Tick Tock, You're Dead!

by R. L. Stine

“B-but who are you?” you stammer.

  “Later!” he whispers. “We’ve got to hide!” He leads you to the corner, then down a manhole into an underground tunnel. It’s dark, and you can hear water dripping all around you.

  The tunnel leads to a large room lit with candles and lanterns. Several other humans are inside.

  “Welcome to the rebel stronghold,” says the man. “I’m Jarmal, leader of the rebellion.”

  Rebellion? What’s this guy talking about?

  Find out on PAGE 109.

  The girl is gone!

  “Jackson,” the teacher goes on, as if nothing has happened. “What is 43,000,000 divided by 7.645328?”

  A tall, pale boy stands up. He doesn’t answer for a moment, then shakes his head. “I don’t know,” he says.

  “Go into the frammilizer!” the robot commands.

  Slowly, Jackson walks to the front of the room. He steps into the box. A moment later he, too, is gone. Frammilized.

  You watch in horror as your classmates disappear, one by one. In a moment it will be your turn. You’ve got to do something and do it fast!

  You could use the chronometer to leave the future, but you haven’t found Denny!

  On the other hand, you’ve always done well in school — maybe you’ll be able to answer the teacher’s question.

  Answer the teacher’s question on PAGE 133.

  Use the chronometer on PAGE 68.

  “I’m sorry,” you tell Jarmal. “I hope the humans win over the robots. But I’ve got to go look for my brother.”

  “That’s bad news — for you,” Jarmal says. “But it’s good news for us. We’ve been looking for someone to use as bait to lure the robots into the underground tunnels.”

  “Wait a minute!” you say. “I’ve changed my mind! I want to join the rebel —”

  “Sorry,” Jarmal replies. “It’s too late.” He snatches the chronometer and crushes it beneath his boots.

  “But I’m a fellow human!” you protest, as Jarmal and two other humans drag you back to the manhole.

  “It makes no difference,” Jarmal snarls. “If there’s one thing five hundred years of robot rule has taught us, it’s not to be sentimental.”

  The rebels tie you to the top of the manhole. Then Jarmal and his friends gather below, their guns drawn and ready. Outside on the street you can hear gunfire — and it’s getting closer.

  When the robots arrive, you’ll be caught between the two opposing armies. Too bad. It looks as if you’ve gotten tied up in one adventure too many!

  THE END

  The high wooden door to the castle stands open. “Hello?” you call. “Is anybody home?”

  Your own voice echoes back. You step through the door into a dark entrance hall. Hanging from the wall is a tapestry. In the center there’s a picture of a fierce-looking beast.

  A lion? you wonder. You sure hope you don’t run into him here!

  You enter a winding, narrow corridor. Empty suits of armor line the walls. The only light comes from flickering candles.

  The corridor turns and twists, but doesn’t seem to lead anywhere. You glance at the chronometer. Only one hour left — and there’s still no sign of Denny!

  Then all the candles go out.

  You’re in total darkness!

  From somewhere up ahead, you hear an eerie scream. A human scream. Chills creep up your spine. Who was that? Maybe you should get out of here right now.

  But what if it was Denny?

  If you choose to go on, turn to PAGE 76.

  If you decide to turn back, go to PAGE 51.

  Terrified, you reach up to help your brother. Your hand brushes a thick, ropelike strand. You try to pull back in disgust, but your hand is stuck. You raise your other hand to help. And your other hand gets stuck, too!

  “Denny!” you cry. “I’m trapped!”

  “Here it comes!” Denny shrieks in terror.

  The glowing red lights move slowly toward you. They’re not lights — they’re eyes … the eyes of the gigantic spider that made the web.

  And it’s the biggest spider you’ve ever seen!

  With huge, dripping fangs.

  Frantically you struggle against the sticky strands, but it’s no use. This time you’ve become totally wrapped up in your adventure!

  THE END

  What would make you and Denny turn around? you wonder. You’ve got to create a distraction.

  You glance at the newsstand again, and an idea comes to you. It’s not much — but it’s the only thing you can think of.

  Quickly, you check your pockets. You’ve got about thirty dollars — your allowance, plus some money your dad gave you to buy souvenirs.

  You ask the newsstand owner for change. You get a bunch of bills and coins. Suddenly a familiar-looking, red-haired boy runs past you. You stare at him, then glance back at your family. Denny is still with the rest of the family — what’s he doing here, too?

  “Denny!” you shout. “What are you doing here?”

  Turn to PAGE 17.

  “It’s King Henry’s army!” King Ruthbert shouts.

  The king’s two knights spring into action. They drop you and jump in front of the king. They desperately try to defend him against the invading army.

  When the knights let you go, you roll out of the way. You’ve got to grab Denny and get out of here. Fast!

  But one of King Henry’s knights has already seized your brother. You watch in horror as the knight lifts your brother over his head and walks him over to the end of the castle.

  Oh, no! The knight’s about to toss Denny over the side!

  You’ve got to do something, but what? For just a moment you think about doing nothing. After all, Denny was planning to have you boiled in oil. But no — he’s your brother, after all.

  Your hands are still tied behind your back. Maybe you can trick the knight into letting Denny go. Or — maybe you can roll into the knight’s path before he reaches the edge of the roof.

  Trick the knight on PAGE 121.

  Roll into his path on PAGE 91.

  You push open the door and step into the power room. You can feel the hot green glow from the power source on your skin. You place the red box next to the glowing orb and get ready to run.

  Just as you reach the door, it slams shut!

  Oh, no. It’s locked!

  Through a window you can see a robot guard on the other side. It’s laughing at you!

  Desperately you reach for the chronometer. But the device turns white-hot and starts to melt in your hands! Somehow the pulsing glow is destroying it!

  You push and pull on the door again, but it won’t budge.

  The explosive device is programmed to go off within one minute. That minute is nearly up. Maybe the rebels will be able to help —

  BOOM!!!

  Maybe not …

  THE END

  Frantically you pull the vine out of your path and race to the exit. The plant sends tendrils racing after you. They snap at your ankles.

  A cluster of geraniums twists and turns toward you. As you approach, one of them sprays a bubbling pink solution at you. You skid in the slimy liquid and fall down.

  Up ahead a giant cucumber plant hurls its fruit. You duck as a grapevine fires off hard green grapes.

  HELP! You’re being attacked by plants!

  You scramble to your feet and barely make it to the exit. You fall into the corridor outside.

  Take a deep breath and turn to PAGE 69.

  “I’ll look for my brother in the past,” you tell Dr. Peebles.

  “Fine,” the scientist replies. He punches another set of numbers into the computer.

  “Now step right through the Chronoport,” Dr. Peebles instructs you. “And good luck.”

  You approach the shimmering frame and enter it. You feel a strange tingling sensation. Everything appears hazy, as if you are underwater. A second later you see two paths ahead in the mist.

  Wow!

  At the end of the
left-hand path you squint to see a tall stone castle in the distance. A knight in shiny armor on a white horse rides toward it.

  At the end of the right-hand path there’s a swamp with tall, strange-looking trees towering over it. Moving among the trees is … can it be? A dinosaur!

  Which path did your brother choose? Which one will you take? Quick, decide!

  If you think Denny ran toward the knight, turn to PAGE 93.

  If you think he checked out the dinosaur, turn to PAGE 11.

  You step between the bookcases and find yourself in a small, dark cave filled with piles of straw. The air is damp and smells terrible.

  In one corner there’s a dent in the straw, as if a very large animal has been lying there. Next to the dent is a pile of bones with teeth marks in them.

  “Denny?” you call nervously. “Denny, are you in here?”

  “Help me!” A sudden, faint voice fills the cave. It’s your brother. “Help me!” he cries again.

  The voice seems to be coming from the back of the little cave. You crawl farther back and see several piles of straw and a small opening. You press your eye up to the opening and peer inside. In the darkness, several tiny red lights glow.

  “Help!” Denny’s voice sounds fainter and more terrified.

  But where is he? Is he hiding behind one of the piles of straw? Or did he go through the opening?

  Make a decision quickly. Time is running out!

  If you crawl through the opening with the red lights, turn to PAGE 92.

  If you stay in the cave, go to PAGE 32.

  You walk over to the loading area, hoping you’ll be able to convince someone to stop the green truck. But how?

  “What are you doing daydreaming?” Abe bellows. He’s a huge scary man. “Start loading, NOW.”

  You lift the first crate. It’s heavy, but you manage to hoist it into the back of the truck. That wasn’t so bad — it’s the next thirty or so that wear you out.

  Your back is breaking, but every time you stop — even for a second — Abe is there saying “Load!” So you keep an eye on the green truck as you load.

  To your horror, you see the driver of the green truck climbing into the front seat and getting ready to go. You’ve got to stop him! You start to run over to him, but Abe is coming around the corner. Can you get away from Abe? That’s a matter of luck. Are you wearing something green today?

  If you’re wearing green, turn to PAGE 104.

  If you’re not, turn to PAGE 63.

  “What?” you cry. You stare at the scientist. Your parents are going to ground you for life if you lose Denny.

  “You’ll have to travel in time to find him,” Dr. Peebles tells you. “I’d better make those adjustments to the Chronoport so you don’t disappear into timelessness, too!”

  You stare at the scientist as he fiddles with the time machine. You can’t believe it — this guy is really serious!

  “When you find your brother,” Dr. Peebles goes on, “you must be touching each other before you use the chronometer. Otherwise, the device will bring only one of you back.”

  “No problem,” you say. “But where did Denny go? The future or the past?”

  “There’s no way to know whether he’s gone forward in time — or back,” Dr. Peebles replies. “You’ll have to guess.”

  You touch the chronometer around your neck. It began measuring real time the moment Denny disappeared. Already the seconds are ticking by. You have to decide: Are you more likely to find Denny in the past or in the future?

  Travel to the future on PAGE 16.

  Go to the past on PAGE 44.

  The robot guard looks you up and down. You keep staring at his gun.

  “The romiframpton,” you repeat.

  “Broken again?” the guard replies. “Go on in. You know where it is.”

  Actually, you don’t have any idea where the romiframpton is. But you don’t care. You’re in!

  A steel walkway leads straight ahead. Next to it, a ladder stretches up.

  Which way is the power source?

  Take the walkway on PAGE 118.

  Climb the ladder on PAGE 128.

  As soon as you place the red box against the wall, it begins ticking. Jarmal said you’d have one minute to escape from the power plant. That’s not enough time to make it down the ladder! Then you spot a small door behind the ladder, labeled EMERGENCY EXIT.

  You throw yourself toward the exit. You’re in a slick chute that leads down. You slide toward the bottom, holding your breath. Will you make it before the plant blows?

  Slide onto PAGE 7.

  “Wait!” you cry. “You don’t need to —” But it’s too late. He’s already jumped into the water. You watch in horror as the crocodiles swim toward him — jaws open!

  “One last thing,” the knight calls before the beasts reach him. “Beware of the Lair!”

  “The what?” you ask. But the only answer is the snapping of the crocodiles’ jaws.

  Trying not to watch or listen, you hurry across the drawbridge and into the castle.

  Turn to PAGE 38.

  You decide to try to get out of this creepy castle. Using the wall to guide you through the darkness, you start back. You’ve only gone a few steps when you feel a doorknob with your fingers. You turn it and step into a smoky room filled with red light.

  “Who’s there?” calls a frightened-sounding woman. Before you can answer, she cries out, “Please help me!”

  You make your way through the smoke toward the sound of her voice. At the back of the room, chained to the stone wall, is a beautiful blond woman. She’s dressed in a flowing green gown.

  “Help me!” she screams. “Find the key and unlock the chains before he comes back!”

  “Before who comes back?” you ask.

  “The dragon!” she says. “He went into his den to take a nap. You’ve got to save me!”

  Now you see an opening in the wall. Smoke is pouring out of it with a hissing sound. This must be the dragon’s den. You look at the chain holding the woman to the wall. The lock is a very strange shape — nearly round.

  “Hurry!” she shrieks. “I hear the dragon returning!”

  Turn to PAGE 6 — if you dare.

  The two knights drag you over to the pot of boiling oil. The king and Denny are right behind them.

  “On the count of three, carry out the sentence!” the king orders.

  “Denny, help!” you plead.

  But Denny sticks his tongue out at you. Then he gives the king the thumbs-up sign.

  “One!” the king says. The knights pick you up.

  “Please — just listen to me —” you cry.

  “Two!” The knights lift you high in the air above the pot.

  Frantically, you struggle to free your hands, so you can use the chronometer. But they are tied too tightly.

  “Three —” the king cries. At that moment, a hair-curling scream splits the air. Dozens of armored knights rush onto the roof. They’re all waving swords and knives and holding out large shields. The roof is swarming with knights ready for battle!

  Turn to PAGE 41.

  You quickly jump up on the counter of the newsstand, and then climb onto the roof.

  “Hey!” the owner shouts. “Get down from there!”

  You ignore him. While he continues to yell, you take some of your money and throw it down on the sidewalk. “FREE MONEY!” you shout.

  Down below, Denny shouts the same thing. “FREE MONEY!”

  “Look at that!” someone shouts. “Those kids are throwing away money!”

  Two or three passersby pick up coins and bills. A crowd starts to gather and cars and taxis brake to see what’s going on.

  You watch as Denny bends down and pockets some of the change.

  “Denny!” you scream. “Put that —”

  Loud honking starts up in the distance. The truck is coming! You can see it now — speeding for the intersection where your family is about to cross!

  Quick!
Turn to PAGE 58.

  You glide through the mist toward the New York City street where you saw the red-haired boy. Honking taxis, buses, and trucks zip along the street. Tall buildings surround you. On the streets, people are shouting, arguing, and laughing.

  Uh-oh. This looks exactly like New York City in the present. Maybe something went wrong with the chronometer.

  You glance around for the red-haired kid you saw. But you don’t see him anywhere.

  You approach a corner newsstand. “Excuse me,” you say to the vendor. “Can you tell me how to get to the Museum of Natural History?”

  “What do I look like, an information booth?” he snaps back at you.

  “Never mind,” you mutter. “Who needs your —”

  Then you notice a stack of newspapers. The one on top has tomorrow’s date. You’re in the future all right — one crummy day in the future!

  No fair! you think. You’re about to push the right-hand button on the chronometer to travel further into the future when something makes you gasp.

  Find out what it is on PAGE 77.

  You love the zoo! What a weird punishment, you think, as the police robot takes you away in a flying car.

  Soon you zoom through the zoo gates. Giraffes, elephants, tigers, and antelopes roam around the grounds. Instead of bars, a shimmering transparent force field separates the animals from the viewers.

  “You will remain here,” the robot announces, stopping in front of an exhibit that looks like a living room, with a couch, chairs, and a TV.

  The robot yanks the chronometer off your neck.

  “Give that back!” you shout, but the robot ignores you. It aims its laser gun at the force field around the exhibit. The field dissolves, and the robot pushes you into the exhibit.