Chapter 68
I hurry up the rest of the steps as fast as I can go.
Like Fletcher instructed me, I shut the door behind me. Once the rest of the alcohol goes up in flames, nothing is going to hold back that fire. But it might give me an extra minute or two. And that could make all the difference.
I race up the stairs to the second floor, taking them two at a time. Teddy’s room is the second one on the left, and the door is closed. I try the knob, but it doesn’t turn. I bang on the door with my fist.
“Teddy!” I scream. “Open the door! We’ve got to get out of here!”
At first, I don’t hear him respond at all. But then his tiny voice slides out from under the door. “What’s the code words?”
What?
“Teddy!” My voice is edging on hysteria. “I don’t know the code words, but the house is on fire! Do you hear me, Teddy? We have to get out of here!”
“I can’t leave my room unless you tell me the code words,” Teddy says stubbornly. “Mommy and Daddy said so!”
I bang on the door with my palms. “Teddy, we have to get out of here! Please! If we don’t get out right now, we are both going to die!”
There’s silence on the other side of the door. I hear a whimpering sound, which I realize is Teddy crying. He doesn’t know what to do.
And now the fire alarm is going off.
“Teddy!” I bang on the door again. “Open this door right now!”
“I can’t!” he sobs. “I’m not supposed to!”
Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening. I back up a few feet, and then I try ramming into the door with my shoulder. But this house is obviously very well-made, because the door doesn’t budge, and I think I might’ve dislocated my shoulder or something.
Okay, Teddy is not going to open this door without the code word. What can I do about this?
Jeremy knows the code word. I have to talk to him.
Unfortunately, my phone is downstairs. I don’t want to leave this hallway, but my only chance of getting Teddy out of this room is to run downstairs, grab my phone, and ask Jeremy to help me.
I run down the steps to the first floor as quickly as I can. As I pass the cellar door, I notice that the bottom of the door is now scorched and there is a ton of smoke coming out from underneath.
Whoever was down in that basement is definitely a goner.
But I can’t think about that. I find my phone on the coffee table, and I snatch it up. And then I run for the stairs as quickly as I can.