Revenge of the Tiki Men! Read Free

bunch of unruly flowers. “I think they’re making this happen.”
    â€œLet’s go to my house right now!” Liz called out. “We’ll be safe there and we can call my dad. He’ll know about these giant Tiki heads. Come on, it’s our only chance!”
    Liz scrambled up a hedge of vines, jumped down the other side, and headed for Oak Lane. A few minutes later, she and her friends batted their bats through a dense wall of thickets.
    â€œI think I see your house,” Mike said, cautiously. “Well, I think it’s your house. It’s hard to tell.”
    Liz peered over the mass of green growth that half hid her street. Her heart sank. Yes, the yellow shape ahead of them was her house. But it was different now.
    Giant vines twirled out of the flower border near the lamppost. The driveway was full of holes where tall weeds had already broken through. A lush tree poked through the porch.
    It was a mess. But it was her house.
    â€œFollow me!” she yelled. She ran as fast as she could and rushed for the front door just as a giant vine coiled up the steps toward the knob.
    â€œYuck!” muttered Jeff. “This vine’s all slimy!”
    Liz tried to jump away, but it grabbed her ankle. “Let go!” she cried, kicking her foot wildly.
    â€œOff my friend, you dumb weed, or I’ll prune you!” Holly shrieked, trying to pull Liz free.
    But the vine was strong. It tugged Liz down the steps. It pulled hard, as if it had muscles. As if it could think. As if all of its thoughts were bad!
    Liz clung to the railing, but lost her balance. “Help!” She stumbled back down the steps.
    Instantly, the vine’s long green fingers coiled thickly around her arms.
    They had her tight in their grasp.
    They pulled her swiftly to the ground.

4
    Head for Home!
    W HACK-WHACK! Mike swatted the vine again and again with his bat. “Back off, you stinky weed! You’re not getting Liz!”
    Sean and Jeff stomped on the vine while Holly tried to peel its slimy fingers off Liz’s arms.
    â€œLet her go!” they screamed as they struggled.
    Thlurppp! The vine loosened its grip for a fraction of a second and Liz’s friends pulled her quickly through the door.
    WHAM! Mike slammed it shut.
    Liz slumped to the floor, out of breath. “Thanks, guys! Nature is sure zoning on us today!”
    â€œYeah, your lawn’s got a definite attitude,” Sean said, peering back out the window.
    Mike stood next to him and watched. In seconds, slithery plants crawled up the side of the house and covered the door. “This is pretty much the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”
    â€œMy shoes are all messed up,” said Jeff, scraping green slime off his sneakers on the doormat.
    â€œIt’s those giant Tiki heads,” Liz groaned, double-locking the door behind them. “They’re doing something very strange here. I don’t know what, exactly, but it has something to do with those eyeballs and those Mango Men and that … that … uncool Buddy Kool! Guys, we’re definitely on a weird alert.”
    Mike turned and caught a glimpse of something in Liz’s living room. “Uh, then you probably won’t like what’s been happening here,” he said softly. “Unless you, uh, like green a lot.”
    Liz held her breath. “It’s not my favorite color.” She turned around slowly. “Oh, no!”
    Spiky plants were sprouting wildly from the corners of the living room. The piano at the far end was overgrown with grass, as if it had green fur on it. The sofa was prickly with thorns, and bark was growing over the cushions.
    â€œNo place to relax here,” Sean said.
    â€œTotal jungle,” said Jeff.
    Beneath their feet the rug was sprouting puffy toadstools. Moss crept slowly down the walls.
    Liz gulped. “My mom is going to have a fit! She hates green as much as I do.”
    Thlurppp! The