The Twisted Tale of Tiki Island Read online

  BEWARE!!

  DO NOT READ THIS

  BOOK FROM

  BEGINNING TO END!

  Yes! You’re psyched for your Tiki Island vacation. Then you go snorkeling — and a shark appears, looking for lunch!

  If you hide from the shark in an underwater cave, you’ll find a sunken ship — with a real skeleton crew. If you make one wrong move, you could become the newest crew member!

  If you fight the shark with a sharp stone from the ocean floor, you learn that the stone has evil powers. You’ve got to get rid of it fast. But first you have to battle ghostly warriors and brave an active volcano!

  You’re in control of this scary adventure. You decide what will happen. And how terrifying the scares will be!

  Start on PAGE 1. Then follow the instructions at the bottom of each page. You make the choices. If you choose well, you’ll save Tiki Island from a terrible fate. But if you make the wrong choice … BEWARE!

  SO TAKE A DEEP BREATH. CROSS YOUR FINGERS. AND TURN TO PAGE 1 TO GIVE YOURSELF GOOSEBUMPS!

  Contents

  Beware!!

  Title Page

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

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  27

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  49

  50

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  109

  110

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  134

  135

  136

  137

  Teaser

  About the Author

  Also Available

  Copyright

  “Hurry up, Gina,” you call to your cousin. The wooden dock creaks as you jump up and down. “The water’s perfect for snorkeling.”

  “I’m coming! I’m coming!” Gina yells. “Yeow! I should have worn sandals. The sand is burning my feet.”

  You watch Gina hop across Tiki Island’s famous white sand. Glancing around, you remember how much fun you had visiting the island last year.

  Lucky for you, your mom is a travel writer. When she wrote about Tiki Island a year ago she brought your whole family. With Gina along this time, you know you’re going to have a blast!

  Gina jumps onto the dock to join you. She dumps her snorkeling gear next to yours. Then she gazes across the shimmering water. “Wow!” she gasps. “This place is amazing!”

  A motorboat hums toward the dock. You’ve arranged for a ride to a nearby reef. You grin when you recognize the boy steering. It’s Kala, the resort owner’s son. He was your best buddy last year. “Hey, Kala!” you shout with a wave.

  Kala ignores your greeting. And as the boat gets closer, you can see his face looks grim.

  Turn to PAGE 2.

  Kala noses the boat into the dock. He still hasn’t said hello or even smiled at you.

  “Kala!” you cry. “Don’t you recognize me?”

  Kala doesn’t answer.

  This is not the boy you remember. Last year he was a total goofball — always laughing and pulling pranks. Why is he so unfriendly now?

  “What’s up, Kala?” you ask. “Why are you acting so weird?”

  Kala gazes at you a moment. “A curse has fallen on Tiki Island,” he replies slowly. “No one is safe.”

  You stare at him. Then a wide grin spreads across your face. This must be one of Kala’s practical jokes!

  “Ignore him,” you whisper to Gina. “He’s just trying to scare us.”

  Gina rolls her eyes. “Whatever,” she says. “Let’s go check out the reef!”

  You grab your snorkeling gear and jump into Kala’s boat. “Oooh, I’m so scared of the curse,” you tease him. “But I’ll try to be brave.”

  “Don’t make jokes,” Kala says, frowning. “You may regret it.”

  Go to PAGE 3.

  Kala turns his back on you and starts the motor.

  As the boat flies over the crystal-clear water, you try to forget about Kala’s odd behavior. Minutes later, you arrive at the reef and Kala cuts the engine.

  “Take care to make wise choices while you are here,” he warns you. “The curse of Tiki Island affects these surrounding waters. People have been known to … disappear.”

  “Maybe they disappear because you’re so unfriendly!” you grumble. “Come on, Gina. The vacation officially begins now!”

  Kala drops anchor. You and Gina put on your diving masks and snorkel mouthpieces and jump overboard. Both of you are good swimmers. You head toward the farthest point of the reef.

  You glance back at Kala in the boat. His last words worry you. Could there really be a curse? You have noticed there are fewer tourists on Tiki Island this year. And people at the resort have been acting strangely. You hate to admit it, but you feel a little scared. “We should stick together,” you tell Gina.

  “Deal,” she agrees.

  You feel better.

  Sort of.

  Go to PAGE 27.

  Wow, you think as you watch the shark’s retreat. That was really weird.

  But you’re safe!

  You turn the piece of stone over in your hand. It’s a small triangle. One side is plain white. On the other side, a painted eye stares at you. Its deep, black pupil is surrounded by a purple ring. For a moment you feel hypnotized.

  As you examine the triangle, it grows warm in your hand. You tuck it into your bathing suit. You’ll figure out what i
t is later. After your close encounter with the shark, all you want to do is get back to the boat. And back on land!

  Gina’s head pops out of the water near the cave entrance. As you swim toward her, the stone piece begins to burn.

  Where it touches you, your skin feels as if it’s on fire!

  Go to PAGE 63.

  You and Gina race out of Hooahtoo’s shack, leaving the Eye on the floor. The last thing you need is some weird stone with a curse on it! Let Hooahtoo return it!

  “The eye shall be on you wherever you go!” Hooahtoo calls after you. “Beware!”

  “I’d rather ‘beware’ than be there,” Gina mutters.

  The two of you don’t slow down until you’re far from Hooahtoo’s shack. “I’m glad you left the Tiki Eye in the shack,” Gina tells you. “Good riddance to bad rubbish.”

  “Yeah,” you agree, jogging beside her. “That thing was nothing but bad luck from the moment I found it.”

  “Well, it’s Hooahtoo’s problem now,” Gina says with a laugh.

  But then her laughter turns into a shriek.

  “What is it?” you cry, freezing in place.

  She points at you. “I … I …” she stammers.

  “You what?” you shout back at her.

  “Not I,” Gina sputters. “EYE! The eye! Look!” She points at your left shoe.

  It’s the eye! Sitting on the toe of your sneaker!

  “Nooo!” you wail.

  Shake a leg over to PAGE 102.

  You’re suffocating! Drowning! You have to breathe!

  You burst through the surface of the water. You spit the snorkel out of your mouth.

  “PWAHHH!” you gasp at last. You can breathe again!

  You glance around. The current carried you and Gina through an opening and into a small pool in a high-ceilinged cave. A rocky staircase is carved into the wall.

  The powerful current still pulls you toward the far end of the pool. But now that you can breathe again, you feel relieved.

  Until you hear the sound of rushing water.

  “Gina?” you call. Your voice echoes strangely in the watery cave. “Do you hear —”

  “Help!” Gina shrieks ahead of you. “A waterfall!”

  Oh, no! She’s right!

  The current drags you and Gina to the very edge of a giant waterfall. The foamy white water rushes downward.

  You and Gina rush with it!

  “Aaaaaaaahhhh!” you scream as you plummet down, down, down….

  All the way down to PAGE 137.

  Captain Bones knocks the barrels down with a bare-boned arm. The skeletons on the deck cheer as their Master shoves you toward the closet.

  CLICK!

  You’re locked in with Gina!

  It’s pitch-black inside. And the tiny space stinks! You try not to breathe. You can feel Gina next to you. You can’t see a thing, but you know she’s tied up and gagged.

  “Ssshhh,” you whisper to her. “Don’t make a sound. I’ll untie you.”

  Your fingers fumble with the knots. It’s too difficult in the dark. You remember there’s a snorkeling flashlight hooked to the belt around your waist.

  You could turn it on and see the knots better. But the light might catch the attention of the skeleton crew.

  If you decide you really need light, turn to PAGE 68.

  If you decide the light is too dangerous, don’t turn it on, but do turn to PAGE 20.

  A red-hot wave of flowing lava washes over you and Gina.

  “AAAHHHHhhhh!” you and Gina scream together.

  Until your mouths fill up with molten rock.

  You’re sucked under the thick, swirling, scalding sludge.

  Oh, well. You got swept away by this tropical adventure. But you tried your best. And at least you had a lava-ly time — until you met this red-hot

  END.

  When the Tiki warriors see the one-eyed mask, they gasp. But before anyone can move, a powerful KABOOM! rocks the cavern. A blast of purple smoke explodes out of one wall.

  As the smoke clears, the wall of stone slides open. An underground prison is revealed — filled with people you know!

  “There’s Tao, from the snack bar!” you whisper to Gina. “And there’s Angela and Teeko, from the the dock. I know them!”

  “Are they prisoners?” Gina asks. “What’s going on?”

  All the smoke has cleared now. You strain to see who else you know in the crowd of prisoners. Then you draw in a sharp breath. You’re so upset, you forget to whisper. “There’s Kala!” you shout.

  Uh-oh.

  Hooahtoo may be blind, but his hearing is excellent.

  Turn to PAGE 116.

  TAILS it is!

  You follow the signs deep into the jungle. The narrow path is covered with vines and thick roots. “They sure don’t make it easy to get there!” you grumble, tripping on a root.

  You finally reach the archaeological site. You wonder how to find Dr. Oates. You approach a young man who is tying a string around a staked-out square of earth.

  “Excuse us,” you begin. “Can you tell us where to find Dr. Oates?”

  “That’s him,” he tells you, pointing to a small, scruffy-looking man in khakis and a safari hat. Dr. Oates is yelling at a worker in a language you can’t understand. The worker seems scared.

  Dr. Oates doesn’t seem very friendly. Or in a very good mood. “Maybe this was a mistake,” you whisper to Gina. “Maybe we should have listened to Kala and gone to see Hooahtoo instead.”

  “Maybe we should look around on our own,” Gina whispers back.

  If you decide to go see Hooahtoo, turn to PAGE 81.

  If you explore the camp on your own, turn to PAGE 73.

  If you stick to your plan and approach Dr. Oates, go to PAGE 51.

  Great job! You escaped from the octopuses! And with only a few dozen purple spots left on your skin by the suckers.

  You leave the octopuses tangled in their own arms and swim back to the sunken ship. You’ll just have to help Gina all by yourself. This time you’re careful to avoid any sea creatures. You spot a few schools of fish, but they ignore you.

  When you reach the ship, you swim to the gun port and gaze into the cabin where Gina was tied up.

  She’s gone!

  Where did the pirate skeletons take her?

  Now you definitely have to sneak on board.

  Go to PAGE 112.

  You’re right-handed. So you press your hand into the right handprint.

  “Gina!” you exclaim excitedly. “It’s opening!”

  The door swings open into a dark room. A hole in the high ceiling lets in a dim yellow light. You and Gina dart inside. The door swings shut in the faces of the two Tiki warriors

  “That was close!” you gasp.

  “We escaped!” Gina cheers. You and Gina slap high fives. Then you slide down to the floor, exhausted.

  “Yikes!” you shriek. Something is crawling all over you! You leap to your feet.

  Lizards! Dozens of lizards scurry to get out of your way. Their red tongues lash out at you as they run over your legs and arms. “Lava lizards!” you cry. “They’re all over this place!”

  “Gross!” Gina squeals, shaking off the scaly monsters.

  Now you see that the lizards aren’t the only strange things in this room.

  Get an eyeful on PAGE 103.

  Of course you turn down the offer! You have a feeling this bit of stone might be priceless.

  “Thanks, but no thanks,” you tell Dr. Oates. “But Gina and I will help you search for other stuff around here!”

  The archaeologist frowns. “It’s dangerous in these jungles,” he warns. “I’ve already lost several of my workers. There are spirits here. And they don’t want us trespassing!”

  You remember Kala’s warning about people disappearing. You look at Gina and mouth, “The curse!”

  ”Are you sure you won’t reconsider my offer?” Dr. Oates asks. “I’m prepared to go even higher.”

 
; But before he can tell you how much more he’d pay, you hear someone shouting in the jungle. “Dr. Oates!” a voice cries. “Help!”

  Dr. Oates runs to the edge of the jungle. He stops suddenly. “Stay back!” he shouts to you and Gina. He turns to face you.

  His face is white as a sheet.

  He looks as if he’s just seen a ghost!

  Go to PAGE 100.

  “Take us up to the top,” the loudmouth shouts. “We’re not scared of a little noise. It’ll be years before —”

  An even louder rumble drowns out the big mouth. That’s all it takes to terrify most of the tourists. They scatter, running toward the village.

  But the tour guide remains. And the loudmouth heads up the path to the top of Kenalua.

  Is he going up to the mouth of the volcano? you wonder. He’s either really brave or really dumb.

  But maybe you should follow him. After all, Hooahtoo told you to break the spell by bringing the Tiki Eye to the volcano. And he warned you not to waste any time.

  Or should you wait to see what the tour guide does?

  After all, she’s the expert!

  If you follow the loudmouth up the volcano, turn to PAGE 109.

  If you wait to see what the tour guide does, turn to PAGE 31.

  “We’ll just see about that, Mr. Hooahtoo!” you shout at the tiny bearded Tiki leader. You pick up a rock and aim it right at Hooahtoo’s forehead.

  He shields himself with the Tiki mask. The rock bounces off the mask. It smashes down onto a set of remote-control buttons built into the armrest of his throne.

  Instantly, another blast of purple smoke pours out of the prison wall.

  “The rock!” you gasp. “It activated the controls!”

  To the prisoners’ amazement and your surprise, the steel bars of the prison rise up.

  Your rock hit the button that opens the bars!

  Turn to PAGE 86.

  You stay right where you are. You’re afraid if you move, they’ll see you. And you remember something Hooahtoo said.

  “Hooahtoo warned us about this,” you whisper. “Remember, he said we have to pass a wall of Tiki warriors. Maybe we have to get by them to lift the curse.”

  Another shaft of lightning crackles overhead. In the brief flash of light you see symbols of suns, moons, and arrows burned into the arms and legs of the two warriors. You also see something that startles you.