Toy Terror: Batteries Included

by R. L. Stine

  “There’s only one way to save him,” the pig whispers.

  Just then Benny lets out a bloodcurdling scream.

  You sit bolt upright.

  “Don’t go to him! Let him yell!” the pig advises. “Or neither of you will get out of here alive.”

  What will you do?

  If you race to help Benny anyway, turn to PAGE 47.

  If you take the pig’s advice, turn to PAGE 74.

  WHHHIRR …

  The Annihilator stares into the box for a minute. As if it’s thinking. Wondering: Is this a trap?

  Finally, it can’t resist. Still whirring, it throws itself into the box headfirst. And starts ripping at your little brother’s plastic toy.

  Quickly you slam the flaps of the box closed, locking it in. You grab some heavy packaging tape. You stretch about sixteen pieces across the lid so it can’t get out.

  Then you phone the Hasley Toy Company and tell them to send a truck to pick up the Annihilator.

  Turn to PAGE 31.

  You’re not usually clumsy. You decide to go left.

  Forget the Hasley Toy Company, you think. I’m calling 911….

  You bolt. Running. Jumping. Dodging. Around the recycling bin. Over the newspapers. And through the dining room toward the living room.

  RINNNGGGG!

  Hey. The phone’s ringing! That means it works!

  You dash the last few feet to the living room and pick it up. Maybe it’s your mom.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi!” comes the familiar voice of Becca Lester, a friend from school.

  WHHHIRRR …

  You can hear the Annihilator. But it’s still in the kitchen. It hasn’t made a move yet.

  “Becca!” you pant. “I can’t talk now.”

  But Becca doesn’t listen. She just talks. That’s Becca, for you. A real talker.

  “You’ll never believe what I heard about Jason Finestone,” she tells you, launching into it.

  “Becca. I have to hang up!” you tell her.

  Just try to hang up on Becca on PAGE 82!

  You hate the feeling of being trapped in the toy warehouse. Locked in. With that weird doll slinking around somewhere.

  The whole thing gives you the creeps.

  “Help!” you shout, pounding on the glass door. “Someone — let us out of here. Help!”

  Nothing happens.

  Silence.

  Then suddenly Bobaloo steps out from behind some factory equipment. He’s wearing a beret and carrying a megaphone.

  He makes a disgusted face at you and starts shaking his head.

  “Cut!” Bobaloo yells through a megaphone.

  Cut? you think.

  Cut what?

  Find out on PAGE 64.

  Your dad’s oldest and most valuable baseball cards are in a shoe box on the desk. He’s had them since he was a kid. They’re worth a fortune.

  He only let you borrow them because you promised to be extra-super-careful with them. You needed them for a school report.

  A ray blasts out of the Annihilator’s finger. Flames lick up the corner of the box.

  “No!” you scream. “Stop it!”

  This is insane. How do you turn this awful robot off?

  You run around behind the Annihilator. You know its battery compartment is in its back.

  Your fingers scrabble over the panel. Where’s the latch? How do you open it?

  The Annihilator spins around to face you.

  How creepy! It’s as if it could feel your touch.

  Then it shoots a pale blue laser beam out of its chest — straight into your hand!

  Turn to PAGE 25.

  You and Benny hurry to the glass wall.

  “She ran in here,” you declare. “Into the warehouse.”

  “So what are we waiting for?” Benny asks sarcastically.

  You notice that the glass door is open a crack. Jammed between the door and the frame is a tiny pink doll’s shoe.

  “Look! One of her shoes!” you shout, pushing open the door.

  The two of you slip through. On the way in, Benny’s foot bumps the shoe. The door shuts with a loud click.

  You try to open the door. It won’t budge.

  “We’re locked in,” you announce.

  “Who cares!” Benny cries. “Look at all these toys!”

  Your eyes sweep over shelves of model cars, computer games, and hundreds of other toys. They all look so cool.

  But you can’t stop thinking about that doll.

  She’s in here somewhere. What is she up to?

  Suddenly the thought of her gives you the creeps.

  Do you really want to be locked in with her?

  If you can’t resist playing with the toys, turn to PAGE 76.

  If you want to get out of the warehouse, pound on the door on PAGE 18.

  You decide to grab the wheel of the car.

  Hey! Wait a minute!

  Do you have a driver’s license?

  Okay, how about a learner’s permit?

  Admit it. You’re nowhere near old enough to drive, are you?

  You can’t drive — even without your hands taped together. But you’re going to try it, anyway.

  Okay. Go ahead and try it.

  “Hey!” Bobaloo yells when you reach over him. For just an instant, he takes his eyes off the road.

  Unfortunately, in that instant, the road curves around a sharp bend … and over a bridge….

  The road curves, but the car doesn’t.

  You, Bobaloo, and Benny go straight. Straight into a deep river at the bottom of a big hill.

  Of course, Bobaloo and Benny are made of plastic — they are both toys — so they survive the crash. They’re only a little banged up.

  But, you …

  Well, let’s put it this way.

  You just flunked your driving test!

  THE END

  This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening! you tell yourself, squeezing your eyes shut.

  You open your eyes.

  You’re still trapped between the hideous, slime-drooling Zorgs at your back — and the giant army in front!

  The soldiers march toward you, aiming their weapons.

  Then they fire!

  Duck … and try to stay down until you reach PAGE 39.

  You lunge for the driver. Yank it out of the golf bag. Then grip it tightly in two hands.

  SMACK! WHACK!

  You swing the club down hard on the Annihilator’s head.

  A shattering, splintering noise fills the room.

  CRA — ACCCCKKK!

  The plastic body of the robot splits open. Right down the middle.

  It cracks completely in two!

  You shriek in horror when you see what’s inside.

  Face the horror on PAGE 38.

  The entire warehouse is going to be crawling with living toys any minute!

  You and Benny run to the end of the aisle just in time to see an army of remote-control cars zoom around the corner.

  A squad of fifteen-inch-high ninja action figures climb out of their boxes and dart off.

  Dolls. Robots. Dinosaurs. Soldiers. They pour off the shelves, laughing, snarling, shouting to one another.

  Even the board games seem to be alive! One game has set itself up. The pieces are racing one another, and cards are flipping in the air.

  “I don’t believe this,” Benny whispers.

  Suddenly bright lights over in the factory flash on. They cast eerie shadows into the warehouse.

  Then you hear a noise that makes your skin crawl. It’s the sound of machines roaring to life. Conveyor belts whirring. Vats of plastic starting to bubble.

  Someone — or something — is running the factory!

  Hurry to PAGE 11.

  “You!” you screech. The blue beam is freezing! You watch in terror as a block of ice forms around your right hand.

  You dash down the hall to the kitchen. You smash your hand against the side
of the sink. The ice shatters.

  You turn on the hot water and let it run over your hand. You gasp and clench your teeth in pain.

  This can’t be happening, you think. It’s a bad dream. Toys don’t come to life and start burning your house down!

  Burning! You remember your dad’s baseball cards. The whole house will go up in flames if you don’t get back there and put out the fire!

  You grab a pitcher and shove it under the faucet. Then you race back to your room and hurl the water onto the box.

  Whew! The fire is out. Dad’s baseball cards are destroyed. But that’s the least of your worries now.

  Because the Annihilator isn’t in your room anymore.

  It’s got to be somewhere in the house.

  But, where?

  Hurry to PAGE 113 before the robot does something worse!

  Yikes! You’d better run before the Zorgs find you!

  You quickly study the big map of the warehouse. Benny’s voice sounded as if it came from Aisle Three. The dolls are in Aisle Two.

  Your mind races. You know you should run to the doll aisle. You have to find Nasty Kathy’s play trunk. That’s where the pig said you’d find the key to turn off all the toys.

  But what about Benny? He sounded like he was in big trouble. And the truth is, you’re not sure you can hack this alone.

  If you go straight to the doll aisle, turn to PAGE 42.

  If you make a pit stop in Aisle Three, turn to PAGE 63.

  “No way!” you shout at Nasty Kathy. “I may look like a doll, but I’m still human! I won’t help you toys take over my world!”

  You slide off the conveyor belt. Your doll body feels stiff and geeky. Your legs won’t bend — they just swing like boards.

  You run clumsily to a phone. With your plastic fingers, you frantically dial your house. When your mom answers, you quickly explain to her that you and Benny are trapped in the toy factory.

  “Come get us — fast!” you tell her.

  Your mom arrives with Benny’s dad and two police officers. All the toys in the factory freeze. All except for you, that is.

  “Mom!” you cry, jumping up and down. “Benny’s tied up with jump ropes and they turned me into a toy!”

  But instead of running to you, your mom starts screaming.

  “What did you do with my child?” she cries.

  “Don’t worry, ma’am. We’ll find the kid,” one of the policemen says.

  “We got a tip that there was something fishy going on with life-sized dolls in this factory,” the other officer says. “Looks like this one is the leader.”

  Then the officers snap handcuffs onto your plastic wrists!

  You have the right to turn to PAGE 70.

  Prove it?

  Your heart sinks. How can you prove you’re a toy? You don’t have any batteries.

  But wait! Maybe you do have a chance after all.

  Did you stop in Aisle Three before going to the doll aisle?

  If you did, you’ll have something tucked into the waistband of your jeans.

  Something with a battery pack….

  Something you can use to fool the toys!

  Well?

  No cheating, now …

  Because we’ll catch you.

  If you stopped in Aisle Three, you know what you picked up.

  Is it a walkie-talkie? If so, turn to PAGE 81.

  Is it a handheld video game? If so, turn to PAGE 125.

  You can’t see anything!

  You touch the walls in the dark nervously. Your hand brushes a light switch. So you flip it on.

  You squint in the light, glancing around the room. You’re in some kind of basement office. There’s a desk, a file cabinet, an empty shelf, and a phone.

  A phone! you think. Yes!

  You race over and lift the receiver to call the police.

  Nothing. No dial tone.

  The phone is dead.

  In frustration, you slam the receiver down.

  “How am I going to get out of here?” you moan.

  A rustling noise on the shelf startles you. You glance up and see a dusty old toy clown in a red polka-dot suit.

  “Hi,” he says with a shy smile. “Want to play?”

  “No,” you answer desperately. “Stay away from me! I’m just trying to use the phone!”

  “Oh.” The clown shrugs. “That phone doesn’t work. But you could use our phone if you want.”

  Try the clown’s phone on PAGE 62.

  In the next instant, the new Annihilator blasts the locks on the door and bursts into your living room.

  You’ve got a robot behind you. And one in front.

  Now you know how the filling in an Oreo feels.

  WHIRRRR … The new Annihilator lurches toward you.

  Whittle steps through the door behind it. In a flash of lightning, the scar on his cheek shines white.

  Terrified, you leap toward the fireplace and grab the first thing you can reach. A long, metal poker.

  “Get away from me! All of you!” you shout. You lift the poker and start to swing it wildly.

  The new Annihilator sends out a laser beam. It makes a horrible sizzling sound — as it whizzes right past your face!

  Turn to PAGE 94.

  By the time your mom gets home for dinner, the whole horrible mess is over.

  Except for one thing.

  Geoffrey’s favorite toy is missing.

  Uh-oh. You thought the Annihilator was trouble?

  Wait till you see what Geoffrey can do!

  THE END

  Benny’s eyes are wide with shock. “Where did you go?” he demands. “I can’t believe you left. You missed the tour!”

  “What?” you gasp.

  “It’s over,” Benny says. “Boy, was it cool, too. You wouldn’t believe all the great video games they let me play.”

  “Oh, no,” you moan. “It can’t be over. I saw a doll come to life in there! We’ve got to get back in!”

  You lunge at the factory door and yank on the handle. But it doesn’t budge.

  “It’s locked,” Benny declares behind you. “Give up. They all went home. The factory is closed.”

  It’s true.

  And, anyway, the batteries in your camera are dead!

  So, hey — face it. It’s time to recharge your batteries, rewind to PAGE 1, and start this book over.

  Because for now, you have come to

  THE END!

  You’ve got to save your friend!

  “Hang on! I’m coming!” you call, racing toward the sound of Benny’s voice.

  You zoom to the end of the empty aisle, then turn the corner and skid to a stop. The floor is covered with tiny plastic people — each one no taller than two inches. They’re having a tea party. They gaze up at you with innocent eyes as you leap over them.

  “Watch out!” one screams when your foot almost flattens it.

  “Sorry,” you say. You dance around, trying to keep from stomping on them. Just as you take another awkward step, you feel something squish under your foot.

  Oh, no, I’ve killed it! you think.

  Then you feel yourself slipping.

  “Ahhhhh!” you cry as you crash to the cement floor.

  Turn to PAGE 15.

  You set the tank down and run to the burning bed.

  You snatch a pillow and begin to beat out the flames.

  SMACK! SMACK! The fire is going out, thank goodness.

  You barely notice the Annihilator spinning away from you, turning toward your desk.

  WHIRRRRRR …

  Until you see it raise its arm again.

  “No!” you cry when you see where it’s pointing. “Not my dad’s baseball card collection!”

  Turn to PAGE 19.

  Benny turns over with a start. “It’s you!” he says. “I thought you were those horrible soldiers for a minute. Cut me loose!”

  “Sorry, Benny. I can’t take the time,” you apologize, rushing off toward Aisle One. “There’s so
mething else I’ve got to do first!”

  You race to Aisle One, the learning toys aisle.

  That’s what the pig meant, isn’t it? That you should go there?

  But now what?

  Now what do you do with the key?

  Well … that depends.

  Which key do you have?

  If you have the silver key to Nasty Kathy’s trunk, turn to PAGE 96.

  If you found a different key inside the trunk, turn to PAGE 121.

  You swallow hard.

  What should you give the Annihilator next? More of your little brother’s toys?

  Yeah. Maybe.

  WHHHIRRR …

  It’s walking out of the kitchen.

  You have to decide.

  Are you going to try to figure out what it wants?

  Or should you try to trick it back into its box?

  If you still want to trick the Annihilator, turn to PAGE 59.

  If you’d rather get it back into its box, turn to PAGE 88.

  Benny screams as you try to leap away. Too late! The dog’s sharp teeth clamp onto your pant leg.

  You jerk away. But the dog is a big, fierce Doberman. And it won’t let go.

  “Benny! Help!” you cry.

  Before Benny can move, a man with curly blond hair and black glasses races toward you.

  “Mittens! Mittens, stop!” the man yells. He aims a remote control at the dog and presses a button.

  The dog freezes in place. “These new models never work right,” the man mutters as you yank your pants free.

  Benny bursts out laughing. “Ha! It was just a toy!”

  Your heart is still pumping a mile a minute. But you don’t want to seem like a wimp. So you laugh, too.

  “Sorry about that,” the man says. “I’m Bob Marvin, chief of new designs here at Hasley Toys — but everyone calls me Bobaloo. You must be here for the tour.”