Page 121 of Death and Do-Overs

This place, these circumstances, had me questioning everything.

“Three contestants remain, but only one can emerge victorious,” the voice proclaimed.

Three? Me, Otis, and one other.

The announcement sounded distant, like there weren’t speakers in this area, yet close, like maybe there was one in the room beyond the door to my right.

Curious, I looked at Otis to see if he had the same thought.

His sights were already set on the door. He crossed the hall and opened it.

Beyond the door was a small room, with screens all over the walls. Some showed the streets around Nevermore. One appeared to show the hallway just beyond this door. Multiple focused on the room where we’d woken. The carnage…I had to look away.

At the base of the wall of screens was a desk, with a microphone perched on its edge, and a chair in front of it.

The chair turned.

On it sat a creature no larger than a tabby cat.

But its fur was as yellow as a canary.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” the fox said in a deep voice, the same voice that had counted down the deaths of our cohort.

This fox wasn’t wearing a tiara.

And it definitely wasnotNoodles.

Without my mind’s agreement, my body turned and began walking back the way we’d come. Otis did the same. Our feet marched in unison. I had zero control over what I was doing.

I was nothing but a puppet.

“Are you choosing to walk this way?” I asked Otis.

“No. You?”

I shook my head. At least I had that.

This had to be like what had happened to Rose during her first encounter with Noodles. I was pretty sure Imogen had said something along those lines, that kitsune could control people.

I tried to focus on fighting that control, focused on stopping my feet from moving forward.

I stepped into the hall.

Otis stepped up next to me.

I could swear I heard my name, but the voice in the distance—it couldn’t be real.

Our bodies turned to face each other, swords held in our right hands, standing where the cameras could record. Cold sweat trickled down my spine.

No. I had to fight this, I had to do something.

I could feel my pulse thrumming in my ears. My brain screamed.

I reached into my mind, sought out the bubbles. I’d been able to control the creation of clones. I’d always created them instinctively when I needed them most.

I’d never needed them more than I did right now, yet I couldn’t see the bubbles.

No new Marnies were coming to save us.

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