Temple Run Book One Run for Your Life: Jungle Trek Page 3

  The monster sits up. It pulls off its mask, revealing a rather ill-looking young man. “Lady, that hurt.”

  Scarlett drops to her knees. “Oh, good heavens. I’m so sorry, I thought …”

  “You thought he was a real monster?” shouts the little man. “You’re nuts! We’re trying to film a commercial for running shoes here.” This guy must be the director. He snaps his fingers, summoning a solemn-looking man in a suit and glasses. “You’ve got a lawsuit on your hands, missy.”

  The rest of the film crew—cameramen, sound guys, technicians—come and join you, looking annoyed. You listen in and get the idea that Zack was supposed to be running from a creepy monster through the jungle. That was someone’s idea of a good commercial? Maybe they were planning to make it look cooler with lots of computer graphics.

  In the end, Zack steps in and calms everyone down. “The young lady was trying to save my life,” he says, “so let’s not give her too hard a time, huh?”

  “Thanks, Zack.” Scarlett grins, her cheeks pink.

  Turn to this page to see what happens next.

  Much, much later, you’re sitting across the campfire from Guy. You’re bone-tired, but you really don’t want to sleep. There are scary noises coming from the jungle all around you, and you keep thinking you see shapes moving in the shadows.

  “Wish I had my guitar,” Guy says. He pokes the fire with the toe of his boot. “Nothing makes the night go by like a sing-along.”

  The next moment, you see a shadowy figure walking steadily out of the jungle. It moves silently and quickly until it’s right behind Guy.

  “Guy! Behind you!”

  “Huh? What’s that—”

  “Lucky for you I ain’t a bandit, nor one of them crazy monkey-worshippers,” says a harsh voice. “You two would’ve been sliced open quick as spit.”

  The man—you can see it’s a man now—squats down by your fire. He’s dusty, wearing a hat and shirt, and has stubble even scruffier than Guy’s.

  “Nah, I knew you were there,” Guy says easily.

  “If you’d tried anything, I’d have taken you down.”

  The man snorts. “With this?”

  He throws Guy’s machete in front of him. You wonder how he managed to take it without Guy noticing.

  “No, smart guy, with these!” Guy angrily holds up his fists. “Who the heck are you, anyway?”

  The man tips his hat and gives you half a grin. “Name’s Smith. Montana Smith. Explorer.”

  Guy laughs like he can’t believe it. “The so-called second-greatest explorer of all time?”

  “That’s me.”

  “Reckon you must have gotten yourself as lost as a penguin in the desert, then. You were lucky to run into us.” Guy spits into the fire. It sizzles.

  You’re curious. “How come you’re here in the jungle?”

  “Relics,” says Montana Smith. He raps his knuckles on the flagstone beneath you. “This here’s the ruins of a city, and it ain’t in any history book. There’s riches here no man’s laid eyes on since before the comin’ of Cortez.”

  Montana’s voice is like gravel. He talks to you about the stone paths that crisscross the jungle, while Guy stiffly fetches his machete back and whittles some wood into pointed stakes. “To make snares,” he eventually explains.

  “Snares?” Montana laughs. “Are you too chicken to hunt with spears?”

  “Maybe you and me can do a little hunting tomorrow, Mr. Smith,” Guy fires back. “We’ll see who bags the most meat. Sound good, cowboy?”

  Montana lies back and pulls his hat down over his eyes. “Sure. Let’s get some shut-eye, kid. Your, ah, friend here can take first watch.”

  “Jerk,” Guy mutters. He tosses a half-whittled stake over his shoulder into the dark.

  You lie down and close your eyes, but your mind is racing. You need to get out of this jungle, back to civilization, and to your birthday party. It sounds like both Montana Smith and Guy Dangerous are more interested in proving they can survive out here in the wilderness! You could probably learn a lot if you stuck around, but you might be here for a while.

  Also, they are kind of turning this into a competition. When it’s your turn to go on watch, you could just slip away on your own and leave them to it.

  If you want to stay with Montana and Guy, go to this page.

  If you’d rather sneak off while you have the chance, go to this page.

  You’ve barely taken a few steps when Zack Wonder, world-famous football player, comes charging up the path. A camera crew is following behind him, filming everything he does.

  He tackles you without thinking—you’re an unexpected obstacle in his way, after all—and you both go tumbling off the path.

  Unfortunately, some of the plant life in this jungle is still unknown to science. There are species of Venus flytrap here that could swallow a horse. You and Zack tumble directly into the gaping green mouth of a gigantic carnivorous plant.

  The last thing you see is the plant’s jaws closing above your head. The last thing you hear is Zack Wonder hollering the kind of language that would never get broadcast on national television.

  The bad news is you’re both dead; the good news is the cameras were still rolling, and you’re the star of the most viral Internet video ever!

  RUN AGAIN?

  OR JUST GO BACK?

  “Good choice,” says Scarlett. “Here, take this. In case we get separated.” From her bag, she passes you a small compass. Make a note that you’ve got this. It’s important.

  “You know, primitive man did just fine without all those doodads,” Guy says.

  “Well, if primitive man can’t find his way back to camp, he can always send up a distress flare.” Scarlett tosses Guy a flare. He scowls, but tucks it into his belt.

  You wave. Guy gives you an awkward grin. “Good luck, kid. Stay out of trouble.”

  Scarlett’s already moving, heading off into the jungle, her long legs pumping. You hurry after her. It’s strange—you’ve always thought survival was about saving your energy, but Scarlett’s treating this as if it were a race!

  The ground here is boggy, with dry parts that you have to jump on. You’ve barely been leaping for five minutes before you come across a stone walkway, raised off the jungle floor by blocks.

  “There it is!” yelps Scarlett.

  “You were expecting that?” you gasp.

  “I, uh, saw it when we were crashing,” Scarlett says. “It stood out against all the green.”

  One after the other, you bound onto the walkway. It must be part of an ancient ruin, but it’s in pretty good shape, considering.

  You run alongside Scarlett, enjoying the firmer ground, and suddenly the two of you break out of the forest. Bright sunlight dazzles your eyes.

  The walkway extends out over a dry, stony gorge. It must have been a bridge once, but now there’s a wide gap in the middle, way too far to jump. On the far side, you can see the crumbled stump of the other end. There’s an interesting-looking cave mouth beneath it.

  Maybe it’s a tomb.

  Scarlett staggers to a halt. “Blast. That’s put a damper on things.”

  You glance down over the edge. Are those white rocks way down there, or bleached bones? You can’t tell.

  Scarlett’s rummaging in her bag. “We’ve got two choices, kid … figure out how to get across, or go back the way we came.”

  To turn around and head back into the jungle, turn to this page.

  To try to cross the bridge somehow, turn to this page.

  You have a great time with the film crew. Zack even invites you to spend your next birthday at his mansion in Hollywood. The director films a few more takes of Zack running through the jungle, pursued by a (now recovered) Jimmy in his monster costume. Even he seems happy.

  Scarlett doesn’t return. Night falls and there’s no sign of her. You’re offered a bunk in one of the crew’s trailers, but you can’t sleep. Where is she? And what’s happened to Guy?


  After another whole day of filming, the shoot wraps. The film company vehicles head out of the jungle in a long convoy. You’re on your way back to civilization, alive and well. You’ll miss the party, but oh well. Zack Wonder is your new best friend!

  But unanswered questions still haunt you—did Guy make it out of the jungle alive, and what was Scarlett really up to? Maybe other paths hold the answers …

  RUN AGAIN?

  OR JUST GO BACK?

  You and Scarlett dive into the undergrowth. A damp green fern frond dangles in your face. Neither of you makes a sound.

  What happens next makes your eyes widen in shock. A tall, hefty man in a football uniform comes charging down the jungle path. From the number on his chest, you recognize him immediately.

  “That’s Zack Wonder!” you shout.

  Zack’s arms and legs pump as he runs past you. You wonder what on earth a top-ranked football player is doing here in the depths of the jungle.

  A second later, you find out. He’s running away from the thing that’s following him.

  The beast chasing Zack has the green warty skin of a toad but the fanged mouth of an alligator and leathery ears like a bat’s. Bulging eyes roll around in its head as it runs past you.

  Turn to this page.

  You and Scarlett run side by side, weaving in and out of the trees. It’s actually kind of beautiful here, you think. Exotic plants tower over you, their blooms open like alien mouths. Rainbow-colored birds in the trees ruffle their feathers. Slanted rays of sunlight shine down between the overhanging branches. Apart from the stone blocks you sometimes see, there’s no sign that anyone has been here in hundreds of years. If you hadn’t crash-landed, this might be a cool outing.

  Just as you’re beginning to enjoy yourself, a beast-like roar rings out behind you. Scarlett gasps. You don’t want to look over your shoulder, but you do anyway. You catch a glimpse of a hulking creature, black and menacing, far in the distance.

  “So, the legends were true,” says Scarlett, picking up speed. “Whatever you do, don’t stop!”

  Off to your right, through the trees, you see a flash of bright color. It looks man-made, not natural.

  To investigate that color, go to this page.

  To keep running, turn to this page.

  You and Guy sneak through the jungle, closing in on the column of red smoke. You’re not moving very fast, but you’re not making much noise, either. You wonder if whoever set the smoke off will still be there when you reach it.

  Eventually, you come within sight of a clearing where an ugly statue stands. The smoke is coming from a canister on top of it. Guy is about to run ahead when you stop him and make a shush gesture.

  You’ve just seen Scarlett Fox lurking behind a tree, holding a small black device in her hand. Guy’s eyes widen as he sees it.

  “That’s a proximity-mine trigger,” he whispers. “She’s trying to set a trap for us! The whole clearing must be mined.”

  “Sneaky,” you say. “I bet she was planning to trap us, then bargain for the idol.”

  “Well, we’ve got the drop on her!” Guy grins wolfishly. “Shall we?”

  Together you advance on Scarlett, who hasn’t noticed you. You get ready to rush her … and then Guy steps on a twig. She spins around, alarmed.

  “What’s wrong?” you scoff. “Not expecting us?”

  “I …” she blusters. “It’s … it’s not what it looks like!”

  Just as it looks like things are about to get really ugly, the familiar roar of a demon monkey echoes through the jungle.

  Run to this page.

  The path widens out into a clearing. People have been here very recently. You can tell this partly from the tire tracks on the ground and the trampled plants, but mostly from the trailer the size of a small house that’s still parked here.

  Excitement grips you. It looks like your ride back to civilization is here! Maybe you can still make it to your birthday party.

  The next second, you hear that strange roar again, and shouting voices. Your skin runs cold.

  Uh-oh. Quick—hide!

  To hide in the nearby trampled foliage, run to this page.

  To dart across the clearing to hide in the trailer, run to this page.

  Guy grins. “Good choice, kid. We’ll see you later, Scarlett. Don’t get lost, now.”

  Scarlett’s already pulling her backpack on. “You’d just have slowed me down anyway, Mr. Dangerous,” she says wryly.

  The next moment, she’s off, running into the jungle as if this was a high school track meet.

  Guy shakes his head. “She’ll be sending up a distress flare before sundown, just you wait.”

  You’re not so sure. Scarlett’s clearly good at taking care of herself. Perhaps a little too good.

  “Let’s get going,” Guy says. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover. Oh, and take this. It’ll help when the vines get thicker.”

  He gives you a small machete inscribed with his initials.

  Make a note that you’ve got Guy’s machete. This is important.

  Together, you and Guy move off through the thick jungle greenery. You follow a thin trail that winds in and out through the trees. You can’t tell if people made it, or how long ago.

  Strange noises come to your ears—the squawking of distant birds, the buzz of insects, the rustle of unseen animals in the undergrowth.

  “First step in survival is to get our bearings,” Guy says. “Sun’s over there, so that’s the west. Scarlett headed off to the north, so we’ll head due south.”

  His confidence makes you feel better about all this. You speed up a little. Next thing you know, you trip and fall forward.

  Guy catches your arm. “Hey, watch out for the roots!”

  “Do we have to go so slow?” you complain.

  “Go as fast as you like, just don’t wear yourself out. You want to run? Let’s run. Just jump and duck when I say to!”

  This is more like it. You and Guy go bounding through the jungle, leaping over roots and ducking branches. You soon get into a rhythm. This isn’t so hard!

  Suddenly, your feet are pounding on hard, weathered stone, not soft, spongy earth.

  “It’s a path!” Guy yells. “A real man-made one. We have to see where this goes!”

  Up ahead, the path splits in two. Left or right?

  To go left, where you can hear rushing water and see bright daylight, go to this page.

  To go right, where the path leads deeper into the jungle, go to this page.

  You fly a little way toward the cave mouth, but not nearly far enough. You catch a brief glimpse of the golden idol that squats inside, grinning as if it were mocking you.

  Then you plummet several hundred feet and vanish beneath the river’s surface, never to come up … Glub glub!

  RUN AGAIN?

  OR JUST GO BACK?

  Scarlett reluctantly slides over and lets you climb into the pilot’s seat. She doesn’t look happy about this. In fact, if you didn’t know better, you’d think she was angry.

  Brushing off her concern, you engage the rotors and gently ease back the joystick.

  Fortunately, you manage to fly the helicopter more or less level. Soon you’re rising above the trees. You’ve got your ticket out of there!

  But then you see what looks like a film crew down below, yelling and waving at you. The sound of the rotors must have brought them running.

  If you keep going until you’re clear of the jungle, go to this page.

  If you think it would be a better idea to land and introduce yourselves, go to this page.

  Scarlett tricked you! You jump—and go falling forward into a square pit, mostly hidden by the jungle foliage. You grab at the edge, but it’s too late. Next second, you crash down into a matted tangle of old creepers. Pain shoots up your leg.

  Scarlett peers down at you from above. “I’m really sorry I had to do that,” she sighs, shaking her head. “You’re too tough for your own good. I never thought you
’d last this long in the jungle. To be honest, I expected you to wait around to be rescued!”

  You struggle to your feet, but your leg hurts too badly to stand. “Help me out of here!” you yell.

  “Sorry, I can’t have company where I’m going. Adios! It’s been fun.” She gives you a little wave, then runs off.

  Maybe you should pursue her. Your leg aches, but you could try climbing one of the creepers dangling into the pit. Go to this page.

  On the other hand, your leg hurts pretty badly. To wait in the pit and hope someone rescues you, turn to this page.

  “What have you got in mind?” you ask Scarlett.

  “Zip-line!”

  Scarlett produces a short pistol-like device with a grappling hook on the end. She takes aim and fires at the far side of the broken bridge. Again, you wonder what secrets are hidden in the cave below that stony stump.

  The hook, trailing a rope, launches over the chasm and snags in the bricks. Scarlett checks it’s secure, then fastens this end using pitons.

  OK, this is crazy. Scarlett Fox is well prepared, sure. But it’s a little strange that she packed a grappling hook with the rest of her gadgets. It’s almost as though she was expecting this.

  “You know how to use one of these?” she asks.

  “Sure.”

  She passes you a metal clip, which you click onto the taut rope. All you need to do is launch yourself over the edge, and you’ll whizz across to the other side.

  “Want me to go first?” Scarlett offers.

  “No, I’ve got this.” You figure it’ll be easiest if you get this done quickly.

  You take a deep breath and push yourself out. You go whizzing down the zip-line. It’s exciting! Then you notice a gleam of gold inside the cave.

  You need to make a lightning-fast decision.

  Do you let go of the zip-line just before the end, to try to land in the cave mouth? Go to this page.

  If you hang on all the way to be sure of reaching the other side, turn to this page.