Page 119 of Death and Do-Overs

“He found me in Pennsylvania, exactly like you’re suggesting no one was supposed to be able to do. He’s here now, same as me.”

Otis ran his hands through his hair again, this time pulling hard on the roots. “You’re both idiots.”

“I don’t give much weight to the opinions of murderers.”

He let out a long breath.

Someone smashed into the door again. This time, the metal door physically bent. The lock held, but it wouldn’t for long.

“Truce?” Otis held out his hand to me.

Obviously I couldn’t trust him. Maybe I could pretend. I needed all the help I could get.

It was a weird thing to think at a time like this, but I remembered Otis’s shoes on the gorilla guy’s feet.

I looked down at Otis’s feet. He had on a pair of Crocs.

“What happened to your shoes?” I asked.

A loud bang filled our tiny closet as someone once again tried to bash their way in.

“My shoes?” Otis looked confused, but he answered. “Someone stole them from my hotel room while I was in the shower.”

I didn’t want to, but I believed him.

“Incredible performances have whittled down our competitors,” the intercom voice announced. “Now, only five remain! The pressure is mounting. Who will be ruthless enough to survive?”

“Did you join this competition voluntarily?” I asked.

“No.”

Dang it, but I had to believe that, too.

I begrudgingly accepted his outstretched hand, and we shook.

Bang.

“Get on my shoulders,” he said.

“So what, you can throw me at whatever monster breaks through that door first? No. I’ll stay on my own two feet, thanks.”

“There’s a vent up there,” he said through gritted teeth. “Just do it.”

Bang.

A huge hole opened up at the top of the door where the metal warped. A massive hairy arm shot through it, swinging around, reaching for me.

Time was up.

I climbed Otis, popped off the vent cover, and pulled myself up.

The door burst open.

Otis reached a hand for me to help pull him up, too. Before I could reach him, a hulking shape slammed him into the wall.

I had two choices. I could crawl away and leave him. Or I could honor the agreement I’d just made.

He wasn’t going to keep his end. No way.

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