Scream of the Evil Genie

by R. L. Stine

  Maybe you shouldn’t have listened to that crazy old bird!

  Don’t move a muscle until you get to PAGE 15!

  POOF! In a cloud of white smoke, the genie grants your wish and disappears.

  When the smoke clears, a familiar sound fills your ears.

  “YEEAAAAHHHHH!” a crowd roars.

  You open your eyes, and glance around.

  Fantastic! This is more like it!

  You’re in Yankee Stadium, stepping up to the plate with a crowd of thousands cheering and calling your name. Your nickname, that is. They’re calling you the “Great One!”

  “Great One! Great One! Great One!” they chant in rhythm.

  That is so cool! you think. I must be awesome.

  And you are. You hit three home runs that game alone. Your dream has come true!

  In fact, you’re so happy with your new life that you never want to change a thing. Ever. So you never use your last wish.

  Then one day, when you’re signing autographs after a World Series game, a kid comes up to you and says, “Great One, I wish I could have something of yours. Please? Just anything.”

  So you reach into your gym bag and pull out the old cola can. The one with the genie inside. You toss the can to the kid.

  “Sometimes wishes do come true!” you say as you stroll away.

  THE END

  The smoky white gas chokes you, making it impossible to breathe. Your heart pounds as you realize what is happening.

  You accidentally made a wish!

  You popped open the cola can — the one with the genie in it. Then you said, “I wish we were doing this in real life.”

  Bad move.

  Because when the smoke clears, you find yourself standing in the middle of a dark alleyway — facing three guys dressed from head to toe in black silk. Horrible masks cover their faces. They look just like the ninjas in Mortal Revenge.

  Except that they’re real!

  Terrifyingly real.

  And they’re heading straight toward you and Stephanie!

  Turn to PAGE 99.

  You realize you’re trembling. Jenna’s eyes glow with hate.

  “Okay,” you mutter. There goes your final wish. But you have no choice.

  Jenna hurls a cola can at you. “Do the deed,” she snarls.

  You yank the can’s flip top. “I wish …” you mumble.

  “Say it so I can hear you!” Jenna shrieks. The Mortal Revenge guys circle you and Stephanie. You are surrounded.

  “I wish you weren’t a genie,” you say. “I wish you were an ordinary person with no magical powers.”

  The cola can shakes in your hand. It gets hot — so hot that you drop it to the ground. Instead of being blinded by white misty smoke, everything goes black. A blackness filled with a horrible sound — the sound of Jenna’s terrifying, screaming laughter.

  Finally, the blackness fades away. The shrieking stops. Slowly, you open your eyes.

  You’re home! Your old home! No mansion! No multiple entertainment centers! Just you and Stephanie playing a regular video game. On an ordinary TV.

  “What happened?” Stephanie asks. “That game seemed so real.”

  “Yeah,” you agree. “Too real. But I have a feeling we won in

  THE END.”

  WHOOOOSH!

  White smoke fills the room. It smothers you — but only for a second. Then it clears as quickly as it came.

  You can’t wait to look in the mirror!

  Except that you can’t move! Not an inch! Something’s holding you in place! As if you’re frozen in ice!

  A horrible tight feeling of fear grips your throat, closing it so tight, you can’t even swallow.

  What’s happening? You try to speak, to scream for help, but you can’t open your mouth.

  Oh, no! You’re paralyzed!

  What did the genie do?

  Since you can’t move, ask someone to turn the pages for you. Go to PAGE 112.

  You’ve got to hide, you decide.

  Somewhere where you’ll be safe from that beast, that thing — whatever it was — that roared.

  But where?

  You gaze around at the beach and beyond it. Except for the jungle — and you certainly can’t go in there! — there’s only one good hiding place.

  A cave.

  A small cave. An opening in some rocks near the water.

  You hadn’t spotted it before. But now it seems like the perfect hiding place.

  You hear the roar again. Louder this time. It is definitely moving closer.

  With one eye on the jungle, you slink toward the rocks. Toward that safe, dark opening.

  Your heart pounds.

  What if the beast is watching you? What if he sees you going into the cave, and follows you in there?

  Then you’ll be trapped …

  As you reach the cave, you heart starts to beat a little faster. You aren’t sure if you really want to go in. You peer inside. From deep in the darkness, six pairs of eyes stare back!

  Find out what’s in the cave on PAGE 89.

  “Uh, I guess I want to be famous,” you tell Jenna.

  “That’s cool.” Jenna smiles. She jumps up from the chair and paces around your family room. “I can picture it. You’re huge. You’re recognized wherever you go. Your face is on every magazine cover in the universe!”

  Then she stops in the middle of the room and stares at you. She’s chewing bubble gum, and she blows a big bubble.

  “But, like, what kind of famous?” she asks you. “I mean, do you want the major celebrity-movie-star-TV thing? Or how about a famous sports star? Or what?”

  “Any of that stuff would be great,” you reply quickly.

  “Well, it’s your wish, kiddo.” She snaps her bubble gum in your face. “Pick.”

  Want to be a famous movie-TV star? Turn to PAGE 85.

  Want to be a famous sports star? Turn to PAGE 31.

  “Helllllp!” Kate screams over and over again. “Helllpppp!”

  You want to help, but you’re frozen in terror. Your eyes are glued to the monster. Its arms and legs flail, desperately trying to escape from the closet.

  Kate bolts out of the room. Randy’s friends follow, stumbling and screaming.

  Still you can’t move. You can’t tear your eyes away. The metallic monster’s antennae waggle at you. Big drops of saliva roll off its tongue and splat on to the floor.

  “Gross,” Randy moans. “Quick! Wish it away!”

  “You wish it away!” you snap. You’ve only got one wish left. You have to use it carefully.

  “I can’t!” Randy shrieks. “I’ve used mine up!”

  CRAASHHH!

  Suddenly, the giant metallic insect punches one long, wiry leg through the wall. A sharp pincer-claw on the end of its leg reaches out toward Randy. It grabs his arm!

  “What are you waiting for?” Randy screams. “Wish it away!”

  “No — wait!” Jenna suddenly rushes up to you. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

  Turn to PAGE 25.

  “Come on, what’s curling?” you ask again.

  But he just laughs and shakes his head.

  Finally, you face the facts. He thinks you’re just joking. He’s not going to answer.

  A few minutes later, some other curlers show up. You watch them, and figure out what the sport is.

  Curling is a game where teams of four people try to slide a heavy stone over the ice, toward a circle — using brooms to sweep the ice in front of the stone!

  “I don’t believe this,” you mutter to yourself.

  Not only are the rules weird, it seems to only be played by people your grandfather’s age!

  What am I doing here? you think to yourself.

  But the real question is, what are you going to do now?

  One thing’s for sure. You need to be more careful how you word your wishes.

  If you want to try a totally new wish, turn back to PAGE 5. Choose again from the wishes at the bottom of the
page.

  If you still want to be a famous sports star — but you want to pick the sport yourself — turn to PAGE 80.

  Steal her pinkie ring?

  “But … but … that’s not fair!” you cry.

  “Who said anything about fair?” Jenna laughs. “And to get the ring, you’re going to have to catch me first!”

  Then she snaps her fingers. She disappears into a cloud of smoke. Once the smoke clears, you sink to the ground in horror.

  Jenna — the new ugly, monstrous, hideous, mean Jenna — has grown four times her normal size!

  You lean your head back. Your eyes travel up, up, up her enormous body. She’s grown as big as a small building. She could squash you like a bug, just by moving one foot.

  “So long, kid,” she booms. “I wouldn’t count on getting that last wish, if I were you!”

  Jenna turns and starts strolling through the jungle. With every step, she tramples several small trees. Her legs are so long, each stride takes her farther and farther away.

  I’ll never catch her, you think, as she leaves you hopelessly behind.

  Turn to PAGE 130.

  “I wish I was far away from here,” you murmur. “Anywhere but here.”

  Nothing happens.

  “Come on, Jenna!” you whisper. “Where are you?” You look up at the ceiling. Glance at the corners. You gaze all around the dressing room. “Oh, Jenna,” you call.

  Nothing.

  Did she lie to me about giving me three wishes? you wonder. Am I going to be stuck as Wilfred forever?

  Then you remember. The cola can!

  Jenna warned you. There’s no way to make a wish without that can!

  You think hard, trying to remember. Where was the can last time you had it? You close your eyes, trying to picture it.

  Let’s see … Jenna was pacing the room and —

  You snap your fingers. That’s it! The cola can was on the coffee table in your family room.

  Then you made your wish and … POOF!

  You were here. Now the question is, did the can travel with you when your wish came true? Is it hidden in your dressing room somewhere? Or is it back where you left it? In your family room.

  If you think the can is still back at your house, turn to PAGE 103.

  If you think it’s in the dressing room somewhere, turn to PAGE 82.

  Amazingly, you survive the explosion with only a scratch on your arm.

  The blue mist completely fills the room now. And floating inside the cloud is a terrifying sight.

  A genie. And it’s not Jenna. No, it’s a very different genie.

  A fat, monstrous-looking man in a gold satin shirt and black metallic pants, hovers above you. Green warts cover his leathery face and hands, making him look like a toad. He must be about seven feet tall.

  “You rang?” he snarls, as he floats before you in midair.

  “No!” you cry out nervously. “I mean, maybe. Where’s Jenna? What’s going on?”

  “Jenna called in sick,” the warty guy growls. “I’m filling in for her. My name is Toobah.” He floats over to you and breathes hard in your face.

  Ewwwww. Your nose wrinkles at the smell of his breath. It’s sour, like bad milk.

  “You’ve got two wishes left.” His voice booms at you from above. “And if you’re smart, you’ll use one of them to wish you’d never met me!”

  If you take your chances with Toobah, turn to PAGE 100.

  If you take his advice and wish you’d never met him, turn to PAGE 122.

  “Hey, Randy,” Jenna answers. She’s chewing gum and popping it loudly. “Good day at school?”

  “It was okay,” Randy answers her. “But I got kicked out of math class — for not having my homework done.”

  Jenna shakes her head. “Your teacher’s a jerk,” she tells Randy. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Right,” Randy agrees. He flops down on the couch beside her.

  You stare at him, your eyes wide. Then you stare at Jenna. You can’t believe this.

  A totally cool version.

  Why does Randy act as if he knows her? As if he’s seen her before? Why isn’t he freaking out?

  “What are you looking at, goof?” Randy snaps at you.

  “Uh, Rando,” you say, using his nickname. You lower your voice and lean close to him. “See that person next to you? With all the earrings and the combat boots and the wild hair? Who is it?” you ask him.

  “What planet are you on?” Randy snorts. “That’s Mom.”

  Go on to PAGE 90.

  This curling game may be a load of fun for these old guys, but it wasn’t what you had in mind when you made your wish!

  There must be some way to fix this wish, you think. But how?

  You shove your freezing hands deep into your pockets. Your fingers hit a heavy object. From the weight of it, it seems as if it might be a cola can. You pull it out.

  YES! It is! The genie must have put it there when you made your first wish.

  You turn away from the other curlers, and skate to the edge of the pond.

  Then you hold the cola can in your hands and flip open the top.

  Turn to PAGE 14.

  “Let’s go to Sal’s Sports Spa,” you suggest. “The new PowerPlay shoes are in.”

  “Sounds good to me!” Peter replies.

  At Sal’s, you and Peter try on the high-tech sneakers. Then you try on hockey skates, soccer shoes, and climbing boots.

  “Peter! Look at these!” You hold up a pair of motorized in-line skates. “I’d like to try these on next,” you instruct the frazzled clerk.

  She glares at you. “Quit wasting my time,” she snaps. “I need to pay attention to real customers!”

  “But we are real customers!” you explain.

  The clerk raises an eyebrow. “Kid, do you have any idea how much these things cost? Your allowance might cover the laces.”

  Obviously, she doesn’t realize who you are. You pull out your wallet. Several hundred-dollar bills fall out of your pockets and float to the floor. The clerk’s eyes widen.

  “I want to buy all the shoes we’ve tried on,” you announce. “And I’m buying shoes for everyone in the store!”

  “Hey!” you hear someone shout. “There’s a kid buying shoes for everybody!”

  Yikes! Dozens of customers rush into the store all at once. It looks like you’re going to be trampled!

  Look for a place to hide on PAGE 127!

  You decide to search for the cola can in the dressing room. It’s got to be around here somewhere!

  You start searching the drawers and closets. Yanking open one after another. No luck.

  Finally, you notice a small, wood-paneled cabinet in the corner of the room. It’s the right shape and size to be a mini-refrigerator. You dash over and flip open the door.

  YES! It’s filled with bottles of juice, bottles of sparkling water — and cans of cola! Just what you’re looking for.

  You pull out a cola can and flip open the top.

  SSSZZZTT! The soda sprays you lightly in the face. It’s just a soft drink. No genie.

  You grab another can, then another one. SSSZZZTT! SSSZZZTT!

  More carbonated beverage hits you in the face. No Jenna.

  There’s only one can of cola left in the back of the mini-fridge. What are the chances? Your heart starts to sink.

  Turn to PAGE 22.

  Scrambling madly, you reach out and pick up the small, shiny object.

  “Yes!” you shout when you see what it is.

  The genie’s ring! Your mind races back until you figure it out. It must have flown off her hand when she smacked the tiger. Then it must have gotten small again somehow. When it fell to the ground, away from Jenna’s magic.

  You squeeze the ring tightly in both hands and close your eyes.

  “I wish I could go home,” you whisper. “I want to go back to the way it was before I met Jenna. Except I want to remember everything that’s happened to me.”

>   All at once, the earth shakes. A terrifying pounding sound fills your ears.

  It’s Jenna! you realize with a gulp. Marching toward you.

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  Branches break and leaves are ripped to shreds as the giant genie moves in your direction.

  Finally, she bursts through the trees. Her eyes are wild, her fangs sharp enough to rip you to shreds.

  Don’t make a move — just turn to PAGE 92.

  “Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!”

  You let out a scream as the rat-man leaps at you, swords swirling. You dive out of the way, toward the pile of bricks.

  Ooof! Pain shoots up your leg as you fall to the floor. The rat-man is right behind you. He drops his sword and grabs at you with his four arms, sinking his teeth into your shin.

  “Get off!” you shriek. You kick at him with your other leg. “Oww! Noooo!”

  You kick his snout over and over, but he’s too strong. You reach your arm out and manage to grab one of the bricks lying nearby. You bring it down hard, right on the rat’s snout.

  With a howl of pain, the rat-man instantly releases you and leaps to his feet. You scurry behind the pile of bricks.

  The rat-man snatches up the samurai swords again.

  And heads your way.

  Run back to PAGE 9.

  A movie star, you decide. Or TV star. It doesn’t matter.

  “Okay, so say it,” Jenna demands, still snapping her bubble gum at you. “I can’t give you your wish until you talk the talk. Say the words. Genie rules. Got it?”

  “Oh, sure,” you answer. “Okay. Uh …”

  You close your eyes. Out of habit. You always close your eyes when you make a wish.

  “I wish I was a famous TV star,” you mumble softly.