How I Got My Shrunken Head (4 page)

My legs trembled. Chill after chill rolled down the back of my neck.

And as I stared at the eyes, the dark eyes in pairs, eyes on top of eyes — as I stared at them, they began to glow.

Brighter. Brighter.

And in the golden light, I saw that these were not creature eyes.

These were not animal eyes.

These were human eyes.

I stared at the glowing eyes of a hundred shrunken heads!

A pile of shrunken heads. All heaped together. Heads like tight fists, mouths curled into snarls or open in toothless horror.

Heads on heads. Dark and wrinkled and leathery.

So terrifying in the cold golden glow from their eyes.

I uttered a choked cry — and took off.

My legs felt rubbery and weak. My heart pounded in my chest. I ran around the headquarters building, the yellow glow fading slowly from my eyes. I ran as fast as I could. To the front of the dark building. To the screen door.

Gasping for breath, I pulled open the door. And leaped inside.

I pressed my back against the wall and waited. Waited for the eerie glow to fade completely. Waited for my heart to stop racing, for my breathing to slow.

After a minute or two, I began to feel a little calmer.

Those heads,
I wondered.
Why are they piled back there like that?

I shook my head hard, trying to lose the ugly picture of them.
They were all people once,
I realized.
Hundreds of years ago, they were people.

And now …

I swallowed hard. My throat felt tight and dry.

I started across the room to the refrigerator.
I need something cold to drink,
I told myself. I bumped the edge of the lab table.

My hands shot out, and I knocked something over. I grabbed it before it rolled off the table.

A flashlight.

“Hey!” I cried out happily.

I’m going to listen to Carolyn’s advice from now on,
I promised myself.
I’m never going out again without a flashlight.

I pushed the button, and a white beam of light swept over the floor. As I raised the flashlight, the light settled on the bookshelf against the wall.

Aunt Benna’s black notebooks flashed into view. A tall stack of them nearly filled the shelf.

I moved quickly to the bookshelf. With my free hand, I pulled down the top notebook. It was heavier than I thought, and I almost dropped it.

Cradling it in my arms, I carried it over to the lab table. I climbed onto the tall stool and opened it up.

Maybe I can find some answers in here,
I thought.

Maybe I can find the part where Aunt Benna talks about giving me Jungle Magic. Maybe I can find out why Dr. Hawlings and Carolyn think I have it.

I leaned over the notebook and aimed the light onto the pages. Then I began flipping through, page after page, squinting in the light.

Luckily, my aunt has big, bold handwriting. Very clean and easy to read.

The pages seemed to be organized by year. I kept flipping pages, scanning each page quickly — until I came to the year of her visit.

My eyes rolled down over a long section about lizards. Some kind of tree lizards that Aunt Benna was studying.

Then she described a cave she had found, cut into the rocky shore at the other side of the island. The cave, she wrote, had been lived in by the Oloyans, maybe two hundred years ago.

I skimmed over long lists of things Aunt Benna had found in the cave. Her handwriting got very jagged, very crooked here. I guess she was really excited by her discovery.

I turned several more pages. And started a section marked “Summer.”

As I read the words, my mouth dropped open. My eyes nearly bulged out of my head.

The words started to blur. I lowered the flashlight to the page so that I could see better. I blinked several times.

I didn’t want to believe what I was reading.

I didn’t want to believe what Aunt Benna had written.

But the words were there.

And they were terrifying.

The flashlight shook in my hand. I steadied it between both hands. Then I leaned forward and read Aunt Benna’s words, moving my lips silently as I read.

“Dr. Hawlings and his sister, Carolyn, will stop at nothing to destroy the jungle and all the creatures who live here,” my aunt wrote in her bold, clear handwriting. “They do not care who they hurt or who they kill. They care only about getting what they want.”

I swallowed hard. Steadied the circle of light over the notebook page. And kept reading.

“Finding the secret of Jungle Magic in that cave was my most amazing discovery,” Aunt Benna wrote. “But I know the secret is not safe as long as Dr. Hawlings and Carolyn are around. They will use the Jungle Magic to do evil. And so I have given the Jungle Magic and its secret to my nephew, Mark. He lives four thousand miles away
in the United States. And so I hope the secret will be safe.

“If the Jungle Magic ever falls into Hawlings’s hands,” my aunt continued, “the jungle will be destroyed. The island of Baladora will be destroyed. And so will I.”

I gasped and turned the page. I struggled to keep the flashlight steady so that I could read more.

“If Hawlings gets the Jungle Magic,” Aunt Benna wrote, “he will shrink my head until there is no trace of me. I must keep my nephew four thousand miles away from Hawlings. Because he will shrink Mark’s head, too, to get at the magic I have hidden there.”

“Ohhhh.” A terrified moan escaped my throat.

Shrink my head?

Dr. Hawlings will shrink my head?

I read the last words again: “I must keep my nephew four thousand miles away …”

But I’m
not
four thousand miles away!
I told myself.

I’m here. I’m right here!

Carolyn brought me here to steal the magic. To take it from me. She and Dr. Hawlings planned to shrink my head!

I slammed the notebook shut. I took a deep breath and held it. But it didn’t help to slow the thudding of my heart.

What have they done to Aunt Benna?
I wondered.

Did they try to get the secret from her? Did they do something terrible to her?

Or did she run away from them? Did she escape?

Did they bring me here to track her down so that they could capture her again? Then when I find her, do they plan to shrink
both
of our heads?

“Nooooo,” I murmured, trying to stop my body from trembling.

I thought they were my friends. My friends …

But I’m not safe here,
I told myself.
I’m in terrible danger.

I have to get away. Get dressed and get away from these evil people. As fast as I can.

I dropped off the stool, turned, and started toward the door.

Got to get out. Got to get away.

The words repeated in rhythm with my pounding heart.

I reached for the screen door. Started to push it open.

But someone was standing there. Standing there in the deep shadows, blocking my escape.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a voice called.

Kareen pulled open the door and stepped into the room. She wore an oversized T-shirt, down past her knees. Her blond hair was wild about her face. “What are you doing in here?” she demanded.

“Let me go!” I cried. I raised the flashlight like a weapon.

She took a step back. “Hey!” She let out a startled cry.

“I have to go,” I insisted, pushing past her.

“Mark — what’s your problem?” she asked. “Why are you acting so crazy?”

I stopped with the screen door half open, my shoulder against the frame. “I saw Aunt Benna’s notebook,” I told Kareen, shining the flashlight beam on her face. “I read what Aunt Benna said. About your father. And about Carolyn.”

“Oh.” Kareen let out a long sigh.

I kept the harsh light on her face. She squinted at me, then covered her eyes with her arm. “Where
is my aunt?” I demanded sharply. “Do you know where she is?”

“No,” Kareen replied. “Lower the light — okay? You don’t have to blind me.”

I lowered the light. “Did your father do something terrible to my aunt? Did he hurt Aunt Benna?”

“No!” Kareen screamed. “How can you ask that, Mark? My father isn’t evil. He and Benna just don’t agree about some things.”

“You’re sure you don’t know where my aunt is? Is she hiding somewhere? Hiding from your father? Is she still on the island?” The questions leaped out of me. I wanted to grab Kareen and force her to tell me the truth.

She tugged at both sides of her blond hair. “We don’t know where your aunt is. We really don’t,” she insisted. “That’s why Carolyn brought you here. To help us find her. We’re worried about Benna. We really are.”

“That’s a lie!” I cried angrily. “I read my aunt’s notebook. Your father isn’t worried about my aunt.”

“Well, I am,” Kareen insisted. “I like your aunt a lot. She’s been really nice to me. I don’t care about Daddy and Aunt Carolyn and their arguments with Benna. I’m worried about Benna. I really am.”

I raised the flashlight again. I wanted to check
out Kareen’s expression. I wanted to see if she was telling the truth.

Her blue eyes flashed in the light. I saw a teardrop running down one cheek. I decided she was being honest with me.

“Well, if you’re worried about my aunt, help me get away from here,” I said, lowering the light again.

“Okay, I’ll help you,” she answered quickly, without having to think about it.

I pushed open the screen door and crept outside. Kareen followed. She closed the door silently behind her. “Turn off the light,” she whispered. “We don’t want Daddy or Carolyn to see.”

I clicked off the light and started through the wet grass toward my cabin, walking fast. Kareen hurried to keep at my side.

“I’ll get dressed,” I whispered. “Then I’m going to try to find Aunt Benna.” A shudder swept down my back. “But how? Where should I go?”

“Use the Jungle Magic,” Kareen whispered. “It’ll tell you where Benna is. It’ll tell you where to go.”

“But I can’t!” I cried shrilly. “Up until today, I didn’t even know I
had
any kind of magic. I’m still not sure I believe it.”

“Use the magic —” Kareen whispered, narrowing her eyes at me.

“But I don’t know how!” I insisted.

“The magic will guide you,” she replied. “I’m sure it will. I’m sure it will show you the way.”

I wasn’t so sure. But I didn’t say anything.

My mind was spinning. Aunt Benna’s written words kept weaving through my thoughts.

I should be four thousand miles away,
I told myself.
I’m only safe if I’m four thousand miles away.

Now, how will I escape from Carolyn and Dr. Hawlings?

How?

We were striding down the row of cabins. The air still felt hot and wet, heavy. The sky had darkened to black. There were still no stars, no moon.

I’ll get dressed, and I’ll get away,
I told myself.

Get dressed. Get away.

“Hurry, Mark,” Kareen whispered at my side. “Hurry. And don’t make a sound. Daddy is a very light sleeper.”

My cabin came into view at the end of the row.

But before I could reach it, I heard the soft thud of footsteps in the grass. Rapid footsteps.

Kareen gasped and grabbed my arm. “Oh, no! It’s
him!”

I think I jumped a foot in the air.

Should I run? Try to hide?

If this was a game of
Jungle King,
I’d know the right moves. I’d know how to escape from the Evil Scientist. I’d grab a vine and swing myself to safety. And pick up a few extra lives along the way.

But, of course, this was no game.

I pressed my back against the cabin wall and froze there, waiting to be caught.

The rapid footsteps thudded closer.

I held my breath, but my heart still pounded. I held my breath — and watched a funny-looking animal hop into view.

Not Dr. Hawlings. But a weird-looking rabbit, with huge ears and big paws that thudded the ground as it hopped.

I watched the weird creature dart away, disappearing between two of the low cabins. “Is it a rabbit?”

Kareen raised a finger to her lips, reminding me to be quiet. “It’s a new species of giant rabbit your aunt discovered.”

“Very educational,” I murmured. “But do I need a nature lesson now?”

Kareen pushed me by the shoulders toward my cabin door. “Hurry, Mark. If my dad wakes up …” She didn’t finish her sentence.

If he wakes up, he’ll shrink my head.
I finished the sentence for her in my mind.

My legs suddenly felt as if they were about to collapse. But I forced myself into my dark cabin.

My hands were shaking so hard, I could barely get dressed. I pulled on the jeans I’d been wearing that day. And a long-sleeved T-shirt. And changed into my sneakers.

“Hurry!” Kareen whispered from the door. “Hurry up!”

I wished she’d stop saying that. I jumped every time.

“Hurry, Mark!”

I pulled open my suitcase and grabbed the flashlight I’d brought. Then I started to the door.

“Hurry, Mark. Get going!” Kareen whispered.

I stopped halfway across the cabin. Grabbed the shrunken head. Stuffed it into my T-shirt pocket. Then I pushed open the door and stepped back outside.

Where should I go? What should I do? How could I find my aunt?

A million questions rushed through my mind. My throat felt so dry, it ached. I thought about getting one of those cold Cokes in the lab. But I knew I couldn’t risk waking Kareen’s father.

We started walking across the wet grass. “Don’t turn on the flashlight until you’re hidden by the trees,” Kareen instructed.

“But where do I go? How do I find Aunt Benna?” I whispered, swallowing hard.

“There’s only one path,” Kareen told me, pointing to the tangled dark trees at the edge of the clearing. “It will lead you part of the way.”

“Then what?” I demanded, my voice shaking.

Her eyes locked on mine. “The Jungle Magic will take you the rest of the way.”

Yeah. Sure.

And next week, I’ll flap my arms and fly to the moon.

I had the sudden urge to turn around. Go back to my little shack. Go to bed and pretend I never read my aunt’s notebook.

But then Kareen and I passed the big pile of shrunken heads. The dark eyes all seemed to stare out at me. Such sad, sad eyes.

I don’t want my head to end up on that pile,
I decided.
No way!

I started to jog toward the trees.

Kareen hurried to keep up with me. “Good luck, Mark!” she called softly.

“Th-thanks,” I stammered. Then I stopped and
turned to her. “What are you going to tell your dad in the morning?”

Kareen shrugged. The wind blew her blond hair around her face. “I won’t tell him anything,” she said. “I’ll tell him I slept all night. That I didn’t hear a thing.”

“Thanks,” I repeated. Then gripping the flashlight tightly, I turned and ran into the trees.

The path was soft and sandy. The sand felt wet through my sneakers. Vines and big, flat leaves reached over the path. They slapped against my jeans legs as I trotted along.

Tall weeds grew over the path. After a minute or so, it became too dark to see. Had I wandered off the path?

I clicked on the flashlight and shone the light along the ground.

The light swept over the tall weeds, strange ferns, tendrils of vines. The black-trunked trees appeared to lean toward me, reaching for me with their smooth limbs.

No path.

Here I am,
I thought, squinting into the pale beam of light.
Here I am, all alone in the jungle.

Now
what do I do?