The Appetizer
When Sage Baker went to check his daily mail from the apartment mailbox, he was met with an intriguing sight. He discovered a single letter, standing out with its unique characteristics. The letterhead bore a single word written in blood-red color: D#7. Surprisingly, the rest of the letter, typically white in color, was instead a matte black shade. Sage, a mostly solitary individual in his 30s, was puzzled by the extravagant appearance of the mail. He had no influential acquaintances who would send him such opulent correspondence. Sage’s daily routines were hindered by a tragic incident from a few years ago. Losing his right leg from the knee down in a severe accident, he had yet to fully recover mentally from the traumatic past. Night after night, he would wake up drenched in sweat, gasping for air, and tormented by haunting memories of his past transgressions. The lack of peaceful sleep took a toll on his overall well-being. Curiosity piqued, Sage opened the envelope and carefully extracted the letter enclosed within. As he started reading the first few lines, he found himself needing to sit down and catch his breath before proceeding. The letter revealed that it was an invitation to a dinner event on Sunday night at Cooks Street. Furthermore, it unveiled the cryptic meaning behind D#7 – it stood for Dinner Number 7.
Then the letter read as follows: It was addressed to one Mister Sage Baker, acknowledging the difficult period he had endured after losing his loved ones in a tragic accident a few years ago. The letter recognized that Sage had also suffered the loss of his right leg from the knee down. Moreover, it mentioned the enigmatic host of the dinner party, referred to as Master-N, a renowned mystic capable of extraordinary feats. Master-N claimed that in exchange for eternal servitude, he possessed the power to bring Sage’s lost loved ones back to life and restore his lost leg as a bonus. However, these miraculous rewards would only be granted to those who attended the dinner party. Sage had to read this letter three times, still unable to fathom the truthfulness of its contents. Sage indeed felt a great sense of remorse and guilt due to his past actions in life. Overwhelmed by this profound remorse, he was willing to do anything to bring back his loved ones. Sage’s emotional state was so intense that he disregarded the bonus part of the deal, which offered to restore his lost leg. All he desired was for the first part to be true, to have his loved ones brought back to life. He was ready to move mountains or even strike a pact with the devil, sacrificing his own soul if necessary, in order to save his family. With firm determination, Sage made up his mind to attend the dinner party. As he looked at his calendar, he realized there were only two more days until the event. Safeguarding the letter, he kept it secure in his locker and proceeded with his daily routine. However, when Sage later went to retrieve the letter from his locker, he was met with an unsettling discovery – no letter remained, only a word seared into the locker: D#7.
Sage lowered the taxi window, leaving the dark and eerie woods behind, only to be astonished by the scene that lay before him. Despite finding himself in the middle of nowhere, he drove through a small town and passed a sign that read ‘Cook’s Street’. The entire town glowed with illumination, yet its streets were devoid of any signs of life. Sage contemplated that it might be a quiet town, where residents retired early and late-night activities were scarce. As his gaze fell upon a building with the word “D#7” displayed on top, he instantly recognized it as his intended destination. Though large, the building stood dimmer than its neighboring structures, becoming the spot where he chose to halt the taxi. Retrieving a photo from his coat pocket, Sage’s eyes revealed a profound sense of loss. Tears streamed down his face, reminiscent of water rushing from an opened faucet, as he pressed the photo against his forehead. After a few moments, Sage collected himself, wiping away his tears, and carefully returned the photo to his pocket. Determination flickered in his eyes as he whispered, ‘I need to do this, not for myself but for her.’ He paid the taxi driver and stepped out into the silent parking area.
Taking a deep breath, Sage entered the mysterious building, carefully navigating with his crutches to avoid any obstacles on the ground. The entrance door appeared old, and before he could even knock, it slowly opened as if anticipating his arrival. Surprised by this peculiar gesture, Sage stepped inside and encountered a man dressed in a black suit. The man informed him that everyone else had already arrived, making him the last guest to join. Handing Sage a card, he directed him towards an empty hallway. Sage proceeded through the lengthy hallway, its floor adorned with a red carpet, taking his time to reach another imposing door. Confident in what to do, he approached the door and patiently waited for it to open automatically, just like the previous one. However, this time, the door remained closed. Sage had to exert force and push it open himself, eventually entering a well-lit room that immediately captured his attention. His gaze was drawn to a large, heptagonal-shaped table, with seven chairs arranged around it. One chair stood empty, bearing Sage’s name, while the other six were occupied by strangers who, like him, appeared to have lost some part of their bodies. The peculiarity of this shared affliction struck Sage as highly unusual, but he composed himself and took a seat at the table, directly across from the six other guests. Seven butlers entered, gracefully carrying giant trays over their shoulders, each adorned with a selection of enticing dishes. With synchronized movements, they placed the trays before the guests, announcing that this delectable feast served as the appetizer course in the seven-course meal of the dinner party, aptly named Dinner Number 7. The room instantly filled with the aroma of the mouthwatering food, evoking a sensation akin to heavenly delights. Once again, in perfect unison, the butlers declared that the host would join them shortly and encouraged the guests to indulge in their first meal of the evening.
As all seven guests, including Sage, savored the most exquisite appetizer they had ever tasted, the brightly lit room suddenly plunged into darkness. Just as panic began to grip the guests, the synchronized voices of the seven butlers reassured them that there was no cause for alarm. They explained that this was a small light show intended to be experienced in complete darkness. The room fell into absolute silence. Then, a piercing sound reminiscent of an eagle’s cry reverberated throughout the space. All eyes turned towards a magnificent display: an eagle formed solely of vibrant orange lights soaring high in the simulated night sky, its gaze fixated on its prey. The target of the eagle’s predatory instinct was an owl perched upside down on a tree. In a swift motion, the eagle swooped down, its sharp talons ready to strike. The owl, startled by the sudden attack, instinctively fled, weaving through the trees to evade the eagle’s advances. The chase continued, with the owl desperately trying to outmaneuver its determined pursuer. Exhaustion took its toll, and the owl’s breath grew shallow as it neared the brink of surrender. It was as if a switch had been flipped, altering the roles of the two birds. Now, the owl transformed into a spectacle of bright red lights and began pursuing the fleeing eagle. It became evident that the attack had occurred during the day when the eagle was in its prime, and now, under the cover of night, the owl possessed superior night vision and a distinct advantage. The tables had turned, and the eagle found itself under attack, losing feathers with each clash against the vengeful owl. With one final strike, the eagle was defeated, and the once vibrant orange lights of the eagle began to fade as it lost consciousness and plummeted towards the ground.
After this spectacular light show, the room was illuminated once again, although it took a moment for everyone’s eyes to adjust after being in darkness for an extended period. Sage was the first to fully regain his vision, and as he looked at the other guests in front of him, his pupils widened. One of the seats was empty, with the name “River Davis” displayed on it. When the rest of the guests noticed the vacant seat, they too were taken aback, as no one had seen anyone leaving their seats. This discovery shocked them all, and they began questioning the butlers about Mr. River’s whereabouts. In response, the butlers spoke in unison, recounting a story to the guests. The tale revolved around Mr. River Davis, a man in his thirties who was a professional bodybuilder. Sage vaguely remembered one guest who appeared more muscular than the average person, but he hadn’t paid much attention to it at the time. River was described as arrogant and narcissistic, never treating others as equals. One day, a young man joined River’s gym program and made negative remarks about River’s behavior. Unable to handle the criticism, River lost control. On a fateful night, while the young man was helping his blind cousin on a deserted street, an intoxicated River drove his car recklessly, hitting them both. However, it was not the car accident alone that caused their deaths. To worsen the situation, consumed by rage, River got out of the car and brutally attacked them, resulting in their tragic demise.
After the tragic incident, River went into hiding, leveraging his connections with influential individuals such as actors, politicians, and wealthy individuals, all thanks to his profession as a personal trainer. He remained concealed until recently when he resurfaced, only to encounter an accident that resulted in the loss of his four left-hand fingers. River’s decision to attend this dinner party was driven solely by his desire to regain his fingers, fueled by his belief in the mystical occurrences rumored to take place in this town. As the butlers concluded their recitation of River’s backstory, they promptly cleared the table of the served appetizers, signifying the end of the first course. It was at this moment that the guests collectively realized that they had been lured to this dinner hall under false pretenses of restoring their lost body parts. Panic ensued, and without exchanging a single word, their apprehension was communicated through fleeting glances. With unanimous agreement, they attempted to leave the hall, but to their astonishment, they found themselves immobilized as if glued to their seats. Not a muscle could be moved, and the realization dawned upon them that they had entangled themselves in a perilous endeavor they should never have meddled with.
