by R. L. Stine
“Okay,” you whisper. “We’ll trust you. Right, guys?”
Patty and Floyd both nod.
Ernie clasps his hands. “Wonderful!” he gushes.
“We need you to get us out of here,” Patty admits.
“And we need you if we’re ever going to be free!” Ernie grabs your hand and clutches it hard. “It’s been so long since any of us had hope.”
“Um, fine, fine,” you mumble, wrestling your hand away. This guy has some grip! “Now — what can you do to help us?”
Find out on PAGE 30.
“NO FAIR!” you yell at Big Al. “You cheated with that ticket. You cheated with the game —”
“And you lost,” Big Al gloats. “So now you’ll be with the Carnival of Horrors — full-time. Come with me, Igor,” he tells his robot. “Help me think of a job for these kids.”
“CANNOT-WALK,” Igor the robot crackles. “SCREW-LOOSE.”
“You’re always getting screws loose,” Big Al complains. Then he snaps his fingers. “I know the perfect job for you three!”
He passes a hand over the three of you. Glowing dust sprinkles down.
“Nooo!” you wail. You feel yourself shrinking! Your fingers are growing together, becoming hard and metallic. By the time the transformation is complete, you only come up to Igor’s knees. And your hands — they’ve turned into screwdrivers! The same thing has happened to Patty and Floyd.
“Now get to work! And don’t screw up!” Big Al says. He bends over, he’s laughing so hard at his own dumb joke.
Igor rolls over to you for repairs.
You’re only going to do this job because you’re being forced to, you tell yourself. Anyone who’d do this willingly, would have to … well, have a screw loose.
THE END
The other roller-coaster cars rumble into place behind you. Ka-CHUNK! They link up with your car. Then all the cars lurch forward. They begin to climb. Up ahead, you see the tracks split.
“Which way?” you ask Patty and Floyd.
“Left,” Patty replies promptly.
Your cousin shrugs. “Why not?”
But from the cars behind you, whispery voices begin to chant, “Right! Right! Go right!”
You glance over your shoulder to see who’s talking.
Bad move.
The other passengers look as if they’ve been riding too long — a couple of years too long. Their skin stretches over their bones like dried leather. Tufts of hair cling to their scalps. They glare at you through eyes as small and wrinkled as raisins.
Now you know why this ride is called the Roller Ghoster.
They’re all ghosts!
But you can’t worry about that right now.
The big question is, do you go left, as your friends want, or right, as the ghostly passengers insist?
If you agree with your friends, turn to PAGE 80.
If you go along with the ghosts, turn to PAGE 76.
You gaze around, searching for a way to escape the glare of all those unfriendly eyes.
You spot the first of the rides — a kiddie choo-choo train. Hmmmmm. Wasn’t that train a way out of the carnival last time?
You race toward it. Yes! You glance at the letters on the front of the train. “Hop aboard,” you cry. “This is the Right Way Railroad. It’s how we escaped before! It leads out of here!”
You, Patty, and Floyd jump aboard. With a lurch, the train starts forward. “Only a few minutes,” you assure your friends, “and this carnival is history! There’s a tunnel up ahead.”
But something is weird. The train is moving too slowly. And the people stroll by in quick, jerky movements. It’s like watching a video on fast-forward.
Glancing at your watch, you notice the hands whizzing around.
Huh? How can time be speeding up?
You lean over and peer at the name painted on the side of the train. Oh, no! This isn’t the Right Way Railroad. It’s the Right Away Railroad.
“I get it,” you groan. Riding the train makes time move more quickly. And with a midnight deadline to escape — you don’t have any time to lose!
Chug over to PAGE 65.
“AAAAGH!” you yell, sitting up in bed. What a nightmare! You dreamed you were back at the Carnival of Horrors!
Floyd and Patty appear in the doorway. “We’re home! We escaped from that carnival!”
You gaze around. Yes! You’re in your bedroom at Aunt El and Uncle Steve’s! It wasn’t a dream — you really were at the Carnival of Horrors! But Floyd rigged it so that you went back in time, and now you’re safe on the farm.
You jump out of bed and get dressed. You rush downstairs, with Patty and Floyd on your heels. Aunt El is making pancakes at the stove.
“Morning, Aunt El. Anything special going on today?” you ask.
You hold your breath, waiting for her reply. Patty and Floyd fidget next to you.
“Not really,” your aunt answers.
“No — um — surprises?” Floyd says.
Aunt El shakes her head. “Nothing,” she answers. “I’m afraid it will be another ordinary day.”
You grin broadly at Patty and Floyd.
“Perfect!” you cry. “That’s just the way we like it!”
THE END
You remember a booth like this the last time you were trapped at the carnival. But then you had to guess your weight on Mars.
Things are always changing at the Carnival of Horrors.
“Who will go first?” the alien asks.
“I will,” you volunteer.
“Good!” The alien smiles, showing sharp purple teeth sprouting from bright-green gums.
“That doesn’t look like a mask to me,” Patty whispers.
“Walk through to the weighing room.” The alien points one of its seven orange fingers toward a metal door between the blinking computers. You notice heavy locks on it.
All of a sudden, you’re not so eager to go.
“Hey,” you pipe up. “That wouldn’t be some kind of spaceship to Jupiter, would it?” You know how crazy this carnival can be.
The alien makes a sound that might be a laugh. “Oh, no. It’s not a spaceship at all.”
For all you know, the alien is lying through its purple teeth — but whatever is in that room can’t be any worse than the mob that’s looking for you on the midway.
Taking a deep breath, you walk through the door.
What’s in the next room? Find out on PAGE 128.
You turn the steering wheel to the right. The Roller Ghoster rumbles as it switches lines — to the right-hand branch.
“What are you doing?” Patty wails. “If you take advice from those dead guys in the back, we’ll end up just like them.”
“Maybe,” you agree. “And then again … maybe not.”
You know that this branch veers toward the Hall of the Mountain King. The castle with its towers is the only thing that rises higher than the Roller Ghoster tracks.
That means it’s the one place where you might be able to jump off the rickety coaster.
You don’t mention that to Patty, however.
If the ghostly passengers in the rest of the cars hear your plan, they might try to stop you.
Keep quiet and turn to PAGE 8.
“What’s wrong?” Patty asks. “Did Floyd make a dopey face?”
Silently, you show them the picture.
“It’s a trick,” Floyd scoffs. “They probably told Big Buck to give it to you if you won. They’re trying to psych you out.”
They’re doing a good job! you think. You don’t know about Patty and Floyd, but you’re really spooked. The picture reminds you of a GOOSEBUMPS story you read called Say Cheese and Die! It was about a camera that took pictures of the future. Usually the pictures showed terrible things to come.
“Do you think you can keep winning games?” Patty frets. “How many have you won, anyway? Enough to challenge Big Al?”
“Didn’t you use the rides to escape before?” Floyd asks.
You wish you had someone to ask for advice. But the only others around are the weird carnival people.
If you seek advice from the carnival people, go to PAGE 114.
If you try the rides, go to PAGE 122.
If you’ve already won three games, turn to PAGE 127.
The Carnival of Horrors whirls around you like a top gone out of control. The midway fades away, as if its millions of lights are blinking out. Big Al seems to be shrinking as he spins. Carnival ghosts swirl around you. They all look happy.
Even in the storm of noise around you, you can hear voices cry out: “Free … at last we’re all free!”
Everything disappears in a blur as you whiz faster and faster. Then you land with a thump — right at someone’s feet!
“Whoa!” a familiar voice exclaims. Uncle Steve helps you up. “That must have been some wild ride — to get you that dizzy!”
You glance around. You, Patty, and Floyd have plopped down at the dusty entrance of a plain, ordinary, rather shabby carnival. The Carnival of Horrors is gone — forever!
“I want to go on whatever ride you were on!” Aunt El laughs. “After we all have some cotton candy!”
“But — we —” Cousin Floyd begins.
You shush him. “Cotton candy sounds great!” you declare. “I think we’re going to enjoy this carnival!”
THE END
“Let’s not risk it,” you decide. “We’re safer in the ride.”
“Even if we are going backwards,” Floyd adds.
You peer out the Escape Hatch. Oh, no! Your giant creature is careening into the path of another mechanical dinosaur!
The Tyrannosaurus rex nearly does a back flip when it crashes into the mechanical triceratops. And you almost go sailing out the open hatch!
“Now I see why they have those safety belts,” you croak, clinging to the door frame.
The crash must have damaged the Dino-Ride. Your Tyrannosaurus rex is still lurching around, but much more slowly. Sparks flicker up through the machinery behind the hatch.
Smoke begins to rise too.
“We have to bail out!” you yell. “Now!”
Leap to PAGE 120!
You spin the wheel to the left. The Roller Ghoster switches tracks. It also picks up speed.
Angry hisses come from the dried-up ghosts behind you.
“Hey!” you shout back. “Who’s driving this thing, anyway?”
“Foolish child,” a chilling voice answers. “We all thought we were the drivers when we boarded this roller coaster. Instead, we became passengers — forever.”
You don’t like the sound of that.
“No matter which way you go,” the voice continues, “our fate will become your fate.”
Stop trembling and turn to PAGE 20.
“Grab hold of a tentacle!” you command Floyd and Patty.
“Why?” Floyd asks. “I’ve already got a tentacle grabbing hold of me!”
“Just get a good grip — and heave!” you yell.
You feel as if you’re playing a watery game of tug-of-war. But your steady pressure finally wins. The body of the squid rises out of the water. It looks squishy, like a sack of grayish-green jelly with big black eyes.
The squid blinks in the bright spotlights and shudders at the noise from the spectators. The terrified creature yanks its tentacles loose and retreats deep into the water.
Once more it attacks, grabbing Floyd by the leg and trying to drag him under.
“Do it again!” you shout. You and Patty pounce on the squid, hauling it back out of the water.
This time, when it breaks free, it disappears in a cloud of ink.
You win!
Turn to PAGE 110 to celebrate!
You back away from the dark opening. It’s way too creepy in there. “On second thought, who needs a prize?” you say quickly. “I’ll just take a soda instead.”
Silently, the hot-dog man scoops a can out of a cooler and takes your money. He flips open the counter, and you’re out of there.
“Didn’t you get your prize?” Patty asks.
“I decided it wasn’t worth the risk,” you reply. You pop open the top of the soda can.
“Huh?” Floyd exclaims, peering at the can in your hand. “I never heard of Ghoulie-Cola before.”
You read out the list of ingredients. “Eye of newt, toe of frog …”
Swallow hard and turn to PAGE 55.
“Yip! Yip! Yip!”
You whirl around at the sound. The whole mound of hot dogs is moving now. They’re all squirming toward you!
Your heart pounds with panic as you watch hundreds of tiny mouths flashing thousands of tiny teeth. “Yip, yip, yip,” they squeak.
Gulp! They sound hungry!
“Where’s the tent-flap?” you cry. You scratch and tear at the canvas with both hands. But you can’t find an opening. It seems to be a solid wall now!
“Ow!” Sharp teeth nip your shins. You hop around in pain, stumbling over more hot dogs. You crash to the ground.
Hungry hot dogs swarm all over you. You try to swat them away. But it’s no use. There are too many of them!
You’re buried in hot dogs!
You try to scream for help. But a hot-dog bun whizzes out of nowhere, right into your mouth. “Mmmrrmmph!” you cry.
Well, it’s only fair. You’ve gobbled down dozens of dogs. Now for every big bite of a hot dog you’ve ever taken, these critters will take a little bite out of you!
Looks like this time you’ve really let yourself go to the dogs.
THE END
“Yikes!” you cry. “What do I do now?”
It’s dark inside the computer screen. And crowded!
“Yeowch!” you yelp. Something pokes into your back. Your knees are scrunched up around your ears. And whatever you’re sitting on is sharp and lumpy.
You pull something out from under you and peer at it.
A letter “W.”
You shift around and discover you’re sitting on piles of letters.
“Hey!” you cry.
A T and X land on your head. Whenever you move, more letters crash down around you. You are buried in letters!
What now?
Well, you’re good at word puzzles. Can you unscramble this message?
HET NDE
“I bet you thought you were smart, hiding on that farm,” Big Al growls. “But we tracked you down. Now you and your friends have a second chance to visit with us … forever.”
You stare at Big Al. You are too terrified to respond.
“You remember the rules, don’t you?” He gives you a mean smile. “You have until midnight to win your freedom. If you win three games or more, you get to challenge me in the grand finale.”
“What happens if we lose a game?” Patty asks.
“If you lose any games …” Big Al laughs. “Well, if you survive losing, you’ll enjoy eternity as one of us!”
Uh-oh! Turn to PAGE 99.
The Roller Ghoster seems like the best idea. You’ll be able to see the whole carnival from up there. And maybe you’ll spot a way out.
“Hop aboard,” the operator says. “Step lively, now!”
Patty goes first, then you, and finally Floyd. The man with the cigar clamps down the safety bar, and you notice something you don’t usually see on a roller coaster.
There’s a steering wheel in front of you.
“What’s this for?” you ask.
“You get to drive this marvelous machine!” the operator explains. “Choose your own route for maximum chills and thrills!”
“Hey!” Patty complains. “I want to drive.” She starts to shake the safety bar. “Open this up! I want to sit in the middle behind the steering wheel!”
“Too late,” the man says. “Here come the rest of the cars.”
Turn to PAGE 72.
You and your friends land with a thump in a dark hole.
“Everybody okay?” you ask.
“Yup,” Floyd responds.
“Okay enough,” Patty answers.
“At least we got off that revolting roller coaster,” you say. “Now all we have to do is climb out of here —”
You stop when you hear a strange noise. A soft slithering sound.
“Let’s get out of here!” you cry. You reach for a thick rope hanging in the shadows.
But before you can grab it, the rope grabs you!
It’s not a rope at all, you realize with horror. It’s a twenty-foot python — and it’s wrapping itself around you.
A rattlesnake strikes out to bite Floyd, while a cobra attacks Patty. But there’s nothing you can do! The python squeezes so tight, you can barely breathe.
Spots dance before your eyes as you think back to the sign you saw. Was part of it broken off?
It must have been.
Because you’ve wound up in a Snake Pit Stop!
THE END
The squirmy sensation under your feet is much stronger now. The vibrations feel as if they are coming right through the soles of your shoes.
Your shoes! The slug slime must be a very strong acid! It’s eating away the soles of your shoes!
“We’ve got to get out of here!” you yell. You take a step.
But the Slug Subway moves in the opposite direction.
You walk forward — but your feet are pulled backward by the slugs!
You start to run. So do Patty and Floyd.
“Eeeeeeyah!” you howl. Your feet! The slime has eaten all the way through your shoes. Now you feel as if you’re running across a sandy beach on a hot day.
A very hot day.