by R. L. Stine
“Turn one over,” she commands. “Learn your fate.”
Pick red? Go to PAGE 14.
Pick blue? Go to PAGE 59.
The doctor leans over. He’s so close now, his sour breath fills your nostrils. Then his fingertips brush your hand and — POW! Your foot flies into his stomach! A direct hit!
But nothing happens.
He doesn’t scream. He doesn’t even moan. In fact, he doesn’t seem to notice at all.
He simply smiles at you.
Now you’re scared. Really scared. But you know you have to do whatever it takes to get out of there. You have to find your friends and escape from this Carnival of Horrors.
You gather up every ounce of courage and strength you have — and kick him once more. Harder!
And this time something does happen — BIG TIME!
Turn to PAGE 67 to find out what.
You turn a corner and are instantly blinded by glaring lights.
You are standing in a room of mirrors. Walls. Floor. Ceiling. All mirrors!
Everywhere you gaze, you are met with reflections of yourself! You take a few steps forward and — BONK! You hit your head on solid glass.
You move one step to the left, and a dozen copies of you move in that direction.
Totally dizzy, you close your eyes. Maybe you can find the exit with your hands. Keeping your eyes shut, you walk until your palms hit against another glass wall. Then you hear a voice. “Come this way. Over here,” it calls.
You walk toward the voice — BONK — a solid wall again.
Finally, your hands find an open doorway! It leads to a mirrored hallway that goes left and right. Which way will you go?
If you decide to turn right, go to PAGE 29.
If you decide to turn left, go to PAGE 118.
“You’re lying!” you yell. “You are a robot.”
You quickly reach up with both hands and tug at his head. His sharp jaws slash at you. But you’re fast. You hold on firmly and pull!
Oh, no! He really is a monster. And he’s not happy.
You know you’re dead meat, but you have to try one more time. Just to make sure. You give his head one more tug. He laughs. Then he gives your head a tug.
Sorry. You were doing so well. But now you’ve gone and lost your head. The only way you’ll be able to face the challenge of the Carnival of Horrors now is to close the book and begin another day. At least then — you’ll have a head start.
THE END
“Oooopah lupah dummie dupah.” You say the magic words and wait for the dummy to spring to life.
And you wait.
And you wait.
The dummy remains the same.
But something strange is happening to you. What are those feathers sprouting out of your skin? And what’s happening to your feet? Are those claws you see growing out of them?
Is it possible that the magic words are turning you — CLUCK — into a — CLUCK — chicken?
That’s eggs-actly what’s happening.
Well, you laid an egg this time. Let’s hope you won’t be too chicken to open this book again and try once more to escape from the Carnival of Horrors.
THE END
You squint hard at the road ahead of you — and see why Patty wants you to turn. There they are — the people in the old-fashioned clothes. Only they don’t look the same.
Some have green flesh. Some are deathly white. Their rotting skin hangs from their bones.
And they’re all reaching out. Reaching out for you!
“Turn! Turn!” Patty yells.
You spin the wheel sharply to the left to avoid them. But you can’t dodge the ghostly creature that’s rising above you. He’s ten feet tall — with arms so long that they scrape the ground. His mouth gapes open to reveal hundreds of blackened, rotting teeth.
He swoops down at you. You turn the steering wheel hard to the right. Too hard — it comes off in your hands!
“Jump!” you cry. “Jump and run! Run!”
The three of you leap out of the moving car. But are you fast enough? That depends on how good your reflexes are.
Try this test and find out. Throw a ball in the air. Try to clap three times before you catch it.
If you can do it — turn to PAGE 73.
If you couldn’t — turn to PAGE 127.
Big Al shoves you and your friends into a huge red tent. It seems to be set up for some kind of show. Red carpeted steps lead up to a platform, which sits under a golden arch. The arch twinkles with a thousand colored lights that spell out: FINAL CHALLENGE.
Trumpets blast as people flood into the viewing area. As they march in, they clap their hands and yell, “FI-NAL. FI-NAL.”
Big Al leads you up the carpeted steps. You are standing on the platform now — in front of a shimmering curtain that hangs down from the arch.
The crowd begins to chant, “SUD-DEN DEATH. SUD-DEN DEATH.”
“What do you think that means?” Patty asks.
You’re going to find out on PAGE 123.
The giant hangs over you, flexing his muscles. He squints at you as if you are a bug — ready to be squashed.
“Did you call me a wimp?” he thunders.
You are much too scared to answer.
The giant answers for you. “You’re right. I am a wimp!”
And with that, he bends the bars, and you, Patty, and Brad scramble through.
“Follow me,” the giant says. “I know a way out of here.”
“What about the others?” you ask, pointing to the freaks in the cells that line the wall.
“No problem!” Patty yells, grabbing the keys from a hook on the wall. “Here — catch!”
You quickly unlock all the doors — setting the freaks free!
Turn to PAGE 126.
“I don’t know,” you say. “I don’t think we should take any more risks. Especially not in this crazy carnival.”
“Don’t you trust me?” Patty demands. Her eyes flash angrily.
You glance at Brad. He stares at the ground.
“I just have a bad feeling about this, Patty. Okay?”
But Patty doesn’t answer. She throws her shoulders back and stands up taller. And taller. And taller.
You gasp! Patty is growing! She’s nearly ten feet tall!
She reaches out a long arm and grabs you by the wrist. Her nails dig deep into your skin.
You can’t move.
You scream as Patty continues to change. Her skin turns green and lumpy. Horns sprout from her head. And her teeth grow into sharp fangs.
You remember the horrible monsters on the walls of the slide. Patty has turned into one of them!
“Let me go. Please!” you plead.
“Too bad you didn’t trust me,” she growls. “I can’t have you ruining my plans.” Her nails sink deeper into your flesh.
“Ha-ha-ha!” she cackles. Then she wraps her slimy mouth around your arm and bites down. Hard!
THE END
You’re staring at a sign that reads: WORLD’S FREAKIEST FREAK SHOW! The three of you gape at the pictures.
There’s the Three-Headed Man with the ugliest collection of faces you’ve ever seen. And the Snake Lady — a young blond girl with a beautiful face and the body of a slithering snake.
“This is, uh — uh —” you start to say. But you don’t finish. Because a large hand has come down on your shoulder. Hard.
You slowly turn and gaze up at a huge man with shoulders wider than a refrigerator. He has coal-black eyes with a thick mustache to match. He looks strong enough — and mean enough — to pitch you over the fence with one hand.
“What are you doing?” his deep voice booms. “You’re not allowed in here,” he says, pointing directly at you.
“We’re sorry,” you say, hoping you appear sorry and not just scared. “We wanted to look around. That’s all. But we’ll leave. Right now.”
His eyes stare into yours. He clamps both hands down on your shoulders and says, “You’re not goi
ng anywhere!”
Uh-oh. Quick! Better turn to PAGE 4.
You head toward the Boat Trip to Nowhere. At the dock, you spot a stubby guy with long arms slouching against one of the mooring posts. In the strange light of the swamp, his skin shines with an oily, green glow. And his ears and nose are as craggy as tree bark.
“Step right up,” he calls in a gravelly voice.
He pulls one of the motorboats over. It’s red with a silver racing stripe! “You can do fifteen knots in these babies,” he says. “But stay away from the tree stumps.”
You watch the little man’s sharp green fingernails tearing the mooring rope apart. As soon as the boat is free, you jump in, step on the gas, and roar away from the dock.
The wind blows hard against your face. You’re flying over the water. This is totally cool! You head for a channel that you see up ahead. Too bad you didn’t notice that sign that reads: TO BOOGER BOG.
Enter the bog on PAGE 32.
Dr. Stone extends a long bony hand to pull you from the net. When you peer into his face, his eyes roll up into his head.
“Pleased to meet you,” he rumbles.
Did he say, “Pleased to meet you” or “Pleased to eat you”? You’re not sure, and you don’t want to hang around to find out.
I’ve got to get out of here, you think.
As the doctor lowers his hand a bit more, you wriggle your right foot free of the netting. If you give him one hard kick in the stomach, maybe you can make a run for the door.
But what about the monsters? Can you dodge them?
You change your mind. “I’ll wait — play it cool until at least one of the beasts leaves the room,” you say to yourself.
Then you change your mind again. “No. I’d better make my escape now!”
The doctor looms inches away. And you’re still not sure what to do. You’d better decide fast!
Try to kick the doctor and run? Turn to PAGE 79.
Wait until one of the monsters leaves and the odds are better than three against one? Turn to PAGE 51.
NO!
At the last minute, you wrench the steering wheel hard to the left. The side of your boat clears the tree with a sickening scrape.
You breathe a sigh of relief, but it ends in a groan. A huge, sharp root below the water has just ripped into the bottom of your boat. You hear a tearing sound, then gurgling as the cockpit starts to fill with water.
“Now what?” you mutter.
Then through the mist you spot another boat. But it’s some distance away.
“Hey, over here!” you cry out.
Did they hear you? You cry out again. Then you glance behind you. More than half your boat is underwater — and you’re going down fast.
What should you do? Keep yelling for help? Or try to swim for safety? Make your choice — QUICK!
If you decide to wait to be rescued, go to PAGE 100.
If you decide to swim for it, go to PAGE 56.
The red-eyed beast leans against you now, pressing you hard against the wall. The monster moves his face close to yours. The jagged horns at the top of his head nick your cheeks.
You can’t bear it anymore. You bring your hand up with all your might and shove his head away from yours.
As you watch in horror, the monster’s head rolls off its neck. The head tumbles to the floor and lands at your feet.
The eyes glance up at you, and you notice his hideous lips moving. “That hurt,” the head says. “That really h-h- …”
He never finishes. You’ve destroyed another robot!
“Almost out of here,” you whisper to yourself. Now all you have to do is slip by the crusty, alligator-snout creature guarding the door.
“You robots aren’t so tough,” you say to him with fake bravery.
“Oh, really?” the scaly beast croaks. “Well, maybe not. But what makes you think that I am a robot?”
Turn to PAGE 122
You decide to wait. Someone should be here soon, you think. But after waiting in the space shuttle for at least fifteen minutes, you’re not so sure. No one has shown up to rescue you.
A chill runs down your back. You feel as if a thousand pairs of eyes are watching you from the shadows.
Now that you’re accustomed to the darkness, you can see dozens of tracks leading in and out of the tunnel.
And then you hear a rustling sound. You freeze. You listen hard. Could it be rats — or something worse?
You draw up your knees and wrap your arms around them tightly. Then you hear a hissing sound — and you smell something odd. It’s kind of a sweet smell — like heavy perfume. You hold your nose because the smell is making you feel strange. Dizzy. Sick.
Hold your breath and turn to PAGE 20.
What a sight!
You can hardly believe your eyes!
You scream again.
It’s Patty and Brad!
“Hey, guys, wait up!” you yell.
Quick! Hurry to PAGE 26 and you can go on the Space Coaster with them.
The ride stops.
Dead.
You are sitting in the dark.
Nothing is moving.
“Patty! Brad!” you call.
Silence.
Why don’t they answer? They have to be there.
You try to twist around. But you’re locked in your harness and clamped in your headrest.
Blinking in the dim light, your eyes dart to the left. Then to the right. You spot dozens of empty space rockets lining the walls. They seem to come in sections, making longer and shorter space rockets.
Your mind starts working feverishly. Did your section detach from Patty and Brad’s section?
Suddenly, the silence is shattered. Your seat lock grinds open, and you are released from your harness. You quickly spin around. Patty’s and Brad’s cars have disappeared! If this is all part of the ride, maybe you should hop out. But if the ride is broken, maybe you should wait for help.
Wait for help to come? Turn to PAGE 92.
Hop out of the car? Go to PAGE 111.
You sit down on the slide and push off. The world tilts as you plunge down. Down, down, down.
You’re scared. But you can’t help feeling that this is kind of cool! Sliding and swirling in the darkness.
Until you hear the screams. The eerie screams that follow you as you twist and turn.
Your heart starts pounding wildly. Oh, no! You must have picked the Doom Slide. You’re going to slide forever!
And then, bump.
A chute opens up. You hit the ground hard. You tumble over and over and finally stop.
You lie on the ground. Panting.
You’re outside!
You scramble to your feet and gaze around.
You hear laughter. It seems to be coming from the bright pink building a few feet in front of you.
You walk over to its big pink door and press your ear against it.
Yes. The laughter is definitely coming from inside.
To find out what’s so funny, turn to PAGE 117.
… they’re swinging axes.
Your heart leaps into your throat. The elves move to the roadside now — and they’re chopping down the horse-drawn carts ahead of you! One cart splinters into a million pieces before your horrified eyes.
The elves continue on to the next cart. Their sharp blades slice right through it!
Your horse keeps trotting up the steep path. You’re headed right for the wildly chopping elves!
“Do something!” Patty cries.
Turn to PAGE 23.
Your hand clamps around the can of Monster Blood in your pocket. Quickly, you snap off the lid and the green gunk pours out.
“Look! It’s alive!” Brad shouts.
He’s right. The Monster Blood oozes from the can, quivers, and appears to stretch and pull itself up! Then it starts to roll and bounce, making horrible sucking sounds.
Great! It’s rolling into the crowd, sucking up everything in its path!
“Run!
” Big Al screams as the huge green ball rolls over the people in the crowd — sucking them up with a loud plop.
Then the Monster Blood hits the side of the tent. It changes direction.
It’s coming after you!
Hurry to PAGE 129.
Well, looks can fool you. He is not a wimp.
And he’s mad — at you.
In the next moment, he scoops you up and hurls you at the cell wall. His throw is so forceful, you smash right through the wall and soar out of the carnival grounds.
Congratulations! You escaped the Carnival of Horrors — but not in one piece.
THE END
“Okay, get me out of here,” you say to the dwarf. “Did you help my friends, too?”
The dwarf does not answer. He sprints off and you have to race to keep up with him. Through a confusing maze of twisting tunnels. You’re sure glad you have a guide.
The dwarf suddenly stops. “That way,” he says gruffly, pointing straight ahead.
Before you can blink, he vanishes in a puff of smoke! And you’re left standing in front of two doors. One red. One blue. The red one has a sign that reads: DANGER. The blue one has a sign that reads: BIG DANGER.
If you leave by the red door, go to PAGE 104.
If you try the blue door, go to PAGE 57.
“Help! Help! Over here!” you scream, waving your arms wildly in the air.
“Hold on!” a deep voice answers through the heavy mist.
The boat turns and speeds toward you. As it nears, the voice calls out again. “Jump! Jump over!”
Jump? Is he crazy? Can you really jump onto a moving boat?
The boat is coming closer now. Closer. Closer. You stand up. You bend your knees. You’re about to jump — and the boat speeds right past you.
