. “Let’s go into the Mountain King ride — maybe we can jump off at the end and sneak past them.”

  Do you have another choice? No.

  If you want to go on the Mountain King ride, turn to PAGE 75.

  If you want to go on the Mountain King ride, turn to PAGE 75.

  “We’ve got to get out of here, it’s almost midnight,” you say as you run toward the Halloween Express ride.

  “Hey, maybe we should try one of these cars,” Brad says, pointing to the red and orange cars that run on a track.

  The three of you crowd into a little car that’s really meant for two. You jam your foot on the gas pedal, and you’re flying!

  “All right!” Brad cheers. “We’re on our way home! Hey, I wonder why they call this Halloween Express?” he asks.

  You turn the wheel sharply to the left, and then you know why….

  Speed over to PAGE 54.

  You squeeze your eyes shut and wait for the crash. Finally, you land. You glance up. You’re at the foot of the Log Flume ride.

  You, Patty, and Brad have lots of cuts and bruises, but you’re okay! Terrific! you think — until you spot the army of elves with their axes. They’re rushing down the mountain toward you! The only escape is to enter the flume ride, so you dash inside.

  The Log Flume reminds you of a western logging camp, complete with log cabins, trees, trucks, and a sparkling blue lake.

  In the distance, you can hear the buzz of chain saws. And down by the lake, giant cranes pick up logs and plop them in the water. Some of the logs are hollowed out in the middle with seats for passengers. As you watch, the current catches one. It glides to the edge of a waterfall, plunges over, and shoots down.

  As you glance around, you spot an EXIT sign.

  Then to your horror, you see a giant crane swinging your way. “Duck!” you scream.

  Will you make it to the exit? Is this your lucky day?

  If you are reading this book on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday, go to PAGE 114.

  If it’s a Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday, go to PAGE 71.

  Something tells you that this monster is not a robot. This one is for real. Maybe it’s the way he stares into your eyes. Or maybe it’s the rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth jutting from his mouth.

  You take a step back. He takes a step closer. A drop of his drool drips on your hand. It sizzles and burns.

  Thi
s is the end, you figure. You’ll never escape the Carnival of Horrors. Never see your family or Patty and Brad again.

  The monster lifts his gigantic, clawed hand. He waves it over your head. And you wait for the searing pain as it plunges down to strike you.

  But that’s not what happens.

  The monster slowly lowers his hand and clutches at his own neck, and then — pulls his own head off! And when you discover what’s underneath, you know you’re still in big trouble!

  Quick — head over to PAGE 133.

  Your pulse pounds in your ears as you carefully lift yourself out of the car. The tunnel is dark and musty and really creepy. Anything could be lurking in the shadows.

  This must be part of the ride, you reason. And the more you think about it, the more convinced you are. You’re scared. But you have to admit, this is pretty cool.

  In the distance, you spot several red lights that seem to lead to other dimly lit tunnels. You cautiously head toward one of them. Overhead something dark and slimy drips. Splattering on the top of your head. Stinging your forehead.

  As you desperately try to wipe the burning slime away, something grabs you by the knees!

  Aaaah! You look down. A pair of red-rimmed eyes meet yours. It’s a dwarf with scraggly red hair and a toothless smile.

  “Want me to lead you out of here, kid?” he asks. You’re about to follow the dwarf, but then you stop. Is he part of the ride? He looks really evil. What do you do?

  Follow the dwarf? Go to PAGE 99.

  Decide not to follow the dwarf? Go to PAGE 33.

  Yeoow! Someone splashes cold water in your face. Your eyes open.

  “Come on! Wake up! It’s almost show time,” a raspy voice says.

  “Show time?” you say, gazing into the eyes of a dwarf. “What show?”

  “The Freak Show. You are the Amazing Siamese Triplets.”

  You glance around and see Patty on one side of you and Brad on the other. You try to pull away from them, but you can’t.

  “We’re stuck together with some kind of glue,” Patty says.

  “It isn’t glue,” Brad argues.

  “Is too!”

  “Is not!”

  Well, whatever it is — you are stuck. Stuck between your arguing friends for a long, long time — like forever. And here’s something you can’t argue about. This really is …

  THE END

  Help some freaks? That’s a good one! You laugh.

  You think about Madame Zeno, the fire, and the disappearing tent. Totally cool! You wonder who thought up such awesome special effects.

  You can’t wait to tell Brad and Patty all about it.

  You search for your friends in the big wooden booths that line the midway. Instead, you find incredible games of chance. Some test your eye-hand coordination. Others require pure luck. But they all offer the most amazing prizes you’ve ever seen — phones, video games, fifteen-speed mountain bikes. You can’t wait to play!

  You spot a booth across the midway with a crowd gathered in front. That’s odd, you think. Didn’t Big Al say we were the only people at the carnival tonight? You wonder if your friends are in the crowd. You move closer.

  “Oh. I get it,” you say aloud. “These people must work at the carnival.”

  You’re about to call out to them. Until you see their eyes. Strange, haunted eyes.

  See what happens on PAGE 16.

  This is your lucky day.

  You duck as the crane swings over your head.

  “Run!” you shout to your friends.

  You glance at your watch — 11:55. If you’re really lucky, you can still make it out of the carnival by midnight.

  You can see the exit up ahead. As you charge through the gate, you feel really hopeful — until you run into Big Al.

  He blocks the exit with his huge body. His massive hands are planted on his hips. “No one escapes from the Carnival of Horrors!” he roars.

  You’ve got to find a way out. Now!

  To your right is the entrance to Halloween Express — you could try that.

  Or maybe you should run down a different path. There’s got to be more exits around here somewhere.

  Choose fast!

  Run down a different path? Go to PAGE 5.

  Halloween Express? Go to PAGE 108.

  There’s nothing in your pocket but lint.

  “Help! Save me!” you cry.

  The vulture swoops down and drops you in the nest.

  The baby vultures approach.

  Mouths open — ready to peck you to death …

  But — good news! They don’t eat you. You fall out of the nest instead.

  Please, close the book fast, or the next sound you hear will be your body, hitting the ground with an awesome thud.

  THUD!

  Not fast enough. Okay, don’t go to pieces. Pull yourself together and prepare to visit the Carnival of Horrors again — the next time you’re brave enough to open this book!

  THE END

  ZAP!

  Big Al throws a switch and the magnet shuts off. You come flying down to earth — right where Brad and Patty are waiting.

  “I played your dumb game. Now, let us go!” you tell Big Al.

  Big Al doesn’t answer. But the crowd does. “SUD-DEN DEATH! SUD-DEN DEATH! SUD-DEN DEATH!”

  The crowd surges toward you. They are not friendly. They back you up against a wall. You’re trapped.

  Trapped by a mob!

  You reach into your pocket, hoping to find something that might help you. Something to save you …

  If you won a can of Monster Blood, go to PAGE 97.

  If you don’t have the Monster Blood, run to PAGE 27.

  You open the door and enter a room bursting with people who seem to be waiting for you. You think that’s weird until you study them — and realize something even stranger. They’re all dressed up in old-fashioned costumes.

  “Welcome to the Carnival of Horrors,” a tall woman with a red parasol says, smiling. “Nice of you to join us.”

  The Carnival of Horrors. The words send shivers down your spine.

  The woman with the parasol whispers in your ear, “Don’t you want to know the secret of the Carnival of Horrors?”

  You nod yes.

  “The Carnival of Horrors comes alive in a different place and a different time each night. Tonight we’re in your town. Tomorrow we could be in another country! But every place we stop, we invite kids like you to join us….”

  “Thanks for the invitation,” you say, “but I gotta go.”

  “I’m sorry.” The lady chuckles. “You can never escape from the Carnival of Horrors,” she says solemnly. “Unless …”

  Unless what? Turn to PAGE 106.

  You turn left. Somewhere ahead of you, you hear laughter.

  “Is somebody there?” you call out.

  Silence.

  You stare at your reflections in the mirrored hall.

  Am I trapped? you wonder. Am I in real danger? Or is this all a big, scary joke? Your heart begins to race.

  You inch forward a few more steps — moving toward the laughter. Slowly.

  “Over here,” a voice calls again. But now the voice seems to be coming from behind you!

  Turn to PAGE 36.

  HELP!

  You take charge of the reins to urge the horse on.

  “Giddyap, boy,” you and Patty shout. But your horse won’t move any faster.

  You shoot a glance up ahead. The elves are chopping … and a shiny blade … is now … right over … your head!

  “No,” you scream. “NO! Let me out of here.”

  You feel a sharp pain. And you realize you’ve just had the shortest haircut of your life. Unfortunately, they took a little too much off the top.

  THE END

  The bad news is the Snake Lady fooled you.

  “Throw them into the large cell with Harold and all the other prisoners,” Big Al commands.

  You are shoved into a dark cell. You hear a
click. You’re locked in. As the Snake Lady leaves with Big Al, you can hear their laughter echo down the hall.

  You glance into the other cells and think, the freaks are prisoners. They do need our help. Then you peer into the darkness of your cell — to find out who Harold is.

  There’s no way you could miss him. Harold is a giant. He’s huge — twice as big as a football player. His hands are, in fact, the size of two footballs. His arms look like tree trunks.

  At first you are afraid of him, but then you think, Hey! He’s trapped, too. Maybe we can convince him to help us. And then you get a big idea!

  Turn to PAGE 28.

  You grab the sides of the slide and lower yourself down. The second you sit, the slide’s floor tilts up beneath you and propels you forward.

  You shriek!

  You raise your arms and scream louder. You slide faster and faster. In total darkness. Darkness so black, you can’t even see your own feet in front of you.

  Your eyes dart frantically from side to side. Faces suddenly appear in the darkness in bright flashes of light. Faces of hideous monsters with deformed heads and oozing flesh.

  But you’re moving too fast to focus on them. You slide and slide — until the faces stop flashing and you’re covered in the thick, heavy blackness again.

  You scream as you round a sharp curve. Your head is spinning. You pick up speed.

  When will it end?

  Then you hear the screams. Chilling screams that echo through the darkness.

  Oh, no! You must have picked the Doom Slide!

  Zoom to PAGE 63.

  The creature slides one step toward you, and with a burning stare says, “I am not a robot. I am not going to shut down. So don’t bother with any of your silly, human tricks!”