Shivers And Frights

Dinner Party

My girlfriend Faith told me that we were going to meet her parents this weekend. I said yes thinking nothing of it. She told me that I could pick the place but, I kindly let her parents decide the location. So Faith told them on the phone that they could choose. Faith was on the phone for only a second before answering back. Faith cleared her voice and told me;

"This new restaurant opened on my parents block. They said that they would love to check it out"

"Good, then its settled" I said like I was absent minded.

Faith got all excited and kissed my cheek saying how she can't wait over and over. She spoke as if she hasn't seen her parents in years.

The next day I got in my car and we drove off to the designated location. We drove for an hour until we reached a broken down like shop. The pain seemed to be peeling and the neon red sign was slanted.

"Is this the place?"

"Yeah Greg of course it is! I mean it's not that nice of a place but, I'm sure the insides nice!"

So we got out of the car and walked up to the diner. The glass door was missing the glass allowing us to walk right through the door if we wanted. Since we are civilized we opened the broken door.

The diner was warm and smelt like rotting cheese. The wall paper was slashed like a murder scene had happened. Faith grabbed my hand and brought me to a booth. The booth was also slashed with green stains all over it. I acted like the place was fine even though it certainly wasn't.

"Aren't you so excited!"

"I mean sure Faith anything for you."

I looked around and saw that the place was completely deserted.

"Where's your parents?"

"They should be here soon!"

I looked at the bar waiting for a waiter or waitress anything. I heard faint rumbling from behind the counter.

I leaned closer to the counter and a smell so unbearable swept over me. I can't even explain it's disgustingness, it was so revolting I almost vomited right there.

I did see a old fat man stumble from behind the counter. He carried a small note pad that was almost entirely covered by his oversized hands.

He wattled slowly and stared at me the whole time. His eyes were locked with mine and I look away from him knowing that if I didn't look away something bad would happen.

When he got to the booth he took raised the notepad. We had menus already spread out on the table so we new what to order.

"I'll have waffles."

"Me too."

The man wrote nothing and did nothing. He stood still in his spot as if he was glued down to it. I looked at him again and saw him staring at me before my head was fully raised. His scare on his forehead bulkhead and his Irish skin was pale as snow and full of cuts. He shook his head up and down at me and began to wattle to the counter.

I looked at Faith who was smiling. She was so happy that I ignored the man. In the corner of my eye I was still watching the man. He was speaking in soft whispers and turned around again and looked at the wall.

I moved my eyes slowly to look directly at him. He was looking at the walls and once again wasn't moving he just stood their looking at the walls. It was unsettling because the walls were blank. Not a single picture, or poster just a ripped up yellow wall.

His oversized belly didn't move up or down indicating breathing. He seemed to be a statue, that hat was poorly made or unfinished.

Out of the blue I saw a fast blur of red and a little bit of light from behind the counter. It seemed to be an old woman. I looked at the window into the kitchen and saw the blur again. Next thing I knew I saw it again except the old lady carried a heavy pot that made her walk slowly.

She had frizzy white tangled hair, and her skin seemed like a sack with a potato in it. The large gray pot contained something in it. I could tell because I saw something sticking out of it. I leaned to my side and saw a hand or maybe a rat sticking out of the pot.

I wanted to get out of here and tell Faiths parents to meet us somewhere else. The only problem was that it was too late the old woman placed food on the table and rang the bell with her bony hands.

The old man did nothing at all but continue to look at the wall. The woman rang it again and again each with more force waiting for the man to hear her.

The relentless ringing was too hard for the old man to hear so I decided to shout to him;

"Hey bud! The foods done"

The man turned his head to me and smiled. It was as wide as it could go. The man picked up the food and brought it too our table.

"On the house" the main mumbled under his breath. His voice was raspy and old like he smoked for years.

I looked at the food and I threw up in my mouth. The waffle had green syrup on it and was burnt to a crisp. It smelled like a morgue would. The egg that was on it wasn't even the right color it was red and yellow. It was so bad I lost my appetite immediately.

I looked at Faith who gobbled it down like it was her first meal in months. I grabbed her hand and pulled heroic of the seat. I ran out the door.

"Faith tell your parents to meet us somewhere else!"

"What do you mean?" Faith said confused.

I looked at the restaurant and saw a pin of rats that had already slaughtered ones in the dirt.

"We just need to go somewhere else. I'll meet your parents some other day."

"I don't understand those people are my parents! Surprised it was their idea to act like I didn't know them, aren't they just lovely!"