31 Days of Halloween

Day Twenty-Nine: Forks on the Moon

Lauren was never one to do this. She had her favorite places to eat, the dishes that lived up to her picky palate, and that was that for dining out. But tonight, Lauren's friends decided they wanted to do something different.

There was a new restaurant that opened downtown, a ritzy place called Forks on the Moon. Its tagline was all about the thrill of food and eating with every sense. Except sight; you were blindfolded through the whole experience. Waiters would bring out a mystery four course dinner and you would eat in total darkness.

The reviews were outstanding, thousands had already gone and made plans to return. It looked worth a try, but Lauren still hesitated. What if it was weird and fancy food, or something like pig intestines? She didn't like the idea of shoving unknown food into her mouth, even if in the moment it tasted good.

But ultimately, Lauren accepted and tried to get excited about this. And when the night rolled around, she did enjoy herself. Everyone got ready at Lauren's house and dressed in their best cocktail dresses. When they pulled up, they wanted all eyes on them as any twenty-something craved. Lauren found she couldn't keep the red-lipped grin off her face.

The place looked fantastic. It was a wide building with a modern front, hand stenciled with their logo and tagline and a cartoon face with a big smile and a thick blindfold across their eyes. Inside was a more couture look with plush blue velvet chairs and deep mahogany tables. Each table fit at least four, she couldn't find any single tables except at the vast bar up front. There were parties there already and everyone had a blindfold folded primly on a striking white plate. Each goblet was gold rimmed and a small water glass sat next to it.

The other girls sat first while Lauren gawked, having to be elbowed by Kate to sit down. As the room filled up, Lauren began to feel anxious prickles down her back and little butterflies erupted in her stomach. She began to worry about the food. But the bread and dipping sauce the waiter had brought the table where phenomenal so the main food can't be that bad.

Once the last people had taken their seats, the lights dimmed like when a play in the theater is about to start. Waiters and waitresses in black tuxes and starched white aprons filed out and tied each person's blindfolds. Lauren tensed when her's was put on, but Kate once more squeezed her hand to put her at ease, the other girls chatting easily.

"It's okay, it's not an execution just food. Enjoy yourself, relax." Kate gave an easy smile, her white blindfold a bold contrast to her olive skin.

"I know, but you know how picky I am. And fancy restaurants love to tote around caviar and all other sorts of inedibles. How am I supposed to enjoy food I might not like?"

"Jeez, Lauren. Stop being a worry wart." Kate laughed, her fingers massaging her forehead. "If it helps, if you taste something you don't like, scoot it over to me. I'll enjoy it for you."

With that, a little bell was rung from somewhere in the room and Lauren could hear the bustle of plates being set down and knives scraping porcelain. The first course bad arrived.

Lauren took a hesitant bite but found the texture familiar. It was a gazpacho-type soup, but Lauren found bits of a crunchy substance. She guessed a type of crouton, but it had a woodsy aftertaste, like mushrooms. Whatever it was, it was delightful, and she was disappointed when her spoon scraped an empty bowl.

Kate took her hand, a silent question. "It was actually pretty good, Kate. Do you know if those crunchy things were mushrooms?"

"I have no idea, but I know I want seconds." They laughed together, joining in the chatter before the next course.

The bell rang again, and Lauren braced herself for another new dish, though she was more excited now that her appetizer was a success. Lauren dug her fork in but when it was brought to her lips, her nose wrinkled. It had a briny smell and when she could taste it, it was soft yet spongy on her tongue. A metallic tang exploded in her mouth and she recoiled fast, dropping her fork. Lauren spit out whatever it was but pushed herself to suss out whatever else was on the plate.

Luckily, she found crunchy garlicky broccoli with toasted almonds. It was a welcome flavor but when it was gone, Lauren's fork picked up something else. It was a thick sauce-like thing, almost like a loose gelatin. She rolled it on her tongue but couldn't find a distinct flavor to it. It was an interesting texture and she found herself tolerating it.

The plates were taken away again, but this time Lauren stayed quiet. She tried to hear what everyone else was talking about. To her right, someone mentioned the garlic level as unnecessary. Lauren scoffed at the garlic haters and moved forward. Straight back, someone said the spongy matter was like the sweet breads they had tried on vacation. It didn't taste like bread to Lauren.

The third course was brought out quicker than the second, and Lauren ran her fingers along the outside rim. It was a bigger plate, more platter than dinner plate and Lauren brushed something that felt fried. She scooped one into her mouth, crunching happily. The texture was a little like chicken, but it had a gamey flavor. Lauren decided maybe it was an exotic animal and finished them off.

On her fork, Lauren found what she assumed was mashed potatoes but there was a grainy feel to it that may have been cauliflower instead. So far, this was Lauren's favorite course. At least exotic game and cauliflower wasn't odd or unexpected.

It took a long time before the dessert plates were brought out, but Lauren instantly gagged when they did. The smell was horrendous like decayed meat. Lauren had once accidentally left a package of ground meat on the kitchen counter for a week when she went on vacation. The smell that absorbed into the walls was the same as this, cloying and distinct.

Lauren figured this was out of bounds, but she ripped the blindfold off and stared in horror at what she saw. It was a tart shell still in the mold and a berry filling was steaming inside of it. But not all the lumps were berries and when Lauren turned one over, she confirmed it was a lonely blue iris eyeball, floating in the jelly of the tart. Lauren looked and saw the same on her friend's plates. She pushed from the table, stifling her vomit.

Lauren ran for a door marked restroom and threw open a stall only to see a carcass hanging from the stall wall. Lauren puked then, seeing the human ribcage trimmed like short ribs ready for a smoker. Lauren vomited everything she had eaten that night, seeing a pinkish matter not unlike a brain with a golden-brown crust float amongst the broccoli. Whatever was in her food tonight, it most certainly was not animal products.

Lauren rushed from the bathroom, intending to drag her friends out of that place even though they were happy and eating, but two enormous hands snapped onto her shoulders and she was pulled behind double doors. A waiter stared at her nonchalantly as the doors swung on the hinges.

Lauren never returned to her friends in person, but the chef set out a special fifth course in honor of some last-minute product changes. Lauren's friends happily munched on a custard made from her brains, the rest curing on the butcher's table. Lauren's eyes stared up at the ceiling, glad she agreed to go out tonight.