Page 18 of The Dinner Party

“I’ll stay,” you tell him.

An amazing aroma fills the cave. Whatever Robert is cooking for breakfast, it smells incredible—like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. Your mouth starts to water.

“What are you cooking?” you ask.

The yeti jerks his head at the space on the ground where the hitchhiker had been lying last night. Now, all that is left of him is a pile of clothes and his duffel bag.

“I don’t just eat frosted flakes,” Robert explains.

For breakfast, you feast on scrambled eggs with a side of hitchhiker bacon. He is delicious.

THE END

Want to try for a different ending? Turn back to Chapter 1 (page 1)!

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As attractive as the abominable snowman is, you must decline his advances. He is, after all, not human. Also, you have a life back in the real world, and you need to get back to it.

You spend the rest of the night in the cave. In the morning, the hitchhiker seems to have gone—perhaps Robert set him free. He makes you a delicious scramble with bacon. It’s the best bacon you’ve ever tasted, but you notice a little bit of denim mixed in with your food. You don’t comment.

Robert helps you get home, and you can return Blair’s car in one piece. Unfortunately, since you missed out on the job at the dinner party, you have to figure out another way to earn some money.

In a fit of inspiration, you write the first chapter of a book. When you show it to Blair, she is so impressed, she decides to let you stay in the room rent-free while you’re getting it published.

A year later, your book That Pucking Snowman debuts at number one on the New York Times bestseller list, where it stays for the next two years. The movie is coming out next week.

THE END

Want to try for a different ending? Turn back to Chapter 1 (page 1)!

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You decide to turn right at the fork in the road. Sharp turns sound scary, but you’re worried about how the car will handle in snow. It’s safer to stick with the cleared path, even if it has twisty turns. You’ll drive slowly.

As promised, the road ahead of you is incredibly narrow and dark. Even with your brights on, you’re terrified that you’re going to go careening off the side of the mountain and plummet to your death. Despite your lack of money, you’re beginning to think that agreeing to this job was a mistake. You should’ve stayed home and read a book or something.

After driving another half hour with your hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that your fingers have turned white, you reach an imposing iron gate with a large W emblazoned on it. You check Avery’s directions to confirm—yes, this is it.

The sky is cloudy, only partially illuminated by a full moon. You keep your headlights on for visibility as you drive closer to the gate, finally coming to a halt right in front of it. It doesn’t automatically swing open, but you spot an intercom mounted to the right of the gate. You put the car in park, leaving the engine running, and walk over to the intercom.

The intercom is a small metal device with a speaker and a single button. You press the button, and there’s a burst of static loud enough that you take a step back. This isn’t too promising.

“Hello?” you say into the intercom. “This is Sloan?” You’re not sure why that comes out as a question, but somehow it does. “I’m here for the waitressing job?”

No reply. Only another loud burst of static. You try to push the gates open manually, but they don’t budge.

But then, after several beats, the iron gates begin to part. They move as if in slow motion, the hinges screaming in protest.

There’s something about this estate that is really sketchy. True, you have driven two hours to get here, but you’re beginning to worry that there’s more to this waitressing job than meets the eye. And maybe you should get out of here while you still can.

But you realize once you go through these gates, you have to go through with it. This is your final chance to turn back.

To turn around and go home, turn to Chapter 6 (page 14)

To proceed to the house, turn to Chapter 33 (page 79)

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