Under the Magician's Spell

by R. L. Stine

  You, Sid, and Joanie have no trouble finding Larry’s house. He lives in a white house with gray trim. The grass in front of the house is neatly cut and two barrels of bright red geraniums guard the steps to the front porch.

  “Are you sure Larry lives here?” Sid jokes. “This looks like a place where normal people live.”

  Sid’s right, everything looks normal. But you can’t help wondering why you have such butterflies in your stomach.

  You walk up the steps to the front door — then hesitate. Relax, you tell yourself. Your plan is going to work. You knock on the front door. You can hear footsteps inside.

  “Just a minute,” yells the person in the house. From inside comes a slow scraping sound as if someone were dragging something across a wooden floor. Again — silence.

  Click! Click! Snap! Click. Swish, click.

  “What’s making that noise?” Joanie asks.

  If you wait around to find out, turn to PAGE 61.

  If you think entering Larry’s house is a dangerous idea, go to PAGE 9.

  You watch as Joanie and Sid silently pull each sword from the cabinet. They place them on the low table with the other gleaming sword. When all ten swords are removed, the Masked Man waves his hands again. He pronounces some more strange-sounding words. Sid and Joanie push you into the cabinet. You hear a lock snap shut.

  Silence and darkness surround you. This is worse than being squished in the coffin. At least there you had Sid and Joanie for company.

  And you weren’t waiting to find out what those swords were going to be used for.

  You don’t have to wait long. Something hard and cold slides in front of your ankles. You peek down.

  Yikes! It’s the long blade of a sword. And there are ten more to go!

  Oh, no! Go to PAGE 30.

  “Great shop, Mr. Magician.” You use your most polite voice. Maybe that way he won’t be angry about Sid and Joanie playing with the tricks.

  “Yeah! Cool stuff,” Sid pipes up. He reaches out to shake the Magician’s hand. What a jerk! He must have forgotten he was handcuffed!

  The Magician peers down at Sid’s wrists. You hear a low rumble that gradually turns into a creepy laugh.

  “Sid’s sorry about trying the handcuffs.” You elbow Sid so that he’ll put on his most sorry face. He does.

  “But we really have to get home,” you continue, “so if you could get the key …?”

  “Key?” The Magician brings his face directly in front of yours. You notice little wisps of smoke escaping from his collar. This is getting too weird.

  You glance around for Joanie. Adults usually go for her cute act. Maybe she can “cute” the Magician into getting the key.

  You feel Sid tugging on your sleeve. You turn back around, but the Magician has vanished.

  Where did he go?

  Turn to PAGE 8.

  Pat the Rat has doubled in size since you last saw him!

  What has Larry been feeding him? you wonder.

  You stare at the huge gray-and-white creature, now about the size of a loaf of bread. His long hairless tail switches back and forth.

  “I see you found little Patty-cake,” Granny Kapusta says, standing over you with a glass of milk.

  You stand up, holding on to Pat’s cage with one hand and taking the glass of milk with the other. Joanie and Sid are already sitting down at the kitchen table. Plates of cookies and half-empty glasses of milk sit in front of them.

  “Come on, guys,” you say, “I’ve got Pat. We should be going.”

  “Drink your milk,” Granny says. “Have some cookies.”

  You take a sip of milk to be polite. “Come on, Joanie, get up,” you say. But Joanie doesn’t move. Neither does Sid. They stare blankly ahead.

  That’s when you notice your legs are beginning to go numb.

  Turn to PAGE 84.

  With a sharp jolt, you stop falling. Your foot is caught or tangled in something. You’re upside down hanging by one foot. When your head stops spinning, you peer up at what saved your life.

  It’s a rope ladder that someone must have hung from the hole in the floor. You’re suspended from the ceiling, hanging halfway into the room below.

  “Are you okay?” Sid whispers above you.

  “I’m fine,” you mutter back. But your foot is starting to hurt. And hanging upside down is making you dizzy.

  And it won’t be long before Larry, D. J., and Buddy spot you.

  “Quick! Climb back up,” Sid says.

  But the book is down there, you think. And I’m already halfway down.

  You don’t have much time to decide. Just take the easier route. But is it easier to go up a rope ladder or to go down one?

  If you think it will be easier to go up, go to PAGE 93.

  If you think it will be easier to go down, go to PAGE 20.

  You watch the cowboy pick up four deadly looking knives.

  Now you know you don’t like this.

  “Excuse me,” you begin. But you are so frightened that you have trouble getting the words out.

  The cowboy doesn’t hear you. He takes three knives in his left hand. The other knife he aims directly at your head.

  THWANG! The knife thuds into the wood next to your left ear. That was close.

  THWANG! A second knife cuts into the wood next to your right ear. That was even closer.

  “Hey! Wait a minute!” Your voice comes out as a squeak. THWANG! The third knife thuds right above your head.

  “And now for the grand finale,” the cowboy announces, “I will spin the wheel.” He strides toward you.

  “Let me off this thing!” you shout. But the cowboy ignores your protest. He smiles at you, grasps the side of the wheel, and gives it a sharp yank.

  Round and round you turn. The cowboy takes aim with the last knife.

  “Noooooo!” you wail. You can’t look. You shut your eyes.

  Hold your breath until you get to PAGE 35.

  You gather up your courage and step onto the path. You look to the right — nothing. You look to the left — nothing.

  You continue forward. You realize that you’re holding your breath. It’s making you dizzy.

  Take a few deep breaths, you tell yourself.

  You continue to walk, trying not to think about what could be ahead of you.

  The road had become slick and uneven. It feels as if it is shifting under your sneakers.

  You look down. The stones in the path are tiny, shiny, and slippery. In fact, the path doesn’t look like a path anymore. It looks more like the skin of a —

  Of a giant snake!

  Race to PAGE 53.

  You have no choice. You have to tell her.

  “It’s not good,” you warn Joanie. Your voice trembles as you read the terrible words aloud: “ ‘The person who takes this book will have one hour to return it or disappear from this world completely.’ ”

  The three of you stare at each other in silence.

  “I’m going to disappear?” Joanie asks finally.

  “Don’t worry,” you tell Joanie. “You’re not going to disappear. It’s just a stupid prank.”

  Joanie runs her hand nervously through her hair. You watch her eyes widen in terror. She lets out a piercing shriek.

  “It’s true,” she cries. “I am going to disappear.”

  She holds her hand in front of your face. Her fingertips are gone!

  “We’ll get the book back, Joanie,” you promise. “We just need a plan.”

  You figure you have two options. You could try to raise the $50 and buy the book from Larry. Or you could follow Larry and try to steal back the book.

  Which should you do?

  If you want to steal back the book, turn to PAGE 75.

  If you want to buy back the book, go to PAGE 14.

  The Magic Shop! It’s gone!

  You stare at the empty spot in front of you. There is no sign that the Magic Shop has ever been there.

  Without the Magician and the Magic Bo
ok, you won’t be able to break this Terrifying Spell. You are going to be this way forever.

  Maybe you can become a star in horror movies — where everything is a scream!

  THE END

  “The birdcage,” you decide.

  “Good idea!” Sid grabs the book and races across the room. He sticks his finger into the birdcage.

  “Don’t be scared, little bird,” he croons. “I’m going to open your cage and put something inside.”

  “Hurry it up,” you urge. “The Magician could be here any minute. And don’t forget to put the book under the paper lining in the cage,” you add. “We don’t want bird ‘doo-doo’ all over the book.”

  “Stupid!”

  “Of course I was going to cover the book,” Sid snaps. “You don’t have to call me stupid.”

  “I didn’t!” you declare. But if you didn’t, who did?

  “You idiot!”

  “Okay,” you cry, “which one of you called me an idiot?”

  “Dummies!”

  “It’s the bird talking!” Sid exclaims. You and Joanie rush over to the birdcage.

  “Say something else, birdie,” Joanie coaxes. Sid opens the cage and slips his hand inside.

  That’s when you hear a new voice.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you!”

  Turn to PAGE 19.

  You watch the green smoke as it continues to take form. Your mouth opens wider and wider in awe.

  A human face appears at the top of the smoke. A face you know.

  The Magician.

  He’s come for his book. Well, it’s too late. The book is in shreds around your feet.

  So this is the final showdown. What should you do?

  If you let the scorpion finish him off, turn to PAGE 16.

  If you confront the Magician yourself, turn to PAGE 68.

  This is your lucky day.

  As soon as the Magician disappears, Sid wakes up from his trance. He and Joanie race for the door.

  You stand over the cape, staring at it.

  It’s strange to think how frightened you were, only moments before. And it was this cape that had you so scared. You pick the cape up off the floor. It is so smooth and silky, you have to wrap it around you.

  It feels good. You knot the strings under your chin. You gaze down at the beautiful fabric. You begin to turn, then you twirl — faster and faster. You love the way the cape floats out behind you.

  “Hey, come on,” Joanie calls from the doorway.

  “Let’s get out of here!” Sid adds.

  You turn toward their voices. Puny children. They are nothing before your great power. You know what you must do.

  You snap your fingers. Behind you the cabinet door opens. You watch Sid’s mouth drop open, and Joanie’s eyes grow wide in terror.

  “Your heads will be perfect for my collection,” you tell them. The guillotine rolls farther into the room.

  You have become the new Magician.

  THE END

  You pound harder on the box.

  “Help!” you shout. “Get me out of here!”

  The teeth of the saw slice back and forth, back and forth — inches from your stomach.

  You can’t take it anymore. You pass out.

  When you open your eyes, you are still in the box. Your blindfold is off. You touch your stomach. Still in one piece. And there isn’t any blood or pain. Just an odd tickling sensation.

  I guess it really was just a trick, you tell yourself.

  You can hear applause. “That was a great trick!” you hear Joanie say.

  “Really cool,” comes Sid’s voice.

  The lid is lifted. The Masked Man peers down at you.

  “All right in there?” he asks.

  “You bet!” You climb out of the box.

  And immediately fall over.

  What’s wrong?

  Find out on PAGE 21.

  BEWARE!!

  DO NOT READ THIS BOOK FROM

  BEGINNING TO END!

  “Don’t go in the basement!” your aunt warns as you start a game of hide-and-seek with your two horrible cousins.

  Do you listen? No way!

  But while you’re hiding in the basement, your stomach grumbles and growls. You open an old refrigerator and find a jar of purple peanut butter and a stale chocolate cake. Which should you eat? Watch out: A SMALL taste of one of these foods could cause BIG trouble — you may never be the same again!

  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.

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

  You can’t believe your parents did this to you!

  Your mom and dad are off to Europe on a business trip. So you have to spend the summer in Fiskeville with Aunt Fiona and Uncle Harvey. Which means spending the summer with your cousins Barney and Dora.

  Which means a summer of torture.

  Barney is a year older than you and a bully. Dora is a year younger and a whiny pest. Not what you had in mind for your summer vacation.

  You stare glumly out the car window as your aunt and uncle drive home from the airport. Aunt Fiona turns around in the front seat and beams at you. “Barney and Dora can’t wait till we bring you home,” she squeals.

  I’ll bet, you think. Bad-News Barney can’t wait to pound me into the ground. Dora the Drag can’t wait to rope me into playing with her dolls.

  Uncle Harvey pulls the car into a driveway. You stare at the house. It’s two stories high and run-down. The lawn is choked with weeds. The front steps are cracked and crumbling. Not very promising.

  At least the creepy cousins aren’t around, you think. Maybe you can sneak off before they know you’re here.

  Then a loud bang makes you nearly jump out of your skin!

  Go on to PAGE 2.

  Barney runs out the front door, letting it slam behind him. You slowly step out of the car. Barney’s pudgy face breaks into a mean grin under his thick blond hair. Even though he’s only a year older than you, he’s twice your size. While your aunt and uncle unload the car, he punches you on the arm, hard.

  “Hi, wimp,” he snarls.

  Dora skips around the side of the house, holding her obnoxious orange cat, Puff. Dora’s dark hair hangs in two long braids over her shoulders. She eyes you with a smirk, then giggles. Puff hisses at you.

  What a summer! you think. Maybe you can spend your entire vacation upstairs in your room.

  But no. “We’ve been waiting for you,” Barney says. “Let’s play hide-and-seek.”

  Oh, no, you think. It’s starting.

  “It’s nice to see you’re already having fun,” Aunt Fiona gushes. “Your uncle and I have to go back to work at the university. I’ll take your suitcase upstairs for you.”

  “No, really —” you protest. “I don’t mind —”

  “Nonsense,” Uncle Harvey responds. “You kids go on and play. There’s just one thing. It’s very important. You can play anywhere you want, but don’t go in the basement.”

  Turn to PAGE 23.

  R.L. Stine’s books are read all over the world. So far, his books have sold more than 300 million copies, making him one of the most popular children’s authors in history. Besides Goosebumps, R.L. Stine has written the teen series Fear Street and the funny series Rotten School, as well as the Mostly Ghostly series, The Nightmare Room series, and the two-book thriller Dangerous Girls. R.L. Stine lives in New York with his wife, Jane, and Minnie, his King Charles spaniel. You can learn more about him at www.RLStine.com.

  Goosebumps book series created by Parachute Press, Inc.

  Copyright © 1996 by Scholastic Inc.

  All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, GOOSEBUMPS, GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trad
emarks of Scholastic Inc.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First edition, July 1996

  e-ISBN 978-0-545-84112-2