Sloan refuses the food and lies down on the bed of leaves. Later, she wakes up desperately hungry. Robert sleeps nearby while Jasper tries to get her attention. Noticing his duffel bag nearby, she wonders if it contains food and considers searching it. Opening the duffel bag leads to Chapter 27, while looking elsewhere leads to Chapter 28.

Sloan unzips the hitchhiker’s duffel bag in search of food. She finds some ordinary items, duct tape, and a photograph of a giraffe with its image crossed out in marker. She discovers a latched wooden box. Jasper struggles when she opens the box, but it only contains dust. Sloan tastes it and then pours it out, upsetting Jasper.

She finds a bag of berries. She eats them and returns to bed. Soon, she wakes feeling extremely ill and begins vomiting. She realizes that the berries were poisonous. Sloan sees Jasper watching her with a smile as she dies. This is the seventh ending and the end of the “open the duffel bag” endings (53).

Sloan decides against searching Jasper’s duffel. She makes a torch from the fire, searches the cave for food, and finds a patch of mushrooms. Though aware that some mushrooms are toxic, her hunger overrides her caution, and she eats them raw.

Shortly after, she starts hallucinating a candy-like wonderland and dances through the imaginary landscape. As she approaches what she believes is a chocolate waterfall, Robert shouts that she’s about to fall off the mountain. She can’t understand him. She leaps off the edge and falls to her death. This is the eighth ending and the end of the “turn down his offer of food” endings (62).

Sloan accepts Robert’s food, and he serves them both bowls of Frosted Flakes. Sloan finds herself unexpectedly attracted to him. Robert admits that he often feels lonely and says that he enjoys her company. As they sit by the fire, their eyes meet, and Sloan senses his interest in her, but he doesn’t pressure her. She has to choose to accept Robert’s advances (Chapter 30) or politely decline (Chapter 31).

Sloan has sex with Robert and falls asleep in his arms. The next morning, Robert tells her that she has made him feel whole again after Nicole’s disappearance and asks her to stay. Sloan realizes that she wants to remain and agrees.

When she asks what he’s cooking for breakfast, Robert gestures to where Jasper had been lying. Only his clothes and duffel bag remain. Robert explains that he doesn’t exclusively eat Frosted Flakes, and they eat Jasper for breakfast. She finds it delicious. This is the ninth ending and the last of the “mate” endings.

Sloan declines Robert’s advances, reasoning that he’s not human and that she has a life to return to. In the morning, Jasper is gone, and Sloan assumes that Robert released him. Robert prepares scrambled eggs with bacon. Sloan notices a small piece of denim and says nothing.

Robert helps Sloan return home with Blair’s car. Since she missed the dinner-party job, she needs another source of income. Inspired, she writes the first chapter of a book. Blair is so impressed that she allows Sloan to live rent-free while pursuing publication. A year later, Sloan’s book, That Pucking Snowman, becomes a number-one bestseller, with a film adaptation scheduled for release. This is the 10th ending and the last of the “go left” endings.

Sloan turns right onto the cleared road. After a tense drive on the dark, narrow path, she arrives at a large iron gate marked with a “W,” matching Avery’s directions. She uses the intercom to announce herself, but only static responds. After several moments, the gate slowly opens. The place feels suspicious, and Sloan wonders if she should turn around (Chapter 6) or go to the house (Chapter 33).

Sloan drives through the iron gate, which slams shut and locks behind her. She follows the driveway to a large mansion and rings the bell.

A handsome young man answers and introduces himself as Carson, butler for the Wentworth family. Sloan is immediately attracted to him, though she reminds herself that she’s there to work. As Avery’s voice approaches from another room, Carson grabs Sloan’s arm and whispers that she’s in danger.

Avery enthusiastically hugs Sloan while Carson stands expressionless, making Sloan wonder if she imagined his warning. Avery explains that this is a dinner for the Adventurous Eaters Club, a group that eats exotic animals. She leads Sloan into a room filled with wealthy older guests. The host, Davenport Wentworth, kisses the back of Sloan’s hand, though it feels more like a lick.

One guest, Heinrich van Houten, tells Sloan that he can’t wait for her to be served to them but then quickly corrects himself to say that she will serve them. Wentworth says that he needs Sloan’s photograph for an identification badge. Sloan must choose to allow the photo (Chapter 35) or refuse (Chapter 36).

Sloan agrees to the photograph. Wentworth instructs her to stand on what she realizes is a scale. Despite her protest, she steps onto it. Heinrich announces her weight as 124.6 pounds. Wentworth takes the photo and says that he will show her to the dining room.

Sloan refuses to have her photograph taken, questioning why she needs an ID badge for a single night of work. Avery urges her to comply, but Sloan holds firm. Heinrich whispers to Wentworth that her photographs are available on social media. Wentworth relents and agrees to skip the photo. He says that he will show her to the dining room.

Wentworth leads Sloan to an enormous Gilded Age dining room lined with framed photographs of unusual animals that the club has eaten. Sloan notices one photograph of a white-furred, ape-like creature. Wentworth identifies it as an abominable snowman. He says that it was a female who put up a fierce fight and was delicious. When Sloan asks what is being served tonight, Wentworth says that it will be a surprise and offers her a tour of the house (Chapter 38) or the option to go directly to the kitchen (Chapter 46).

Sloan accepts the tour. As they climb the grand staircase, she glances back to see Carson watching with a worried expression. She dismisses her unease, thinking that Wentworth seems eccentric but not dangerous.

Wentworth shows her several oddly misnamed rooms: a home theater containing only a video camera pointed at a stained twin bed, a library consisting of a stack of books, and an Olympic-sized pool room with only a small puddle. He leads her to a narrow staircase to the top floor, and Sloan feels claustrophobic. Carson’s warning returns to her mind. She wonders if she should ask to return to the kitchen (Chapter 39) or continue (Chapter 40).

Sloan asks to end the tour and go to the kitchen. Wentworth asks if she isn’t enjoying the rare privilege of seeing the estate. Sloan explains that she came to work and would feel better familiarizing herself with the kitchen. After a tense pause, Wentworth’s expression brightens, and he agrees to take her (Chapter 46).

Sloan follows Wentworth up the narrow staircase despite her instincts. He shows her a guest room containing only a stained cot, a mini refrigerator, and a bucket. He then opens a door to a room filled with animal cages; one is occupied by a large, wolf-like creature. Wentworth identifies it as a dire wolf and looks at it hungrily.

Carson announces an oven malfunction in the kitchen. As they descend, Carson casts a final warning look at Sloan. Alone in the attic, Sloan notices a key on the wall and debates whether to free the animal (Chapter 41) or leave it (Chapter 42)..

Sloan decides to free the dire wolf. She takes the key, approaches the cage, and extends her hand for the wolf to sniff; it growls, and she pulls back. With shaking hands, she unlocks the cage and steps back. The wolf doesn’t move. Sloan urges it to escape before it’s eaten, but it refuses to budge. Frustrated, she leaves the room and heads downstairs.

Downstairs, Avery tells Sloan that the oven issue was resolved and directs her to the kitchen. The doorbell rings, and she doesn’t see Carson. Sloan hesitates, uncertain whether she should answer the door (Chapter 43) or go to the kitchen (Chapter 46).

Sloan answers the door, opening it only partially on the chain. She’s shocked to find the hitchhiker from the road. He explains that he has been wandering the mountain in the freezing cold and asks to come inside to use the phone. Sloan hesitates, noting that it’s not her house. Jasper pleads, insisting that he will die from the cold. Sloan debates letting him in (Chapter 44) or leaving him outside (Chapter 45).

Sloan agrees to let him inside. She fully opens the door, and Jasper wraps his hands around her throat. Just as she’s about to lose consciousness, a heavy thud releases the pressure. Avery stands over Jasper holding a metal tray.

Sloan insists that they call the police. Wentworth arrives and agrees in principle, but he asks them to set the table while he handles it so that the incident doesn’t spoil the evening. When Sloan returns to the foyer, the hitchhiker is gone. In the kitchen, Avery claims that the police took him to jail. Sloan notices that the cleaning rag Avery is using has the same pattern as the hitchhiker’s shirt. The evening proceeds smoothly, the meal is a success, and Sloan receives generous payment. She and Avery find the food delicious. This is the 11th ending and the last of the “let the hitchhiker inside” endings (105).

Sloan refuses to let the hitchhiker inside, explaining that she lacks permission. The hitchhiker shouts that he will die and that it will be her fault. Despite feeling guilty, Sloan closes and locks the door, ignores the continued ringing, and heads to the kitchen.

The kitchen is enormous; its most striking feature is a massive oven large enough to fit an elephant. Wentworth introduces her to Jacques, the chef. Wentworth demonstrates the kitchen’s appliances before pausing at the oven. He explains that it senses exactly how long food requires and jokes that if she stepped inside, it would know precisely how long to cook her.

He shows her the serving trays. Sloan picks up a heavy polished metal tray and catches Jacques’s reflection. He hovers behind her with a butcher knife and a menacing expression. She realizes that she may be in danger and that the tray could serve as a weapon (Chapter 48), though using it (Chapter 47) would certainly cost her the job.

Sloan dismisses her suspicion, reasoning that Jacques is simply a chef with his knife. When she turns around, Jacques is standing inches from her and slashes her throat. As she dies, she hears someone wonder if she would pair well with Béarnaise sauce. This is the 12th ending and the last of the “you don’t think this is suspicious” endings (113).

Sloan decides that Jacques is a threat. She brings the tray crashing down on his head, knocking him unconscious. Wentworth shouts and reaches for a knife. Sloan runs from the kitchen and cuts through the dining room. She sees a new photograph on the wall among the pictures of animals and realizes with horror that the photograph is of her.

Sloan understands the truth: She was intended to be the main course. Carson’s warning was genuine.

She runs into Avery and frantically tells her that they must escape. Wentworth’s club are cannibals who plan to eat her. Avery feigns shock. Sloan insists that they leave immediately, and Avery offers to show her a secret back exit to avoid being seen. As Avery leads her down a hallway, they pass a parlor where the guests are laughing and drinking wine. Sloan’s fear transforms into fury. She wants to confront them (Chapter 50) but considers that despite their age, they outnumber her and Avery and might be able to overpower them. She wonders if they should focus on escape (Chapter 58).