A Facade

Something isn’t right here.

People are gathered,

Mingling,

Faces full of bright smiles and laughter.

There are dozens of plates with decadent finger food on display,

And, with what seems like an endless service of drinks.

On the surface, everyone appears happy to be here.

But, why am I here again?

Oh, right. Vacation.

This is where a few friends and I went for vacation.

As I’m recollecting my memory,

I can’t help but observe my surroundings.

I haven’t touched the food or drinks yet,

However, the persistent offering from others is made clear,

I’m the odd one out here.

Looking around,

I decide to explore the should-be-familiar, unfamiliar place.

Suddenly, I notice a narrow dark hall,

With doors on each side,

All closed –

Except one.

A door with a subtle glow,

Opened just enough to see a glimpse of light.

As a self-claimed explorer, I investigate.

The walk alone is daunting,

Not knowing what lies behind the door.

I peek in to see,

Something I could never forget or ignore,

A dog.

Not just a dog, but pure insanity.

This place is taking the guest’s dogs,

and using them for meat in the food.

Shocked and disgusted at this terrible scene,

A thought quickly rushes into my mind,

As if stuck by lightning,

We brought a dog with us.

My heart drops in fear,

I know I have to do something.

To avoid suspicion,

I play the part and quietly find my friends,

Externally my body is calm,

But internally, I’m in utter distress.

Cautiously, I divulge this crazy conspiracy,

Pleading to find our dog,

And leave this place for good,

But my friend’s face is blank,

No reaction,

Only until I receive a belittling look.

This is not the same person I came here with.

Looking around, I notice that everyone has the same expression on their faces,

On the surface, they look happy

But as if they can’t help it,

As if something is making them stay in this place

To eat,

To drink,

To be happy.

That’s it. Immediately, my eyes focus on the plates of food.

Not only does this place take people’s dogs,

Turn them into meat,

And feed this to people,

But this place puts something else in the food,

That forces people to stay here,

And restricts their ability to ask questions,

Or think for themselves,

So people will reluctantly mingle,

with seemingly happy smiles on their faces,

A facade.