3 ROT

3 - ROT

All my life I had been waiting for this moment and today was finally the day for everything to happen. I’d always been a foodie for as long as I could remember, nibbling on cakes and treats. I’d always wanted to cook for people, share my recipes with the world. First came my family who I would cook for ever night as my single mother who worked nights always came home late, because of this I always made a meal for her as she finished.

As I grew older, my love for food and culinary never died. I read book after book, watched all the cooking shows out there when finally, I was accepted into culinarily school far from home where I moved from my mother.

Many years past and qualifications later, I was offered a job at one of the restaurants working with professional chiefs. This was all great for some years when something felt missing.

One night when I was lying staring at the ceiling in my bed it just clicked, I needed to start my own restaurant and as with many things in my life so far that is what I set out to do.

Two years full of business deals, property buying and inventing my own menu and today was the day, opening day, everything came down to this moment. My mother, my friends from previous restaurants and university alongside presaged persons were gathering around to taste my own menu.

A few minuets before opening time. My phone watch vibrated with the time, exactly 19:00. With big sighs and deep breaths, I walked from the kitchen to the main dining room all decorated in gold and white, marble tiles up the walls, full length mirrors that hung down and saw everyone I knew beaming up at me, my mother in the middle of the line of crowds.

“Welcome!” I beamed, my teeth hurting from smiling so much. I was polite to people I knew, kissing both cheeks, hugging mother, showing them seats where they could all mingle together but as I greeted the few, I knew were extra important, my formality was everything.

As I shook there hands, telling waiters to grab their coats I could feel my hands shaking, my body felt as if wind was swirling around my insides telling myself to get it together.

Waiters were coming around with bottles of wine, pouring water from jugs into their glasses while menus were handed to the guests.

The presence around felt relaxed and joyful with the sounds of cheerful conversation circling around the room smiling to myself, I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing, how far I came.

The sound felt like a knife being plunged into my throat. The scream of guests filled the room. I span around in panic seeing that two of my old college friends where standing, hands covering there faces, the waiter in charger of that table, a young man in his earlier 20s stared at me with intense eyes, his body shaking.

I rushed over as the young man tried apologising, sobbing, and whimpering.

“What happened?” I clenched my teeth, why was things already going wrong?

Everyone’s eyes fell on the wine in front of them. There was no red wine in flute glasses but dark, thick goop resembling tar.

“Get this out now...” I panicked looking over my shoulder at those scribbling down on notepads.

I burst into the kitchen pouring a second bottle of red wine and apologising to the point of begging to the guests, loud enough for others to hear that I was competent.

I stood leaning on the side watching everyone enjoying their drinks, no issue, by which time starters where about to be served. I watched like a hawk as soup and botted crab was handed around. I needed there to be no other screw ups.

The plates were cleared and I felt like I could breathe just a little more, halfway through the evening and only one minor incident.

I watched and patrolled around the room making light conversation. The main meals all going swimmingly.

“What in the?” I heard one food critic behind me mouth under his breath.

I shook my head and turned around. The man started pulling something sticky from the green beans on his plate. His fork twirling around it.

“Is that... a dead woodlouse!”

I felt sick to my stomach seeing the man repulsed by the sight. It didn’t make any sense, all the food was fresh, prepared only moments before.

One scream, then one other and another. Down on everyone’s plate, the meat whether it be steak or pork started decaying before their eyes as if you were watching a time-lapse happen in real time.

No one was now sat down, they were now rushing around chaotically, shouting abuse at the waiting staff and me. I was a coward and I couldn’t face up to the negativity, even if I didn’t cause any of it.

With all the chaos, mould began growing around people’s plates and chairs, it was as though something supernatural had taken hold of the place.

An older woman started pushing me, slamming her handbag onto my chest making me loose my footing and fall flat to the ground. From my line of vision mountains of greyish, blue mould grew around everyone’s legs. Shoes looked fuzzy and smelt like death.

I screamed at the top of my lungs. I could feel my back being crushed by feet, being sucked into the earth.

I opened my eyes. I was lying flat in the exact location I’d fallen, but all mould and death and just disappeared just as soon as it came. I couldn’t stop myself but I was still screaming, crying, and flapping my arms around.

A pair of strong arms pulled me up from the floor. I turned around to see a police officer grabbing hold of my body as I screamed.

I don’t remember much after that, just the words, “How long have they been like this?”