diff --git a/assembly/decoder.ts b/assembly/decoder.ts
index 07c16e4..4f56b82 100644
--- a/assembly/decoder.ts
+++ b/assembly/decoder.ts
@@ -228,6 +228,9 @@ export class JSONDecoder<JSONHandlerT extends JSONHandler> {
                 savedIndex = this.state.readIndex;
             }
         }
+
+        // just to help to compile
+        return "";
     }
 
     private readEscapedChar(): string {