Hocus-Pocus Horror

Hocus-Pocus Horror was the thirty-fifth book in the Give Yourself Goosebumps gamebook series. It was preceded by Elevator to Nowhere and followed by Ship of Ghouls.

On the front cover was an image of a demented, furry green creature wearing a magician's top hat. The creature had a magic wand in between its teeth, and both ends of the wand had snapped off.

It was released in April 1999 and was 137 pages long.

Plot
You attend a magic act with your friend, Zack, which stars the great Mysterio. Zack is enjoying the show, because he thinks magic is real. However, you do not, but you have a motive for attending. You want to stop Mysterio from harming any animals in his act. Soon Mysterio performs a standard magic trick, and asks for two volunteers, causing Zack to volunteer and you are chosen, despite not wanting to do it. After the trick you notice that the Civic Centre looks rundown and old despite how everything new was. You also notice that Mysterio looks different. He is ghost-white and more evil looking!

Mysterio performs an act which involves him electrocuting a puppy, while asking him various things. This disgusts you but before you have a chance to act, Mysterio introduces his volunteers, adding that you will both remember this act for the rest of your live, which may not be that long...

A
You and Zack decide to run away, but the puppy stands in your way. It does not take you too long to realize he wants to escape. Mysterio begins to shout at you and Ralph (the puppy) hops into a suitcase. When you look inside. you cannot see him anymore. But you can see a box of “Disappearing Powder”, which actually causes invisibility, not a disappearance. You then take the case and run away. Upon looking at the suitcase, you see the following words; ''“MYSTERIO’S BAG OF TRICKS. DO NOT OPEN! DANGER!!!”''.

This concerns you and Zack, since you worry about Ralph, if you close it. But you really cannot ignore the warning, and what happens, if Mysterio decides he wants his suitcase back...?

B
You and Zack decide to hide, but the only place available is behind the curtains, but when you do, you are eventually forced to peak out slightly for some air. However, this gives you your first look at Mysterio’s audience, and you do not like what you see. Everyone in the audience is a phantom! You return to your hiding place, and overhear Mysterio shout that he wants his “guinea pigs” on stage as soon as possible and you realize your actually in an alternate dimension! Zoltan, Mysterio’s assistant finds you, and informs you that you are to be part of Mysterio’s act, and if you do well you will be allowed to go home, but if you disappoint him, you’ll become a phantom and be forced to watch his show for eternity.

Side Story C
When you decide to run from the magic act in Story B, but in an ironic twist, it is just an extended method of getting two bad endings, and there are only two choices to make!

tagline: For my next trick... I'll steal your soul!

Bad Endings

 * Being pulled into a coffin by a skeletal hand.
 * You are stuck in Ralph's body with Ralph in your body.
 * Bitten by snakes.
 * Become a slave to a genie forever.
 * Getting attacked by a rabbit.
 * A giant sandbag falls and squishes you.
 * Mysterio makes you so light that you end up flying away.
 * Becoming a permanent audience member.
 * Your head is chopped off.
 * Invisible Ralph attacks you for abandoning him.
 * Turned into a rat.
 * Being stuck in a magic police car forever.
 * Mysterio uses chain collars to link you and Zack together.
 * Mysterio puts you and Zack into an empty dimension and provides you a list to replace all the items that were stolen in his bag.
 * Ralph becomes a demonic monster. It's implied you get mauled by him.
 * A giant pile of gold is hanging from above you. It's implied it will fall and squish you.
 * A piece of a wooden block flies at you and knocks you out.

Good Endings

 * You use a wishing wand to make Mysterio vanish.
 * You escape the show with Ralph.
 * Both the witch and officer die from the explosion and in the process destroy Mysterio's magic bag. However, Ralph is still alive and visible.
 * Mysterio changes you and Zack back into your normal selves.
 * You use the vanishing powder to defeat Mysterio and take Ralph home.
 * You and Zack leave the show, but end up as clowns.
 * You find yourself back at Zach's place. While you don't recall seeing the show, both of you decide to see the performance the next night.

Trivia

 * The character on the front is actually your character, but only for one instance during the story.
 * At one point in the back, it asks "If you believe in Mind Reading". This technically wouldn't count as a qualifying moment in a Choose Your Own Adventure, as you will be forced to lie or else come to a Bad End.
 * This is one of the rare times that "You" show a compassionate side, in which the story is mainly about saving Ralph/an animal.
 * The prologue of the book seems to imply that both you and Zack are fans of magic shows, but the book clearly states you’re not.
 * The character on the cover looks like Green Goblin from Spiderman.