Chapter 49
Oh God. You were for dinner tonight. The chef was going to kill you, and then cook you, and serve you to all those rich people. And the oven was going to know exactly how long to cook you to get you nice and crispy.
Carson was right. You are in danger.
You’ve got to get out of here. You’ve got to make a run for your car and get as far away from here as you possibly can.
You stumble out of the dining room, not sure exactly where you’re going, but just knowing that you have to get the hell out of here—now. As soon as you get back into the hallway, you run smack into Avery. Oh, thank God.
“Avery!” You grab her more roughly than you intended. “We’ve got to get out of here! Right now!”
Avery’s eyes widen. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“These people are out of their minds!” you cry. “The chef in the kitchen tried to kill me! I think… This sounds insane, but I think they were going to eat me.”
“Eat you?” Avery gasps. “Sloan, are you sure about that?”
“Yes!” A sob bursts from your throat. “I’ve got to get out of here right now. Which way is the exit?”
“The exit?”
“Yes, the exit! I need to get out of here!”
“Right, right…” Avery looks around, rubbing her chin. “Actually, if you really need to get out of here, and you don’t want anyone to see you, there’s a secret exit through the back. That’s probably the safest way if you really think that you’re, you know, in danger.”
“Great! What are you waiting for? Let’s go!”
“Well, okay. Let me just get my—”
“Avery, we need to go!”
“Right.” She nods, as if to herself. “Let’s go.”
Avery leads you down a hallway, and you follow close behind. As long as the two of you are together, you feel at least somewhat safe. And pretty soon, you’ll be out of this awful place.
As you walk down the hall, you pass by some sort of parlor, where the group of would-be diners seems to be congregated. They’re standing around, laughing, talking, and drinking wine. Probably working up an appetite.
The fear in your chest is suddenly replaced by fury. These people were going to eat you! How dare they! You’d really like to give them a piece of your mind.
Is that safe, though? Yes, they are all pretty old. But at the same time, there are a lot more of them than there are of you. If it came down to it, they might be able to overpower you. Even with Avery by your side.
Still, you’re itching to go in there and let them know that you are in on their secret, and that they’re going to have to hit the McDonald’s drive-thru for a Big Mac if they’re really that hungry for meat.
If you want to confront the cannibals, turn to Chapter 50 (page 121)
If you want to continue trying to escape, turn to Chapter 58 (page 146)