Chapter 54
Are you the only one left alive?
Before you can check for other survivors of the wolf’s rampage, you hear footsteps coming from down the hallway.
A second later, you see the silhouette of a man, and when he gets closer, you realize that it is Carson, the butler.
He’s limping, his hair is mussed, the white bowtie has unraveled, and when you see the streaks of blood on his white shirt, you are sure the wolf got him too.
“Carson,” you gasp. “Are you badly hurt?”
“I… I’m okay,” he manages.
You look him up and down to figure out where he’s bleeding from, but you don’t see any wounds. He must have come across one of the victims and gotten their blood on him, possibly trying to revive them. Well, he was sure right about you being in danger.
“Are you okay, Sloan?” he asks you.
You nod mutely.
“Everyone else in the house is dead,” he says, answering your only question. “I hid in a closet until the wolf was gone.”
“It’s gone?”
“Yes,” he confirms. “It… it took off into the night. I’m not sure where it went, but I don’t think we’re in any danger anymore.”
You nod again, your legs wobbling beneath you.
Carson notices that you are on the brink of collapse.
He puts an arm around your shoulders and leads you into another of the many rooms, where he sits you down on a plush leather sofa.
You hug your body, rocking back and forth.
You’re shaking badly, and you’re not sure if you’ll ever be able to stop.
You thought for sure that the wolf was going to kill you.
“What now?” you finally ask.
“I think,” he says quietly, “that we should get the hell out of here.”
“What about the police?”
He shakes his head firmly. “Sloan, I don’t have to tell you that some bad shit was going on in the house. The police will show up eventually, but I think it’s better for both of us if we don’t get involved.”
“So you’re saying we should just leave this house with a bunch of dead bodies left behind?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
You study Carson’s face. It’s hard not to trust somebody so incredibly handsome. Also, he is much more familiar with the occupants of this house than you are—it probably wasn’t even his first dinner party. He knows what he’s talking about.
Then again, there are people dead in this house. You have to do something about it. You can’t just leave them behind! Can you?
To call the police, turn to Chapter 55 (page 133)
To leave without calling the police, turn to Chapter 56 (page 134)