The Twisted Tale of Tiki Island

by R. L. Stine

  “AAAhhhhh!” you scream in horror. “It’s a skeleton!”

  Turn to PAGE 98.

  Stones, sticks, and uprooted shrubs tear at your skin. You and Gina are caught in a tide of volcano debris spewing from the mouth of Kenalua.

  With a deafening roar, the earth beneath you cracks open like an overripe melon! A force from inside the crack sucks in you and Gina.

  With a loud GULP, the mountain swallows you both!

  Your vacation is very suddenly, very definitely over.

  You and Gina kick and scream in the stomach of the volcano. You grab hands and bounce around, trying to give the mountain indigestion. Your mother always taught you it was not polite to burp. But if only the volcano would do just that! One loud belch is all it would take to free you.

  Anything to make the grumbling mountain erupt.

  But your bouncing doesn’t work. The mountain seems to think you taste fine.

  Don’t you wish you didn’t have such good taste?

  THE END

  “But we don’t know how to get out of here,” you wail. “We got here by mistake!”

  Captain Bones doesn’t believe you. “Throw them into the brig!” he orders. “A few days aboard our ghost ship may change their minds!”

  Gina squeezes your arm. “Let’s just show them the waterfall,” she whispers shakily. “Maybe they can figure out the rest.”

  You think of your mom and Kala and all the rest of the islanders who have always been so friendly in the past. This horrible skeleton man wants to destroy them all! If you show him the way out, you may be responsible for causing the worst disaster Tiki Island has ever known.

  And if you refuse, you may never see daylight again.

  What should you do?

  If you decide to lead Captain Bones and his crew to the waterfall, turn to PAGE 101.

  If you refuse, turn to PAGE 74.

  Breathlessly, you run without looking back. Gina is panting and gasping. So are all the other islanders.

  At last you reach the end of the tunnel. You stand in the mouth of a cave looking out at the ocean. You made it! You’re safe!

  Something sharp in your bathing suit jabs you. It’s the piece of pink crystal you found. Taking it out, you hold it up to the sun. Through the crystal, everything looks rosy.

  Then you remember. It’s not just any old crystal. It’s a diamond. It could be worth thousands of dollars!

  You’re rich!

  Wow. Now things really look rosy!

  THE END

  “What’s it doing?” Gina gasps. “Why is it standing there like that?”

  You stare at the giant lizard. It stares back. It still doesn’t move.

  Then you realize it isn’t staring at you. It’s staring at your hand.

  The hand with the image of the eye burned into it.

  You test your theory. Very slowly, you wave your hand up and down. You watch the lizard’s beady yellow eyes follow the path of the eye.

  Then your mouth drops open in astonishment.

  The giant lizard kneels down, laying its head at your feet!

  Turn to PAGE 41.

  Hey — you cheated! But you still won’t make it through the tangled mess of octopuses’ arms. They’re squeezing you so tightly, you think you’ll be crushed.

  “Nooooooo!!!!” you scream in frustration. Then, because you can’t think of anything better to do, you open your mouth wide. You chomp down hard on an octopus tentacle.

  Bad idea.

  You’ve heard that a vampire bite will make you a vampire, right? And if you’re bitten by a were-wolf, well, you know the story.

  It works the same way with an octopus. Only in reverse. Yup! It doesn’t need to bite you. You just need to bite it!

  Don’t believe it? Glance down at your arm. Oops! I mean arms. Check out your big round head.

  Face it. You’ve turned into a giant octopus!

  All you were trying to do was lend Gina a hand. Now you don’t have one to lend her! But your new group of friends welcomes you with open arms and arms and arms and arms and arms and arms and arms and arms….

  THE END

  You snap off a long, pointed stalagmite. It’s a perfect sword! You swing it — and miss both Tiki warriors.

  Instead, you slam your weapon into an even bigger stalagmite rising all the way to the ceiling.

  “Look out!” Gina shrieks.

  The warriors come at you again. Again you swing — and miss.

  Hey — so you’ve got bad aim. You’re not a tennis player — you’re on the swim team!

  Once more, you swing and miss, hitting the huge stalagmite. You hit it so hard, your head spins.

  A rumbling sound shakes the cave. Is it thunder? Or is the volcano erupting?

  The cave shakes harder. The rumbling gets worse.

  “Watch out!” Gina screams. A hunk of the cave ceiling crashes to the ground. Even the two warriors seem terrified.

  “Oh, no! The Kalookie Cave is caving in on us!” you shout.

  Hurry to PAGE 79.

  You toss the eye down to Kala. Immediately, he puts it in the eyehole of the sacred Tiki mask.

  Kala holds the mask up for all to see. A third blast of purple vapor explodes. When the smoke clears, you discover the warriors have all disappeared into thin air!

  “No!” Hooahtoo screams. “My spirit warriors! They’re gone!”

  “That’s right, Hooahtoo,” Kala shouts. “You wanted to use the power of the mask for evil. But I chose to use it for good! The curse is lifted. Thanks for your help, my friends.” He smiles up at you. Then he glares at Hooahtoo again. “And now you’ll have to deal with some real people — the police!”

  Hooahtoo hangs silently from the spear. You almost feel sorry for the little guy.

  Almost.

  Turn to PAGE 135.

  Your eyes widen with horror. You clap your hand over Gina’s mouth to muffle her scream. You bite your tongue to keep from screaming yourself.

  The tour guide and loudmouthed guy have transformed. Before you stand two Tiki warriors! They carry gleaming spears. Crowns made of dried bones sit on their heads.

  “Look at those masks!” Gina gasps.

  “Tiki masks,” you murmur. “I saw masks like those in a ceremony here last year. But that was just for entertainment. I don’t think these two are putting on a show!”

  The two masked figures gaze at the flashing sky. They chant words in a language you don’t understand. Their tone is low and steady. It sounds like some kind of spell.

  You’re not sure if they’ve seen you and Gina. There’s a dark hollow underneath a rock next to you. Maybe both of you could fit in there. Should you try to hide? Or should you just stay still?

  The lighting flash fades. Darkness saves you.

  For now.

  But you won’t be safe for long.

  If you try to hide, scurry over to PAGE 90.

  If you freeze to avoid attracting their attention, go to PAGE 16.

  “Gina!” you shout. You stop and tread water. She spots you and waves. “Gina, come here!” you call again.

  “What’s wrong?” Gina says, swimming over.

  “There’s a shark nearby. Let’s get into the boat. Quickly!” you reply.

  Gina’s eyes widen fearfully. Without another word, she swims toward the boat.

  By now Kala has started the engine and he races over the reef to pick up you and Gina.

  “You’re safe!” he cries with relief, helping you into the boat.

  The stone is burning your skin! You yank it out of your bathing suit and throw it to the bottom of the boat.

  The mysterious eye stares up at you.

  Kala glances down. His expression changes from relief to surprise. He bends down to examine the stone.

  “No!” he gasps. A look of horror comes over his face.

  Go to PAGE 76.

  You watch in horrified fascination as ten more skeletons creep out of the thick vegetation. One of them reaches dow
n and pulls Gina up by one arm. She screams, but the skeleton holding her slaps a bony hand over her mouth. Gina twists and turns, trying to free herself. It’s hopeless.

  The first skeleton snaps his whip again. “Unmask!” he orders.

  At once all the skeletons curl their bony fingers around their own necks. You watch in total shock.

  The skeletons are pulling off their heads!

  You gasp! The skeletons are not skeletons at all. They’re men in wet suits designed to look like skeletons.

  Unfortunately, the one holding Gina heard you gasp.

  “There’s her friend!” he cries.

  He’s spotted you. Now what? You could turn back through the tunnel and try to get help. But they may take Gina, and you’ll never find her again.

  Or you could try to hide by climbing the tree in front of you.

  Whatever you decide, do it NOW!

  If you run back through the tunnel, turn to PAGE 23.

  If you climb the tree, go to PAGE 104.

  “What should I do?” you wail. “Kala said you would tell me.”

  “Kala is right,” Hooahtoo answers slowly. “Listen carefully.” He fixes his blind eyes on you. You can’t tear your own eyes away.

  “You have found a piece of the sacred Tiki mask stolen from the sacred Tiki altar. The eye must be replaced. Then and only then will the curse be lifted from Tiki Island.”

  You glance at the masks on the wall. None of them is missing an eye. “Where is the Tiki mask?” you ask.

  “In the land of fire,” Hooahtoo whispers. “In the land of Tiki Magic. That is where the Tiki Eye must go.”

  Turn to PAGE 122.

  You and Gina struggle, but it’s no use. You can’t escape.

  The two warriors shove you and Gina to the floor. Holding their spears at your throats, they order you to lie still. Then they cross to the fire pit at the center of the Kalookie Cave.

  The Tiki warriors whisper in a language you don’t understand. You shudder as you imagine what they’re plotting. Their backs are turned as they busy themselves with something near the fire.

  You gaze around the cave. Shadows stretch and shiver across the walls. Spikes of stone that look like upside-down icicles grow out of the floor. Stalagmites. They make you think of gleaming weapons waiting to be seized.

  You notice a series of old cave paintings on the walls. They seem to tell a story.

  Can they tell you why the Tiki warriors brought you to the Kalookie Cave?

  Well, can they? You won’t find out here! Get over to PAGE 99!

  Dr. Oates stops glaring at you. A smile cracks through his scruffy stubble. “So, it’s a lecture you want, eh?” he remarks. “Come with me.” Grabbing each of you by an arm, he drags you out of the shack. He marches you toward another, larger hut.

  Did Dr. Oates buy your story? you wonder.

  “Well, my young friends, it’s a lecture you’re going to get,” Dr. Oates tells you. He gestures for you and Gina to sit. Then he sets a tape recorder on a table. “See you when the lecture is over.”

  He pushes the start button on the tape player and leaves.

  You hear the key turn in the lock.

  You and Gina are trapped!

  “Welcome to Dr. Oliver Oates’s lecture series,” the tape begins. “In this five-hour course you will come to understand the development of all of earth’s cultures. That’s right! Every single one of them! From the most ancient times right to the present. Nothing will be left out. You will learn everything you ever wanted to know. And then some! So sit back, relax, and enjoy.”

  Five hours of lectures? Oh, brother! That’s what you get for lying!

  Learn your lesson on PAGE 106.

  You need that light. Skeletons or no skeletons, you’ve got to untie Gina. Otherwise it will be impossible for the two of you to escape.

  Your fingers fumble nervously as they search for the flashlight. At last you feel the cool metal shaft. You pull the light off your belt and turn it on.

  It flickers dimly. You hit it with your palm. Finally, a steady beam gleams. You shine it on Gina.

  And scream in horror!

  This isn’t Gina! It’s a skeleton! A fresh one! Shreds of rotting flesh still hang from the bones of whoever this is.

  Or was.

  A terrible thought enters your mind.

  What if this is all that’s left of your cousin?

  You can’t stop screaming!

  Turn to PAGE 45.

  You decide not to warn the skeleton men of what’s about to happen to this lagoon. You grab Gina and run.

  The whip-cracking skeleton man notices you. He stops laughing. “They’re getting away!” he shouts. He cracks his whip wildly in the air.

  You and Gina dash toward the tunnel. Freedom! you think as you run. But just as you’re about to enter the tunnel, a hand reaches out from the diamond wall and grabs you.

  The hand pulls you up to a row of steel bars. “Save us, too!” pleads the woman gripping you. The bars block the entrance to a small cave.

  Huddled inside is the group of missing islanders!

  Quickly, you glance around.

  Aha! There’s a lever on the opposite wall.

  “This better work,” you mutter as you yank the lever down.

  It does work! The bars slide open.

  “Follow us!” you cry, leading all the prisoners into another tunnel. You glance back once and see the diamond lagoon for the last time.

  The noise of the walls tumbling down is the only sound you hear.

  Go to PAGE 57.

  “Gina?” you call. “Can you hear me?”

  No response.

  “Gina?” you try again. Your voice echoes in the tunnel.

  Then you hear a terrifying sound.

  A scream.

  Gina’s scream!

  But where did it come from? Everything echoes in this cave. It’s hard to pinpoint the direction of the sound.

  You have to find Gina. But where should you look? Did she ever make it into the tunnel? Did she take a different turn and get lost?

  Or did the skeleton pirate grab her and drag her back to the ship?

  If you go back to the wrecked ship, turn to PAGE 108.

  If you stay in the tunnel to look for Gina, turn to PAGE 47.

  “Why are you pretending to be pirate skeletons?” you demand.

  The whip-cracker snorts. “Why do you think? To scare away nosy tourists like you!”

  “What are you going to do to us?” Gina cries.

  “It’s not what we’re going to do to you. It’s more what you’re going to do for us,” the whip-cracker snarls. “We must get as many of these diamonds out of here as we can before the Kenalua Volcano fires up again. This lagoon is fragile. Even a tremor from Kenalua can upset the ocean floor and cause a cave-in. We’ve already felt slight movement. Time is running out.”

  “Even a slight tremor?” you gasp.

  “Never mind that now,” the whip-cracker snaps. “You can join the others who wandered too far on the reef. We’ve captured enough of you now to get our work done quickly.”

  “What?” you exclaim. “So you’re the ones who made people disappear! There’s no curse on Tiki Island. You’re the only curse!”

  The whip-cracker and his band of skeleton-suited men laugh. “Yes,” says the leader. “I am the curse. And now the curse is on you two!”

  Go to PAGE 93.

  There’s no decision to make here! You’re too terrified to look at the ghost, anyway.

  Which turns out to be a good thing!

  “I remember now!” Dr. Oates cries. “The spirit can’t see us as long as we don’t look into his eyes. So whatever you do — keep your gaze down!”

  “Will he go away?” Gina whispers.

  “He’s searching for something very important,” Dr. Oates explains. “He won’t rest until he finds it. It’s the only way he can free himself from his ghostly torment.”

  Dr. Oates glances at you. “I wond
er what he would do if he knew that you have what he is looking for,” he adds softly.

  “I have it?” you gasp. “You mean the stone piece?”

  Dr. Oates nods. “It is the eye he lost in battle. Without it he can never see his way out of his half-living half-dead world.”

  Something occurs to you. “What were you planning to do with the eye if I gave it to you?” you ask the scruffy archaeologist.

  “Put it back where it belongs,” Dr. Oates replies. “I wanted to free the Tiki King’s spirit. Ever since I read the legend of the Tiki King I’ve felt sorry for him.”

  You don’t need to hear another word.

  You know what you’re going to do.

  Go to PAGE 39.

  “Good idea,” you tell Gina. “We can ask Dr. Oates about the stone after we explore. Maybe he’ll be calmer by then.”

  Gina’s eyes sparkle with excitement. “Let’s see if we can find out what they’re digging for,” she suggests. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we found something ourselves? Like a treasure chest? Or even just an old vase?”

  “You can’t keep anything you find,” you remind her. “The island has a law that artifacts found here belong to the island and have to go to the museum. They want to protect the island’s history.”

  “Oh. Too bad. But it would still be awesome just to find something.” Gina gazes around. “Hey, let’s check out that shack.” She points to a small hut at the edge of the jungle.

  You sneak over to the shack. You peek in the window and gasp.

  Go to PAGE 85.

  “Forget it, bonehead!” you shout.

  “Take them below!” Captain Bones orders the crew. “Show no mercy.” His jawbone just out as he thrusts his bony skull close to your face. “You’ll talk soon enough,” he snarls. “Or you’ll never talk again!”