Restaurant

In the middle of the woods, far from civilisation, stood a clandestine restaurant. To any wanderer, a short, small, woody building would seem like an oddity but being lost in the woods they’d enter, seeking shelter. Upon entering a shadow-like figure would be there greeting, adorned in white.

After greeting, unknown to yourself you’d walk to one of the seven wooden tables with four wooden chairs and seat yourself on one of the four. You’d then receive it back and be given and told “ Remember, it’s your last. “ If you’d look below first, blank leather would stare back. If you’d look up, you’d regret it for the rest of your life. Choosing the former and opening the book, inside would be names.

Reading them, a wave of comfort would enter you, the remembrance of love. You may cry, you may look back blankly or you may not do anything at all. Flipping through the old, near-withering papers you’d reach the last one and you’d read it intently. It’s your last after all.

You’d pull out two gold coins, you have some, everyone will. Place it on the flat wood, the clink will call a quick wind and you will look at it, how can you not when a beauty stands before you, a blessing. You’ll tell it your desire, you speak of two, you gave two coins after all.

The wind will leave just as quick as it came and you will wait, you’ve realised; A last meal, maybe you’ll smile, grateful for it. You may have found yourself in abandoned woods, lost for god knows how long and yet at least you’ll be served your last meal. Maybe you’ll cry, in disbelief, a list of years ahead of you and yet you’re here. Maybe in anger, once more in disbelief, but what can you do?  You’ll succumb eventually, you can’t escape it.

Then it’ll come, the smell of love wafting towards you. Both placed in front of you. appearing just as you remembered them, then you’d receive a fork, a spoon, a knife and a napkin. You’d take a piece and you may cry, before, it was merely an experienced fantasy, but now you feel it, you know none of these beings and yet you feel loved. You feel safe.

Should tears linger, you’ll find that it hasn’t gone cold, the love remains the same, the only change being your piece from it. Then, you’d devour it.

After you finish, a slow gust of wind will pass, you may not look, you’re still lost. If you do, kindness will look back, it will stare at you with love and ask “ Would you like more? “

Say yes, and you may suffer from love, say no and you’ll be asked again “ Would you like a visit to the bar? “ An affirmative will lead your body to move once again as before and it will take itself to the bar. You’ll be met with friendship, it will ask you “ Strong? “ You may speak your preference, it will continue asking until it pries deeper and deeper until you realise it wasn’t friendship but the judge all along.

A no will take you to a slumber, long and deep. Yet you can’t leave, it will begin with you and then with those you knew and then what you did, may have done, wished to do. Be it good or bad, you won't leave until the judge deems it so.

After awakening or sobering, you’ll be taken to a door, this time with autonomy, with control. A golden nob awaits you, you will turn it, and what you will find when it opens will be your future.

Be it freedom or slavery, one thing is certain, you will come back, maybe not as you, but you will live through it, you will be its soul and you will make decisions you may regret, adore, despise and mourn. And yet nothing will change, you will return to the forest, be it with the past of skyscrapers or of incurable diseases you will return to the forest, to the restaurant and you will live again, after peace, after suffering you step forth again, with love, adoration, hatred and sorrow in hand.