The Twisted Tale of Tiki Island Read online

  Your lungs start to ache. You’ll need to come up for air soon. The shark must have given up by now, you think.

  But before you can motion to Gina to turn around, a strong current sucks you farther into the cave. And deeper underwater!

  Your lungs are going to explode if you don’t breathe soon!

  Go to PAGE 6.

  You swim around to the other side of the creaking ship. Wrapping your fingers over the railing, you pull yourself onto the deck. You hide behind a stack of barrels.

  Several groups of skeletons in torn pirate clothes are talking on the deck. Some growl angrily about the captain who brought them to this watery grave. Others say they plan to take their riches and walk among the living again.

  But it’s the group at the far end, the one in the shadows, that grabs your attention! They have Gina! And they’re shoving her into a tiny closet.

  “She’ll keep here until she’s bones like us!” a skeleton snarls. You shudder when you notice one side of his skull is missing.

  “Aye!” shouts a short skeleton with one arm. “Now that she’s seen us, she cannot leave the cave. And once we find the other child, our treasure is safe again!”

  Go to PAGE 25.

  “Evil?” Kala shouts. He sits up, his eyes flashing angrily. “I am not the evil here! It is you! And you! And you!”

  He points a shaking finger at you, and Gina, and Dr. Oates. “Tourists! Archaeologists! Destroyers! You want to take Tiki Island from us. Tiki Island shall belong to me. I will save it from all of you!”

  “But Kala,” you say. “I’m your friend. We …”

  But Kala interrupts you. It seems as if he’s gone crazy. “A few months ago I saw the sacred mask in a dream. A voice told me I had a mission: Find the missing eye! Save the island! I heard the voices of the Tiki warrior spirits commanding me!”

  You watch horrified as Kala paces around the tent. Could the other Tiki Eye have put a kind of spell on him? you wonder. Seeing him now, you think it could be possible.

  “But now I have it! And I shall rule!” Kala bends over and picks up a piece of the shattered mask. He turns it toward you and Gina and Dr. Oates.

  It’s the Tiki Eye!

  Turn to PAGE 132.

  You have to do something. But what?

  “The Tiki mask!” you cry. “We have to take it away from him!”

  “But how can we do that when he’s wearing it?” Gina asks.

  “I haven’t figured out that part yet,” you admit. You watch Dr. Oates stroll through the masked workers and warriors. They all seem to be hypnotized by him.

  “I have an idea,” you whisper. “Follow me.”

  You lead Gina to the shack where you discovered the cartons. You sneak in through the back window. “Keep your eye on Dr. Oates,” you instruct Gina. “Tell me if he heads this way.”

  Gina positions herself by the window. You tear open a box and rummage through it.

  “What are you looking for?” Gina asks.

  “This!” you announce. “And this!” You pull two Tiki masks out of the box. They look like the masks the workers wear. “Here.” You hand one to Gina. “Put this on. Dr. Oates won’t recognize us in these. Maybe we’ll be able to get close enough to steal back the mask.”

  “If he doesn’t put a spell on us first,” Gina remarks grimly.

  Go to PAGE 136.

  “Get up!” you hear a man’s voice order.

  Where is he? Who is he talking to? you wonder. You duck behind one of the exotic trees. Has he seen you?

  You gaze across the lagoon. There he is! You see a large man in a tattered uniform. His back is to you. He stands over someone lying on the ground.

  Gina!

  He’s talking to Gina! The man cracks his whip in the air above her head. Gina covers her face with her arms and huddles on the ground.

  You have to help her! Your legs shake with fear, but you manage to stand. They still haven’t seen you. You crouch behind the thick tree trunk. You try to figure out what to do.

  Then the whip-cracker turns around.

  You grab hold of the tree to steady yourself.

  He’s the skeleton you saw on the shipwreck!

  Go to PAGE 64.

  “Tiki Eye!” Hooahtoo bellows, turning in your direction. “Tiki Eye!”

  The warriors stand silent. Only Hooahtoo’s evil-sounding voice echoes through the cavern. “Tiki Eye sees us!” He slowly spits out each word. “We do not see Tiki Eye!”

  He gazes around the cavern. His blind white eyes glisten.

  He fixes his unblinking stare on the spot where you peer over the edge. Then he speaks his most terrifying words: “Tiki Eye says two must die!”

  “He knows we’re up here!” you gasp.

  Hooahtoo points a long, bony finger at you and Gina. “Seize them!” he commands. “Bring them to me!”

  If you think holding up the Tiki Eye might save you again, turn to PAGE 88.

  If you throw a rock at Hooahtoo, turn to PAGE 15.

  Every single mask is missing an eye!

  The mask task seems impossible. But you don’t have a choice. You hold the stone eye up to mask after mask, searching for a match. After a few minutes, you and Gina have tried at least fifty of them.

  With no luck.

  “That one looks pretty important.” Gina points to a dark purple mask with feathers around the edge. Its one eye is wide open and rimmed with purple.

  “Okay,” you say. “We’ll try it.” You lift the mask down and place the stone piece over the empty eyehole. “Another dud,” you announce. “The stone eye is huge compared to the hole.”

  You hand the mask to Gina and reach for another one. Gina puts on the mask and growls, “Aarrrgh! Do I scare you?”

  “Yeah. As if.” You snort. “It’s just a mask.”

  “Maybe it’s a haunted mask,” Gina suggests. She giggles. “Like the one in the GOOSEBUMPS book. Remember? The girl puts the scary mask on and then can’t take it off?”

  “Yeah, I remember,” you reply, “but this isn’t anything like that mask. Now take it off. We have a lot more masks to try!”

  Gina tugs on the purple mask. “Uhn!” she grunts. “That’s weird. I can’t seem to get it off. It’s stuck!”

  Turn to PAGE 94.

  “The kid’s right!” a one-legged pirate skeleton hisses. “The Captain will try to cheat us!”

  “Are you sure the treasure is still all here?” Gina asks.

  “I’d count it all if I were you,” you suggest.

  Three skeletons lift a trunk into the air. Then they dump the contents onto the black sand.

  “Hey!” Captain Bones bellows. “What are you doing?”

  “It’s what you’re doing that worries us!” snaps the one-legged pirate.

  Now all the other skeletons are arguing. Some shove gems into their pockets. Others count gold coins. Skeletons begin pushing and shoving, trying to keep the treasure for themselves.

  “Mutiny!” Captain Bones cries. “This is mutiny!”

  The skeletons pull swords! They attack each other!

  “Now!” you whisper to Gina.

  Grabbing a treasure chest, you and Gina race to the stairs. You start climbing the slippery rock steps. Kelp and sea moss cover the stone, making it very hard to keep your footing.

  Go to PAGE 46.

  Tiki Island — doomed? “This is terrible!” you whisper.

  The closet door flies open. A skeleton steps forward and yanks you and Gina out. You both tremble so much, you can hardly stand.

  “Give the order, Captain Bones!” the crowd of skeletons shouts.

  The skeleton called Captain Bones bares his yellowed teeth and hisses at you. “Tiki Island belongs to us. We fought for it. We died for it. Those who died, should live. Those who live, should die! The island and all this treasure belong to us. We stole it fair and square!”

  He points to trunks of treasure piled on the deck. The skeleton crew has packed it all up to transport above gro
und. They’re waiting for you to show them the way.

  You’re too terrified to speak. Captain Bones cackles and leans his bony head into your face. “Not ready to talk yet, eh?” he snarls. “Well, we’ve got all the time in the world. And all the time in the next world, too!”

  Go to PAGE 56.

  Gina falls to the ground, holding her stomach and laughing. You fluff up your beard. “Hooahtoo orders this volcano to awaken.”

  Your Hooahtoo act makes you and Gina hysterical. You flop down beside Gina, snorting and giggling.

  A sudden explosion at the top of the volcano startles you both into silence. A shower of hot gravel pours down from the top of the mountain. Violent rumbling shakes you, Gina, and everything else on the mountain.

  “Oh, no!” Gina cries. “Look what you’ve done!”

  “Did I do that?” you gasp. “The volcano really is erupting!”

  “Hold on to something!” Gina shouts.

  You clutch at shrubs and roots. But everything you grab is ripped from your hands. The earth slides down the rumbling mountain.

  “Help!” Gina screams. “I’m falling!” She tumbles past you in a rock slide.

  You reach out and grab Gina’s foot to try to stop her from sliding away. Instead of pulling her up to you, she drags you down with her!

  Tumble to PAGE 55.

  Take a look at the tangle of octopus arms below. See that little dot at the bottom of one of the arms? Know what that is? It’s you!

  Yes, you.

  And there’s only one way out.

  Do it for Gina! She needs you!

  Click here to go to PAGE 11.

  Click here to go to PAGE 59.

  “Here,” you say, pushing the stone piece toward Hooahtoo with your foot. “Take it. You return the Tiki Eye. We didn’t come on this vacation to open a repair shop for broken Tiki masks!”

  “No, my friend,” Hooahtoo replies solemnly. “It is you who found the piece. It is you who must replace it. Nothing will be the same until the Tiki Mask is restored.”

  “Oh, all right,” you grumble. This guy is probably too small to lift the stone eye, anyway. “Just tell us where the mask is, and we’ll put back the missing piece.”

  Hooahtoo nods. “You must climb the highest mountain on Tiki Island. You must pass through the wall of Tiki warriors. Only then will you lift the curse from Tiki Island.”

  You feel the color drain from your face. “But the highest mountain on Tiki Island is Kenalua,” you stammer.

  “I’ve heard of Kenalua,” Gina says. “Isn’t that the famous —”

  “Volcano,” you finish for her. “And it’s active!”

  Turn to PAGE 49.

  Finally, Dr. Oates strides over to the tent. Just as he steps across the threshold, you and Gina yank the vine! Oates trips over it and sprawls flat on his face.

  The Tiki mask flies off. It crashes to the ground, shattering in a thousand pieces!

  Before Dr. Oates can get up, you and Gina pounce on his back. Together you pin him on the floor.

  “No!” Dr. Oates cries. “No! You’ve destroyed the mask! You’ve destroyed me!”

  Just then you hear a muffled cry coming from a trunk in the corner of the tent. “Hold him down, Gina!” you instruct her. “He must have locked someone in that trunk!”

  You run to the trunk and throw open the top. When you see who’s inside, you do a double take.

  “Dr. Oates!” you exclaim. “What are you doing in there?”

  Go to PAGE 35.

  You decide Gina is right. You’ll throw the Tiki Eye up the mountain and forget about it.

  You hurl the broken stone piece as hard as you can. As soon as the eye leaves your hand, the rumbling of the volcano grows louder. The earth beneath your feet shakes violently.

  “She’s gonna blow!” the loudmouthed tourist yells. He grabs a tree and holds on.

  “It’s the curse!” you cry. “I shouldn’t have thrown away the eye. I have to get it back!”

  You scramble across the trembling ground. Gina follows you up the mountain. You frantically search the area where the stone piece might have landed.

  The whole mountain shakes. The loudmouthed guy stumbles and falls. He tumbles past you and Gina. The tour guide tries to grab him. But he knocks her over, dragging her along with him.

  “Gina!” you cry. “Hold on to me!” But before Gina can grab you, the top of the mountain explodes! Hot lava spills down the side of the mountain.

  You and Gina are right in the path of the fiery liquid.

  Turn to PAGE 8.

  “Oh … ,” you stammer. “We were just …”

  “You see, we wanted to … ,” Gina sputters.

  “You were just snooping around and you wanted to poke your noses where they don’t belong. Is that what you’re trying to say?” Dr. Oates bellows.

  Before you can answer, he ducks his head back out the window. A second later, he storms through the door. His gray eyes flash. He plants his hands on his hips. “Did you ever hear of trespassing?” he snarls.

  “Yes, but we didn’t mean to …” you begin. You’re so upset, you’re not sure what to say.

  Should you even mention the bit of stone that’s in your pocket? Should you tell him the truth about why you came? Or should you just make up something and get out quickly?

  If you tell him the truth, and nothing but the truth, turn to PAGE 51.

  If you lie like a rug, turn to PAGE 89.

  Your eyes land on the cave paintings. Now you can see the final panel. It shows the two kids in T-shirts and shorts sneaking through a secret door in the rock wall!

  You yank Gina into the protective glow of the Tiki Eye.

  “We have to find that secret door,” you murmur to Gina. You point to the wall painting.

  “But it doesn’t show where the door is!” Gina complains.

  “Well, it’s here somewhere,” you insist.

  The Tiki warriors glare at you. But as long as you hold the glowing Tiki Eye, you’re safe.

  You notice the cave wall is smoother near the last panel of the painting. “I have an idea,” you whisper. “Stay close.”

  Holding the Tiki Eye toward the warriors, you and Gina scurry across the cave. But instead of one door, you find two!

  “Which one?” Gina cries.

  “I don’t know,” you admit. You examine the doors closely. There are no knobs. Just a handprint carved into each door.

  “Maybe … ,” you murmur. You have a feeling that the handprints are the way in. One door has a right handprint, the other a left handprint. There’s only one way to decide!

  If you are right-handed, turn to PAGE 12.

  If you are left-handed, turn to PAGE 50.

  You reach the waterfall that swept you and Gina to the pirate ship. You point to the stone staircase carved into the cave wall. “That’s the way out, Captain Bones,” you announce. “But we should wait until everyone is ashore with the treasure before we climb up.”

  As the skeletons drag the treasure chests onto the black sand at the base of the stairs, you and Gina wander among them.

  “So, how much of the treasure do you think Ol’ Bony is going to let you keep?” you ask a pair of grinning skeletons.

  “Why, our share!” the taller one declares.

  You raise your voice a bit so more of the skeleton crew can hear you. “And how is your share decided? By rank? By how hard you worked to get it?”

  The skeletons begin grumbling and murmuring.

  “Won’t Captain Bones try to keep it all for himself?” Gina adds. She winks at you. She’s figured out your plan.

  When you snuck aboard you overheard a group of skeletons complaining. This group doesn’t strike you as a very loyal bunch. It should be easy to stir up trouble!

  It is!

  Turn to PAGE 118.

  The second he sees you, Kala jumps into the water. He helps you and Gina drag the treasure chest to the boat. You scramble aboard.

  Kala’s
father is the first to realize what the chest holds. “It’s the lost treasure of Tiki Island!” he exclaims happily. “The markings on the chest are of the old Tiki tribe robbed by pirates long ago.”

  Kala and his father go back later for the rest of the treasure. But the passageway is blocked. That’s okay, you figure. At least the skeleton pirates can’t get out!

  All is as it should be on Tiki Island. The people are friendly again. The curse has been lifted. Tourists will soon return. You and Gina are heroes. You’re even given a bit of treasure as a reward.

  “So what do you say, Gina?” you ask. “Want to go snorkeling?”

  “I’ve had enough excitement for one day,” she says. “How about a nice walk on Mount Kenalua instead?”

  “But that’s a volcano!” you tell her.

  She shrugs. “After the adventure we’ve had, even a volcano would seem nice and calm.”

  You laugh. But you can’t help but wonder if this is truly

  THE END.

  You call Gina one more time. She doesn’t answer.

  “That’s it,” you mutter. You’re going to teach her a lesson. Instead of looking for her anymore, you’re going to hide and pop out when she walks by.

  You duck behind a huge boulder jutting out from the side of the mountain. When you lean against the boulder, it moves! As it rolls forward, you lose your balance. The next thing you know, you’re falling into a deep hole.

  “Gina-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a!” you cry as you tumble down through darkness.

  Land on PAGE 34.

  You have to keep going. The stone is burning a hole in your pocket. And while these tourists are listening to the guide, you and Gina can get a head start up the mountain.