by Chase Wilder
You crash into the wood paneling. If this were a cartoon, there would be birds twittering all around your head.
“Leave the kid!” one of the attackers shouts. “It’s the woman we want. She too has evil plans!”
Evil plans? you think. Scarlett?
One of the men snatches his crossbow from his back and hurries downstairs, below deck. Should you go and warn Scarlett, or stay here and fight?
To try to warn Scarlett, turn to this page.
To stay and fight, turn to this page.
You and Barry sprint off along the tight shaft, deeper into the mine. You can hear the masked men following you, their threatening voices echoing along the dark walls.
“Stay with me!” Barry shouts back at you. “We can lose these suckers.”
You’re not so sure. It’s too dark to see where you’re going. Any second now, you’ll trip and splatter yourself on the tracks.
Suddenly, Barry grinds to a halt and you slam into his back.
You’ve reached a fork in the road. Two shafts lead away into darkness. For all you know, one shaft could lead to a dead end. You’d be trapped.
“What are they going to do … if they catch us?” you whisper, glancing between the two shafts.
“Well,” Barry says, “they’re not going to take us home to meet their mama. Hey, would you look at that?”
Shining his flashlight down the left shaft reveals a pair of coal carts, sitting on shaky-looking rails.
Barry grins. “Welcome to the Bones Express!”
“This way might be safer,” you say, peering down the other shaft. You’d have to go on foot, and it looks narrower, and the roof is sagging, but maybe that’s still better than a wild cart-ride through pitch-darkness?
To ride the Bones Express, hop to this page.
To squeeze down the other shaft, go to this page.
The thieves’ boat vanishes into the distance, taking Silva with it. His shouts echo through the mangrove trees, startling some brightly colored birds.
Scarlett isn’t anywhere on the houseboat. When did she leave? Maybe she’s gone off to explore the wreck on her own. So much for working together!
You head back to Silva’s quarters, hoping to use the two-way radio, but you can’t get it working. Looking closely, you see that the map of the world is attached to the desk only by Scotch tape. It’s covering something up! One edge of the map is dog-eared, as if it has been lifted up quite recently.
Beneath the map, the desktop is plain wood, but something has been carved into it. You recognize the outline of the island and, yes, there is the swamp and a drawing of the Marie Laveau. Silva must have dragged this whole desk off your wreck. A rough line leads from the ship toward what looks like a temple, deep in the swamp. Maybe Scarlett saw this and went looking.
You’re about to make a copy of the map when Barry Bones pulls up in his buggy.
“I decided to try again,” he says. “I really want you to come with me.”
You tell him Silva has been kidnapped by masked thieves. Barry doesn’t look surprised.
“And Scarlett’s gone,” you say. “I think she’s looking for the mask in a temple in the mountains.”
“The mask isn’t in any temple,” Barry says. “But I know where it is hiding. And I could do with a partner on this case. You up to it?”
If you’re ready to go with Barry, turn to this page.
If you’d rather copy that map and go find the temple, turn to this page.
You take a deep breath and sprint toward the jets of fire. Just when you can feel the flame singe your eyebrows, you drop onto your back and slide. The fire roars overhead. You’ve made it!
Unfortunately, that gas seam ran deep. Three more spurts of fire spit from the tunnel floor ahead of you. These jets are too high to jump, but every now and then they splutter. Maybe you can leap through the fire, if you get your timing right. That would be a cool story to tell.
To brave the flames, run to this page.
To retreat and try the other tunnel, head to this page.
You charge down the stairs after the thief, but you’re in such a rush, you forget to duck.
Thunk!
When you wake up, you’re in a hospital on the other side of the island. A TV is flickering at the foot of the bed, playing an episode of Guy Dangerous’s adventure series, Whatever It Takes. There’s Guy, about to wrestle a bear, when he turns to the camera and says something—in Spanish!
You hear a sigh from beside the bed.
“They never get the voice right when they dub these things. I sound way more heroic in real life.”
Guy is sitting in a chair beside you, frowning at the screen. Seeing that you’re awake, he gives you a broad smile.
“You gave me a scare, kid. Lucky I came back to check on you.”
You try to sit up. The mask is still out there. So is Scarlett. And your treasure.
Guy leans over, holding you back. “No more adventures for you. Doctor’s orders. You’re on the first flight home. Better leave the exploring to the professionals, eh?”
You try to argue, but you’ve got the world’s biggest headache. This really wasn’t the ending you had in mind.
RUN AGAIN?
OR JUST GO BACK?
Your arm nearly comes loose from your shoulder, but you manage to cling to an open doorway.
As he rockets away, Guy yells at you to keep going. “Don’t worry about me. Meet you at the—”
But the rush of rainwater drowns him out. The tent? Pedro’s houseboat? The shore?!
As Guy slides out of sight, you pull yourself up into a cabin and hurry across to its porthole. The glass is already broken, so you jump through and drop down to the muddy bank.
There’s a horrible groan of metal behind you, and you run as fast as you can into the undergrowth as the wreck finally collapses in on itself. Debris smacks into the shore, crushing the tent and the rest of your supplies. You hope Guy made it out safely. Surely, if anyone could, he could. Maybe he’ll even save that treasure of yours!
Thunk!
You’ve run headfirst into a mangrove tree. Lucky you have a hard head!
Suddenly everything is looking a bit woozy …
Hours pass in a hot, dizzy haze. You keep stumbling along, but your brain is so fuzzy you have trouble remembering why you’re in this wet, sticky swamp to begin with. Eventually, it comes to you that you were here with some people—a guy named Guy, and a woman named Scarlett. But you can’t be sure. And anyway, where are they now?
Finally, you collapse, exhausted. You’re expecting to be met by soft, swampy earth, but instead your face smacks against cold stone. That’s enough of a jolt to wake you up.
Somehow, you’ve arrived at the foot of a mountain. From here, a stone path leads up through the undergrowth toward a strange, ancient-looking structure. Wreathed in vines, it looks like some kind of temple.
You’re not sure you’re ready for a steep climb. Not when your brain feels like a marshmallow. But then you notice a circular pattern set into the stone wall of the path.
It looks so familiar, and suddenly everything comes back to you. You’re supposed to be finding a mask. Could it be hidden here?
Turn to this page.
You headbutt one attacker, knocking him overboard, and manage to trip another, sending him crashing into Silva’s dinghy.
But in the end you’re outnumbered. You’re sent sprawling across the deck as they drag Silva aboard their boat and set off across the swamp.
“Wimps!” you shout after them.
That’s your treasure they’re making off with! You jump down onto Guy’s buggy, which he left behind. The controls look simple. Squinting into the sun reflecting on the swamp, you spot the thieves’ boat and press down hard on the accelerator.
Unfortunately, the buggy is still tied to Silva’s boat. As you rev the engine, it swings around into the hull with a massive crash, busting the buggy’s front tire.
Turn to this page.<
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You dart back outside, straight at your attackers.
“Are you crazy?” Barry shouts, chasing after you.
A knife flies past your head and nicks your left ear. Ouch. You jump into the empty coal cart at the top of the conveyor. Your weight kick-starts the mechanism and soon you’re zooming off down the side of the hill. “Woo-hooooo!”
Something thuds into the bottom of your cart. A crossbow bolt. The attackers aren’t letting you get away that easily. Barry is in the cart behind you. He ducks as another bolt streaks through the air. This time, it falls short.
You’ve made a clean getaway. Almost. All fast rides have to end some time. And this ride ends in a spinning metal wheel at the bottom of the hill. You guess it was designed to knock the coal from its cart. Best not to guess what it might do to you.
To jump out of the cart, turn to this page.
Or hey, let’s be optimistic! Maybe you’ll pass safely through. To stay in, skip to this page.
As dawn breaks over the swamp, you get your first good look at the wreck. The hull is rusted and worn through in several large patches, but it’s still a thing of beauty. “Maybe we could climb in through one of the holes?” you suggest.
“Good thinking.”
Guy jogs down the bank until he finds a rusted gash large enough for the two of you to squeeze into. You’re about to climb in when Guy grabs your shoulder and holds you back.
“Just remember. Between rust, metal fatigue, and who-knows-what living on board, this ship is a deathtrap. The whole thing could collapse any minute.” He grins. “Remembering that should make the whole thing way more exciting!”
Guy dives headfirst through the hole in the hull. From inside, you hear a faint whoop and a splash. You climb through with more care, trying not to cut yourself on the sharp metal. As you drop down into waist-deep water, you reach for your pocket flashlight. You seem to be in the engine room. To your left, vast turbines and pistons appear in the light, like the bones of some prehistoric creature.
Guy whistles at the engine, impressed, but is soon looking at his boots. “The rain’s getting heavy,” he says. “The water’s rising. We can’t hang around.”
You trudge after him through the dark water, hoping nothing nasty is living in it. Because the ship is tilted toward shore, the floor is on an angle. You’re climbing uphill, but at least the water is getting shallower.
Reaching the engine room door, Guy puts his hand on the knob and then stands back with a grin. “It’s your wreck. After you!”
You push past him eagerly. This is it. Treasure awaits. You yank the door open. It seems you were too eager, because the whole ship starts to shudder! The floor gives way beneath you.
“Run!” Guy shouts.
You sprint up the sloping corridor. Behind you, a section of roof collapses with a loud crash, blocking your exit.
“Faster, kid, faster!”
Looking ahead, you see rotten panels are dropping away from the corridor floor. You speed up and throw yourself across the gap. It’s close, and you’ve only just found your feet when you need to jump again.
A steel girder comes loose from a wall, falling across your path. You drop onto your back and slide beneath it, ducking your head. Lucky you’re running so fast!
Ahead, the corridor comes to a sharp turn and continues off to your left. There’s also a ladder on the wall right ahead of you, leading to the level above. Maybe the floor will be sturdier there?
To climb the ladder, turn to this page.
To take the corridor, turn to this page.
“Scarlett, wake up!” you yell.
There’s no response. As you turn around to call out again, Silva rushes past, shoving you hard against the door frame, and disappears up the stairs.
You hurry to Scarlett’s cabin, but it’s empty. The bed doesn’t look slept in. Maybe she crept off during the night to find the mask on her own. Maybe that’s Silva’s plan, too!
Running up to the deck, you’re just in time to see Silva leap onto the swamp buggy. Moments later, he’s burning away across the swamp.
You remember the small dinghy attached to the houseboat. The problem is, it’s no longer attached to the houseboat. Silva has cut the rope and the dinghy’s drifting away. If you jump now, you might just make it. But maybe chasing after Silva is a bad idea. It’s still dark, and this is a job for a policeman. You remember seeing the radio on Silva’s desk.
Do you use the radio to call Barry Bones for help? Turn to this page.
Or chase Silva yourself? Go to this page.
You try radioing for help, but all you hear is static. You try your phone, but there’s no signal. That figures. There’s who-knows-how-many feet of solid rock between you and open air. You might as well whistle.
“Stay there,” you tell Barry.
He doesn’t find this funny.
You run back to the chasm and crawl to its edge. You can’t see the bottom, but the cut runs wide, slicing through the tunnel walls on either side. Maybe it runs all the way to the outside.
“Help!” you shout into the chasm. “HELP!”
You listen. The echo of your voice shouts back at you.
When you look up, there are six masked men staring down at you from the other side of the chasm. Knives and crossbows are pointing in your direction. While you’re getting to your feet, one of the men takes a running leap, vaults the chasm, and drops down beside you.
OK. You’re probably wondering what these men want. And what’s with those demon monkey masks, anyway?
We might as well tell you, since you won’t be sticking around. Basically, you’re about to be sacrificed to their demon monkey god. This isn’t going to be pleasant, so let’s look away now …
RUN AGAIN?
OR JUST GO BACK?
Soon you’re up to your waist in mud. “Help!”
Guy hears your cries and quickly throws you a rope. “Grab hold!” he shouts. “Pull yourself free!”
Holding the bucket with one hand, you grasp the rope with the other—but it slips through your fingers. Clenching your teeth, you do your best to yank yourself free from the mud.
“Hold on tight,” Guy says. “I’ll get you out!”
He gives the rope a sharp tug, but again it flies right through your hand.
Let’s face it, you’re stuck. The only thing strong enough to pull you free is the gator behind you. That’s good news for the gator. Not such good news for you.
Crunch!
RUN AGAIN?
OR JUST GO BACK?
In Silva’s cabin, you find the radio smashed. There’s no way of getting in touch with Barry now. Thinking you might be able to sail the houseboat to safety, you run up to the stern—but the engine won’t start. You discover the motor has been trashed. An ax lies beside the wreckage.
Looks like Silva has no plans on returning. You have the feeling Scarlett won’t be back, either.
You, on the other hand, are going nowhere. The dinghy is long gone and you don’t fancy swimming to shore through gator-infested waters.
Guess you could be waiting here a while to be rescued. Still, at least you’ll have plenty of time to wonder what you could have done differently.
RUN AGAIN?
OR JUST GO BACK?
You fly through the air and grab the edge of the buggy, just managing to pull yourself up.
“That’s far enough, Silva,” you say. “That’s stolen property you’re carrying!”
Silva spins around. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he uses the other to smooth his impressive beard. “You are very brave, amigo. But Pedro Silva is a champion swordsman!”
His hand goes to his belt, but his sword is gone! In the hustle and bustle of the chase, he’s dropped it on the buggy floor. You snatch up his fallen sword and jab it toward him.
Silva raises his hands in surrender. “You have bested me, amigo.”
You’re just about to demand Silva hand over the gems when he leaps down into the dinghy, taking y
our treasure with him. Laughing, he restarts the motor and tears away across the swamp.
You drop down into the buggy’s driving seat, put the pedal to the metal, and chase after him. But the buggy is too slow to keep up.
Silva pulls out a fistful of gems and holds it aloft, gloating. “You think you are a match for the great Pedro Silva?”
Gah. His habit of referring to himself in the third person is really irritating.
“He once bested the great Cortés himself! He outsmarted the Viceroy of Cuba! Pedro Silva is a living legend who—”
You never find out the rest of that sentence. Silva is so busy showing off that he isn’t looking where he’s going. The prow of the dinghy slams into a large submerged log, flinging Silva through the air. You watch as he crashes down into a nest of gators, taking the gems with him. The last you hear from him, he is challenging the largest alligator to a duel.
Shortly afterward, Barry Bones arrives in his swamp buggy. Guy is sitting beside him. “Had a feeling you might be in trouble,” Barry says.
Guy shakes his head. “This isn’t trouble, this is adventure!”
“Listen, buddy, I know you wanted to explore the wreck,” Barry says to you. “But the mask’s not there, anyway. Come with me and we’ll find it together.”
“That wreck still has its secrets,” Guy insists. “If that mask is anywhere, it’ll be on board. Besides, it’ll be far more fun to explore than some lousy old mineshaft.” He grins and eagerly rubs his hands together.
If you decide to go to the wreck with Guy, turn to this page.
If you’d rather go with Barry, turn to this page.
