The Creature from Club Lagoona by R.L. Stine Page A

book again. The shark in the book circled a kid on a raft. It moved closer and closer. It opened its mouth. It—
    â€œGot you!” my sister yelled, reaching across Mom and jabbing me with her snorkel.
    My head nearly hit the roof of the plane. “Quit it!” I shouted back.
    â€œStop arguing, kids,” Mom ordered.
    â€œLook,” Dad called. “We’re here!”
    I closed my book and gazed out the window. Lagoona Island was a small private island off the Carolina coast. The only thing on it was Club Lagoona.
    Oh, man! Not only was the island surrounded by all that ocean, there was water all over the island!
    The tallest fountain I’d ever seen sprayed straight up into the air. A gigantic pool of water shimmerednearby. People on Jet Skis zoomed around a wide moat circling the hotel.
    A helicopter hovered nearby. I could see someone dropping boxes marked SUPPLIES out of the helicopter to the moat-surrounded resort. That’s weird, I thought. Why don’t they just carry the stuff there?
    I flopped back against my seat and shut my eyes. I had a feeling this was going to be the most awful vacation in the history of the world.
    â€œThat must be the landing strip,” Mom pointed out, leaning over my shoulder.
    Dad and Polly looked out their side of the plane. “I think I can see the Log Flume of Doom!” Polly cried.
    â€œCome on, everybody. We’ll be landing in a minute. Grab your stuff,” Dad commanded.
    I shoved my book into my backpack and within minutes we all piled off the plane. We gathered at the colorful entrance sign to Club Lagoona. I squinted in the bright sunlight and gazed across the broad moat. Exotic smells filled my nostrils.
    â€œIt looks like a fairy-tale kingdom by the sea!” Polly whispered.
    â€œA tropical paradise!” Mom agreed.
    â€œA fantasy island!” Dad added.
    My worst nightmare, I thought.
    â€œWelcome to Club Lagoona!” a voice boomed over aloudspeaker. “Get set for the water adventure of a lifetime!”
    The tall bushes made it hard to see what was on the other side of the moat. But I knew all the same— water . And lots of it!
    Polly stood up on tiptoe. “I see water towers and slides!”
    â€œJust look at those palm trees!” Mom added.
    â€œListen!” Dad commanded.
    As we stood in silence, I could hear the sound of water rushing and people shouting and laughing.
    â€œLet’s go in!” Polly urged.
    â€œHow are we supposed to get to the hotel?” I demanded. “The whole place is surrounded by water!”
    We all stared at the moat. It stood between us and the resort.
    â€œDo we get to swim across?” Polly exclaimed, all excited.
    Mom laughed and shook her head. “Sorry, Polly. There’s a sign pointing to a bridge.”
    I shouldered my backpack and trudged slowly behind the others.
    Ahead of us was a rickety rope bridge. The kind you see in Indiana Jones movies. The kind that always gives way when someone’s halfway across. So that’s why they can’t carry supplies to the resort, I realized.
    I stopped walking. “Uh, is that thing safe?” I asked.
    â€œIt must be safe,” Mom replied. “There’s no other way to get into Club Lagoona.”
    â€œSure,” Dad added. “It’s perfectly safe. Look.” He took a few steps onto the bridge. He jumped up and down. The bridge shook but didn’t break.
    I watched the three of them make their way across. The bridge wobbled, but it looked as if it would hold me. I didn’t like the way the bridge seemed to dip in the middle though. It practically touched the water.
    That made me nervous.
    I stepped onto the bridge. It jiggled a little, but I took a deep breath, gripped both handrails, and kept going.
    I stared straight ahead. One foot in front of the other. That’s it, I told myself. You’re doing fine.
    â€œHurry up, Tad,” Polly shouted from the