The Main Dish
Family Fun
“Tonight is the family dinner, something we do every year. This night is special, and it would mean even more to me if you joined us. You would make a great first impression, or I hope you would.” I walked along the cobbled path with my hand in his.
Blake turned to face me and placed his lips against my knuckles. “I will happily oblige.”
My smile grew as I pictured how this night would do. They were going to love him. They had to.
~
As the stars sparkled and the moon shined down upon the earth, I drove through the dark woods to the very home my parents owned. “This is where I grew up. It was very serene and peaceful being so away from humanity.”
The shadows of the trees grew in height the further we drove in.
Blake chuckled to my right. “Humanity can be so stressful to be around.”
“Humanity doesn’t deserve to live,” I said.
Blake grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers. “Most of the time, no, they don’t.”
We arrived at the cabin and I walked up to the door with Blake’s hand in mine. A firm knock was enough to alert whoever was inside that I was home.
The door opened to reveal my grandmother. “Annabeth, we have missed you dearly.” She pulled me in for a tight hug. This woman had aged well and her strength was not lacking.
Pulling away from the hug, I gestured to Blake. “This is my date. We’ve been together for a couple of months and I thought it would be fair to bring him to the family dinner we host every Halloween.”
“Of course, come in.” Grandma let us in and we greeted the rest of the family. Mom and Dad were pretty accepting of Blake so far, at least until the real test came.
“It’s so nice to meet you. Anna is a very wonderful woman.” Blake was attempting to sweet talk my family into letting him become part of the family.
Mom put both hands on her cheeks and smiled at him. “You have spectacular bone structure.”
“When the day comes, Anna and I will have beautiful children,” Blake said to my mother.
Dad stood in front of him and crossed his arms. “And what is your life like? Tell us about yourself.”
“I’m finishing up college now, and I’ve got a little part-time job to help pay debts until I graduate and get a career I would succeed in.” Blake smiled and glanced at me.
Dad nodded. “Okay, and are you one of those pesky boys who sleeps around and drinks all night in college?”
Blake shook his head. “No, sir. I respect women and I have no interest in alcohol. I spend a lot of time studying when I’m not with Anna.”
“Annabeth has informed us you’re a vegan, correct?” Mom asked.
Blake smiled. “Yes, ma’am. I am a vegan.”
Dad looked at us. “Alright, so we know what dinner is going to be tonight.”
Mom got to the kitchen to finish up the feast.
I made my way over to Blake and I smiled as I grabbed his hand. “They approve.”
“That is wonderful news.” Blake placed a kiss on my head.
Mom came from the kitchen. “Alright, we are just missing one main dish for the meal everyone. Blake has kindly offered to help with that.” She gestured to him.
Blake looked at my mother and gave me a look. “I have? What is the main dish?”
I walked over to mom and grabbed the knife. “Thank you for giving me the chance, Mom. I am honored to be in charge.” I turned to face Blake. “Thank you for being such a great guest.” I walked over to him and touched his cheek. “And most importantly, thank you for being the main dish.” I plunged the knife into his gut, listening to him grunt and groan from the pain.
He grabbed onto my shoulders but the twisting of the knife kept him weak. The blood spilled from his wounds, not taking a moment to second guess leaving his body.
“Careful, Annabeth. We want to make sure he can be cooked properly,” Mom said.
I pulled the knife out and pushed him onto the couch. “Dad, can you teach me how to carve the meat?”
Dad appeared at my side and grabbed the knife. “Of course.” He grabbed Blake’s shirt and cut it off using the blade. Blake was too weak to stop him, but he could see and feel everything that was happening at this moment.
Dad cut into his chest as a doctor would when examining a dead body. As soon as he cut his heart, Blake went limp and his eyes glassed over, life draining from him.
Mom cooked the meat that we removed, and Grandma helped set the table in our dining room.
Dad grabbed the wood wool and demonstrated how to stuff a body. He taught me the use of preserving the skin so it would not decompose. As he sewed up the wounds that covered his body, he dressed him up and smiled at me. “Let’s feast on the wonderful dinner your mother made.”
As we started walking towards the dining room, I glanced at Blake. “You’re going to be sleeping with me as soon as dad replaces your eyes. You’re going to love it here. Welcome to the family.”
I entered the dining room and stripped down to my naked form. I stepped into the water before I was completely submerged by the legs that had formed a dark orange fishtail. I sat on the bench that had been just a foot under the surface of the water.
We all sat around the table, waiting for a few words to be said before the feast would start. Fins gently swam up and down underneath the table.
Mom smiled as she lifted her glass of champagne. “Here’s to Annabeth for providing the main dish. She did a wonderful job supplying the family dinner this year. Happy Halloween, my beautiful family.”
