Scream of the Evil Genie

  BEWARE!!

  DO NOT READ THIS

  BOOK FROM

  BEGINNING TO END!

  When a genie named Jenna pops out of a soda can and offers you three wishes, you think all your dreams have come true. But Jenna has a few tricks up her sleeve. If you don’t watch out, the wishes of your dreams could turn into a nightmare!

  Should you wish to to be rich? Famous? The best-looking kid around? Or — something else entirely? It’s up to you. But when you decide — be careful. Jenna’s wishes have a way of going wrong. You could find yourself battling an evil ninja rat-man. Or trapped on a desert island. Or chased by a tiger!

  Oh, and one more thing. If you don’t say your wish exactly the right way … Jenna will see you to your doom!

  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 DEEP BREATH, CROSS YOUR FINGERS, AND TURN TO PAGE 1 TO GIVE YOURSELF GOOSEBUMPS!

  Contents

  Beware!!

  Title Page

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  29

  30

  31

  32

  33

  34

  35

  36

  37

  38

  39

  40

  41

  42

  43

  44

  45

  46

  47

  48

  49

  50

  51

  52

  53

  54

  55

  56

  57

  58

  59

  60

  61

  62

  63

  64

  65

  66

  67

  68

  69

  70

  71

  72

  73

  74

  75

  76

  77

  78

  79

  80

  81

  82

  83

  84

  85

  86

  87

  88

  89

  90

  91

  92

  93

  94

  95

  96

  97

  98

  99

  100

  101

  102

  103

  104

  105

  106

  107

  108

  109

  110

  111

  112

  113

  114

  115

  116

  117

  118

  119

  120

  121

  122

  123

  124

  125

  126

  127

  128

  129

  130

  131

  132

  133

  134

  135

  136

  137

  Teaser

  About the Author

  Also Available

  Copyright

  “Anybody home?” you call, charging into your house after school one day. The door bangs shut behind you.

  Silence. Total silence.

  “Hello? Mom? Dad? Anybody?”

  No answer.

  Weird, you think. You drop your schoolbooks on the living-room table and hurry toward the kitchen.

  Why is there no one around? Not even your brother or sister. You’ve never come home and found the place empty.

  Your footsteps creak on the floor as you head for the kitchen door.

  “Mom?” you call again. Nothing.

  You feel a little creepy all alone in the house. Then you think of something that makes you grin.

  No one’s here — you can do anything you want!

  Time to raid the refrigerator!

  You zoom into the kitchen and yank open the fridge door.

  Yes! It’s packed. There’s some leftover pizza, a whole container of nacho cheese sauce, chocolate cake, a big bottle of fruit punch, two six-packs of cola, and fried chicken legs.

  You’re reaching for some cake when something catches your eye.

  Hey — did one of those cola cans move?

  Go on to PAGE 2.

  You stare at the cola can. Nothing happens.

  It’s only a can of soda, you tell yourself. The silence must be getting to you.

  You grab the cola from the six-pack, along with some chips and a slab of chocolate cake. Why not? You don’t usually have a chance to pig out like this!

  Then you head for the family room. You flop down on the couch in front of the TV. No battle over the remote today!

  Where is everybody, anyway? you wonder again.

  You flip up the tab on the cola can to open it. Instantly, you hear the fizzy gas escaping.

  PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

  Whoa! The fizzing won’t stop! You shove the can away from you, holding it out away from your body. The can must have been shaken up.

  A fine wet spray shoots out all over you. Then a cloud of misty white gas begins escaping from the can. Your eyes widen as the cloud grows bigger and bigger. It fills the room like a giant mushroom cloud.

  Your mouth drops open in awe.

  Something else is coming out of the can!

  Something alive!

  Go on to PAGE 3.

  With a loud hissing sound, a ghostly, life-sized young woman squeezes out of the cola can and floats in front of you.

  “Ouch!” she exclaims. She shakes herself off like a wet dog. The mist scatters around her. “That hurt!”

  For another second, she hovers above the coffee table. Her form is thin and airy, like a hologram.

  Then she suddenly becomes solid. She drops to the ground and lands on her two feet with a thud.

  “Hi!” she greets you. “What’s up?”

  You don’t answer her. You can’t. You’re too shocked to make your mouth move.

  Instead, you stare at the amazing person standing in your family room. She’s got spiky red-and-purple hair and five earrings. She’s wearing a fuzzy, short black sweater and baggy blue jeans with black combat boots.

  “Hey! I’m talking to you!” she yells.

  Go on to PAGE 4.

  “Uh, hi,” you answer. You’re too surprised to say much else.

  She’s cool, you think, watching her strut around as if she owns the place. Definitely cool.

  “Nice place — sort of!” she exclaims with a snorty kind of laugh. She flops down in a big stuffed chair across from you, stretches her legs out, and lets her combat boots fall on the coffee table with a clunk. She flashes you a big smile.

  “Okay, let’s cut to the chase,” she rattles off. “My name’s Jenna. I’m a genie — and you’ve got three wishes. Boom. Boom. Boom. Whatever you want. Three things. Fame, fo
rtune, a giant bag of diamond rings — you name it. Except I don’t do windows. And I don’t do guns, knives, or death. If you want to off someone, get another genie. Got that?”

  “Uh, yeah,” you mutter, finding your voice.

  “So what’s it going to be? Make your first wish,” she insists.

  Go on to PAGE 5.

  Before you can ask one of the zillion questions swimming around in your brain, Jenna snaps her fingers.

  “Oops! Wait,” she cries. “There’s something I forgot to tell you. The most important part. When you want to make another wish, you’ve got to open the cola can again. Then WHOOSH! I’ll pop out and say ‘What’s up?’ and we can boogie from there. Got it?”

  “No!” You shake your head hard. “I don’t get any of this. How did you get into that can in the first place? And how can I open it again if it’s already open? And how can you come out again? You’re already out.”

  “It’s a genie thing,” Jenna explains with a toss of her head. “Believe me — I’ll be in there. Take my word for it.”

  You’re too astonished to argue with her. Is this for real?

  “Okay, hurry up,” Jenna says. “Make a wish. I don’t have all day.”

  If you wish to be a big celebrity, turn to PAGE 73.

  If you wish to be the richest kid in the world, turn to PAGE 45.

  If you wish to be the best-looking kid in the world, turn to PAGE 39.

  If you wish for something else besides money, fame, or good looks, turn to PAGE 66.

  Ride the tiger? Not a chance, you decide.

  That parrot must be out of his tiny, green-feathered skull!

  Instead, you decide to follow Jenna on foot. You think it’s much safer that way.

  In a flash, you race off into the jungle, following the trail of smashed trees and torn branches that Jenna is leaving behind with every step she takes.

  She’s not too far ahead of you …

  Which is a shame.

  Because a moment later, she decides to turn around and see whether you’re catching up to her.

  She stops in her tracks, pivots, and …

  “OWWWWW!”

  That was you, speaking — or rather screaming — your last word.

  Remember how you thought she could squash you like a bug, just by moving one foot?

  Well, she just did.

  THE END

  You’re still shaking with fear. But you decide you’ve got to face whatever’s in that jungle if you’re going to have any hope of finding the cola can.

  Slowly, you walk toward the trees. The hair on the back of your neck stands up.

  Dark, dense vines hang down, casting strange shadows. You push the vines back, and enter the jungle of palm trees, bushes, and tropical flowers.

  The scent of the jungle is sweet. A warm flowery smell fills the air. Small prickly bushes scratch your legs. Sunlight streams through the trees every so often, in bold beams.

  You glance down, searching the ground for the cola can.

  “AWWWWK!”

  You jump when you hear the sharp cry. It’s followed by a rapid flapping sound.

  Your head snaps up. Out of the corner of your eye, you see something moving. A screeching winged creature — heading right for your face!

  Duck out of the way on PAGE 28!

  You decide to let James do all the work. He can open the cola cans for you. Why not? What else are servants for?

  “Uh, James.” You’re not sure how to explain. “This is going to sound crazy, but …”

  You take a deep breath and tell him all about the genie. About how she made you rich, but now she’s locked inside a cola can and you don’t know which one.

  “So could you open all the cola cans for me, James, until you find her? Just pour out the ones that are really cola — we can always buy more. When you find her, let me know,” you instruct him.

  “Of course,” James replies, although he looks at you as if you’re crazy. “But don’t try sneaking away again. I’m keeping an eye on you, remember?”

  James disappears into the pantry, and you settle down in the family room with your favorite afternoon TV show. The screen is so big, it’s like watching a movie!

  Two hours later you wonder — what’s taking James so long?

  Did something go wrong?

  Go on to PAGE 29.

  “Get back!” you yell. “Get away, you slimy creep!”

  The rat-man’s swords whirl so fast they’re just a silver blur. Desperate, you pick up another brick and hurl it. It hits him smack in the gut. Hard.

  “ARWOWGHH!” the rat-man cries. He drops his swords and doubles over in pain, clutching his stomach. His shoulders heave as if he’s about to be sick. He opens his mouth …

  … and belches.

  Gross! you think. Then you notice that something shiny has popped out of his mouth. A cola can!

  Could it be your cola can? With the genie inside?

  You lunge forward, grab the can, and rip off the top. White smoke pours out, then forms itself into Jenna’s shape.

  “I wish —” you start to say.

  But that’s as far as you get.

  “HIYAAAHHH!” the rat-man screeches. You look up — and see his swords slicing through the air. Right at your head.

  Hey! How’d he pick them up so fast?

  You didn’t really think you could beat a ninja rat-man, did you? The most horrifying warrior in all of Mortal Revenge?

  Oh, well. Better luck next game!

  THE END

  You stare into the snake’s tiny eyes. You hear the genie laugh and snap his fingers.

  POOF. POOF. POOF.

  Instantly, you are surrounded by three more giant poisonous rattlesnakes, almost as big as the first. They all bare their fangs, dripping venom.

  The poison pools on the tile floor in the pantry. It starts seeping toward your feet. You can’t believe what’s happening.

  You scrunch up your toes. You pull your shoulders in, trying to make yourself smaller. But the snakes close in.

  HISSSSS! The largest one opens its jaws even wider. In two seconds, your head will be inside its mouth.

  “Help me!” you squeak in a tiny voice.

  “Sure. Just make a wish,” the genie says with a cruel laugh.

  Fear fills every blood vessel in your body. You can’t think clearly. All you want is to get away — far away!

  “I wish … I wish … I wish I was any place but here!” you cry, still frozen to your spot.

  POOF!

  Turn to PAGE 12.

  You rush to the window to see what’s going on outside.

  Yeow!

  You fly backward as a pane of glass explodes. A long metallic leg — with a metal pincer-claw — shoots into the house through the broken window.

  You scream.

  Randy screams.

  Katie screams. “Make it go away!”

  From the front yard, you hear Randy’s friends shouting and yelling, too.

  The horrible metallic insect lifts itself up over the window sill. It lets out a shrill cry. Then it lands on your family-room floor.

  Your eyes grow huge and your heart pounds horribly. Randy has backed up against a wall. Katie collapses to the ground.

  “Why didn’t it go away!” Katie wails. “I wished it would go away!”

  You realize what happened. Katie didn’t wish carefully enough. It went away, all right. Away to your front lawn.

  And now it’s back.

  Turn to PAGE 60.

  WHOOSH!

  A burst of smoke blinds you. You feel yourself hurtling through space.

  “Wait!” you cry out.

  But it’s too late.

  When the spinning and tumbling finally stop, a cool refreshing breeze blows on your face. Your eyes pop open, and you shake your head to clear it.

  “Wow!” you cry out, excited. “The beach!”

  You hear a soft lapping sound — the sound of water gently licking the shore. Cool island
breezes blow through your hair. A salty smell fills your nose.

  You shield your eyes from the sun, squinting to take in the fabulous scene before you.

  Sand. Palm trees. Rocks. Aqua-blue water so clear, you can see the brightly colored fish darting just beneath the surface.

  This is great! you think. I love the beach!

  Then you glance behind you. Beside you. All around.

  There’s nobody there. No one. No genie. No nothing.

  The place seems deserted.

  You are totally alone!

  Go on to PAGE 23.

  A cold, scary feeling in your stomach tells you that you’d better find that cola can before you do anything else.

  So you ignore your little sister’s cries. She screams all the time anyway.

  You approach the guy in the orange T-shirt.

  “Uh, hey, that’s my cola,” you tell him. “I mean, I think it is. Where did you get it?”

  “Whoa!” The guy holds up his hands and takes a step back. “Talk about paranoid! It’s just a soft drink, kid. There are plenty of them in the kitchen. Check out the fridge.”

  “I know,” you say. “I know. But, uh, I need a certain one. The one that was on the coffee table.”

  “No big deal.” The guy shrugs. “You want it? You got it.”

  He tosses you the can. Is it the one?

  You turn away from the guy and pop open the top.

  No whoosh. No fizzing sound. Nothing pops out.

  You sigh. It must just be a can of cola. So you start to take a sip.

  Then you freeze, the can lifted to your lips. Your heart stops.

  You don’t believe it.

  From inside the can, you hear a tiny, bloodcurdling scream.

  Turn to PAGE 86.

  FFFZZZSSSSSST!

  The can in your hand shoots away from you like a rocket. A white cloud of gas escapes, and then the genie.

  “Whoa!” you exclaim. “What happened to you?”

  Everything about Jenna is different this time. She’s much bigger, and she’s wearing black leather instead of a fuzzy, soft black sweater. Her jacket has sharp metal studs sticking out all over. Even her boots look dangerous. There are some kind of sharp metal points on the toes.

  Jenna looks as if she could hurt you just by giving you a hug.

  “So,” she says with a sneer. “Guess you aren’t so good at this wishing thing, are you?”