Read Online How I Got My Shrunken Head by R. L. Stine - Free Book Online Page A

you?”

24
    I called again and stepped close to the open doorway of the small shack. I heard a thump inside. Saw a flash of light. And heard a startled cry.
    A lantern appeared in the doorway. My eyes went to the pale yellow light. And then moved up to see the woman holding the lantern.
    She was short — very short. Only about a foot taller than me, and a little chubby. Her straight black hair was tied back. In the glow of lantern light, I saw that she wore khaki slacks and a khaki safari jacket.
    “Who’s there?” She raised the lantern in front of her.
    “Aunt Benna?” I cried, moving closer. “Is that you?”
    “Mark? I don’t believe it!” she exclaimed. She came running toward me, the lantern swinging at her side. The light bounced over the tall grass, making shadows dance.
    She wrapped me in a hug. “Mark — how did you find me? What are you doing here?” She had a high, chirpy voice, and she talked rapidly, without taking a breath.
    She pushed me away from her to study my face. “I don’t believe I even recognized you. I haven’t seen you since you were four!”
    “Aunt Benna — what are you doing out here?” I demanded breathlessly. “Everyone is so worried —”
    “How did you get to Baladora?” she asked, gripping my shoulder with her free hand, holding the lantern high with the other. “What are you doing in the jungle? How did you get here?” she cried again.
    “I — I used the Jungle Magic,” I stammered.
    Her eyes went wide. With surprise? With fear?
    I suddenly realized she wasn’t looking at me. “Hello. Who are you?” Aunt Benna asked quietly, stretching the lantern toward the trees.
    Kareen stepped out from the edge of the clearing. In all the excitement, I didn’t realize that she had lingered behind.
    “That’s Kareen,” I told my aunt. “Do you know Kareen? Dr. Hawlings’s daughter?”
    Aunt Benna gasped. She squeezed my shoulder. “Why did you bring her here? Don’t you realize —?”
    “It’s okay,” Kareen said quickly. “I was worried about you. That’s why I followed Mark.”
    “She helped me,” I explained to Aunt Benna. “Kareen helped me get away from them. From Dr. Hawlings and Carolyn. Kareen helped me get through the jungle.”
    “But — but —” Aunt Benna sputtered. “You told her about the Jungle Magic?”
    “I only came to help!” Kareen insisted. “My father is worried about you. He —”
    “Your father wants to
kill
me!” Aunt Benna cried angrily. “That’s why I had to run away. That’s why I had to leave everything behind and hide in the jungle.” She glared at Kareen, her eyes squinting, her face pinched and hard in the yellow lantern light.
    “Kareen is okay,” I assured her. “She only wants to help, Aunt Benna. Really.”
    My aunt turned to me. “Carolyn and Hawlings brought you here?”
    I nodded. “Yes. To find you. Carolyn brought me this.” I pulled the shrunken head from my shirt pocket. It had stopped glowing.
    “They told me I had Jungle Magic,” I continued. “I didn’t know what they meant. I thought they were crazy. Then when I went out to look for you in the jungle, I discovered that I
did
have it.”
    Aunt Benna nodded. “Yes. You have it, Mark. I gave it to you when I visited you. When you were four. I hypnotized you. And I transferred the Jungle Magic from me to you. To keep it safe.”
    “Yes. I read your notebook,” I told her. “I read about why you gave me the magic. But it didn’t say what Jungle Magic is. I only know —”
    “It’s a powerful force,” my aunt replied, lowering her voice. “It’s a powerful force that will do your will, carry out your wishes.”
    Her eyes filled with sadness. “But we cannot talk about it now,” she said in a whisper. “We are in danger here, Mark. Real danger.”
    I started to reply. But I heard rustling, cracking sounds from the trees. Footsteps?
    All three of us spun around toward the sound.
    To my surprise, Kareen started running across the