Women have always been a delicacy. Their soft skin and sweet taste entice people from all ages. No matter the age, no matter the physique, they could taunt anyone with just a glance. Louie's, an establishment known for its exotic dishes, offers the full experience. They serve everything from dragon scale soup to phoenix fried rice. But, nothing beats a woman. To prepare such a delicacy, you first need to find them. Then, lure them in. Finally, call in an order at Louie's and you're done. A meal worth years of time, years of emotion, and years of far too much effort.
The dimly lit cellar of Louie's roars to life as soon as the meat is unloaded. Pots boil with vegetables, oils and herbs. Chefs cut each item into bite sized pieces, every slice exact. Once everything has been incorporated, they add the meat. The tender meat stews in the pots to be eaten.
Amanda was sitting in one of these pots. She wears a smile despite how her skin burns from the roaring liquid. Four other women sit in similar pots, all wearing different expressions. Their limbs are bound. Their intestines and mouths are stuffed with herbs and garlic. She looks around the room. Her eyes are as giddy as a kid in a candy store.
"You look too happy for someone about to die," A brown-haired woman scoffs. Amanda's smile grows wider.
"I'm Amanda."
"Julia." Julia rolls her eyes.
"And everyone else?"
"Sammy." A freckled woman groans, struggling against her restraints desperately.
"Claire." A blond woman curses, as if her own name had offended her.
"Elizabeth." The final woman mumbles, her voice barely audible.
Amanda smiles at each of them, her grin firmly in place. She fully believed this was all going to end well. Women were meant to be eaten after all. "So, where are you all from?"
"Does that even matter?" Claire barks, glaring at Amanda. "Don't you know what's gonna happen?"
"I know what's going to happen. We are going to fulfill our destiny and further society by offering up our bodies." Amanda fawns over the idea, her voice whimsy as if she was talking about a fairy tale.
"You fell for that crap?" Julia wiggles in her pot to get a better look at the rest of them. The others shift as well to face each other. They form a star with each woman in one corner.
"Don't call it crap when it's true," Amanda shoots Julia a pointed look.
"Can we all just stop fighting? How do we get out of here?" Sammy continues to struggle. Tears run down her cheeks into the pot, adding more salt into the mixture.
"Get out of here?" Elizabeth laughs, the sound humorless and empty. "We don't."
"No, there have been people who escaped. I heard about it." Sammy struggles more.
"Maybe in your dreams." Julia leans back a bit. She sighs, feeling the water heat up more around her. Her tanned skin darkens into a succulent reddish tone.
"No! I'm serious. There have been-" Sammy is cut off by a chef slapping her hard across the cheek. She falls silent, shaking like a leaf as the chef leaves to prepare vegetables.
"... see?" Elizabeth whispers. "I would pat your back if my arms weren't tied up."
"Well, since we're going to die anyway, why not talk about ourselves? I really want to get to know you all." Amanda beams, her smile back in place.
"I guess, might as well tell our stories." Elizabeth adjusts herself as her water starts to boil more.
"I'll go first," Amanda clears her throat. "As you know, I'm Amanda. I grew up with my parents in our quiet town. We moved to the city because my papa got a job here. My mama and papa wanted me to fulfill my calling. So that's why I'm here."
The women all look at her with pity. They share a look with each other before speaking up about their stories.
"I've always lived in this city. Born and- well, I was going to be born and bred here. My folks were never in the picture much but that doesn't matter. My grandparents raised me good. I was snatched up off the main street after my shift at the bank," Claire seems to calm down. "I hope my grandparents don't… I hope they're alright."
"Main street?" Julia speaks up. "I got taken from there too, right outside of the liquor store. I grew up with my parents in this city. We were alright, getting by just fine. I'm surprised no one's noticed I'm gone. Bet my boyfriend's freaking out though."
"You have a boyfriend?" Amanda chuckles.
"What, you thought I didn't have game?"
"Not really, Julia. I'm surprised too." Claire laughs.
"Har Har." Julia rolls her eyes again, a small smile on her lips.
"I was taken from the homeless shelter on Bridgemont street," Elizabeth hums. "I was just trying to get a good night's sleep after my folks kicked me out a few years back. I grew out of the foster system with nothing to my name so… yeah."
"Oh, that's not nice at all," Amanda pouts, her eyebrows furrowing together.
"That's life. Life isn't exactly nice to everyone." Elizabeth shrugs.
"I guess I'm last, huh?" Sammy speaks up, her eyes fixed on the carrots bobbing in her pot. "I grew up with my parents, older brothers and a cute dog. We were all happy, we always spent every day together. But, last night, men broke into my house and kidnapped me. My brothers tried to stop them but they weren't strong enough. I miss them. I miss them so much."
"Hey, we all miss our people. You're not alone." Claire mumbles trying to get Sammy to stop crying.
"We're all here with you, Sammy." Julia leans a bit closer to her with a warm smile.
"Thanks, guys. It's sad that we all ended up like this." Sammy mumbles, blinking away tears.
"Sad doesn't even start to cover it," Claire hums. The women fall into a moment of silence, thinking of their lives and how it's soon going to end. Every second seems to slow down, the burn on their bodies numb, even the air stops and holds its breath to keep the silence.
"I was at the liquor store because I wanted to be out of the house." Julia sighs, she falls quiet for a few seconds before continuing. "I had a fight with…. my boyfriend. He wanted kids and I just-I didn't want them. Thought a drink would calm me down, y'know?"
"Ha, I was going to head there after my shift. If we didn't get taken, we probably would've met there." Claire looks over at Julia with a bittersweet smile.
"I'm not much of a drinker. What kinds do you buy?" Amanda chimes in. "I've only been allowed to have wine."
All of them giggle, feeling a bit lighter. They talk for hours about anything and everything. Their words spill out like waterfalls, their jokes and stories flooding the air and lifting the mood. Smiles bloom on all of their faces. For the first time, they felt seen. Seen by people who seemed to know them better than anyone else could ever hope.
Just as they were about to change the topic once again, the chefs enter the room, interrupting their moment of warmth. They grab each woman, yanking them out of their pots one by one. The savory smell of cooked flesh and roasted vegetables fill the air as they're laid out on trays.
"Stop that! Please!" Screams echo off the walls, their bodies contorted and twisted into the perfect positions.
"Please! I'll do anything you want, just don't send me out there!" Elizabeth struggles against one of the guards. She moves so much that the cord he was tying around her neck tightens.
Cold air pricks their skin as they're carried out. Amanda smiles, feeling as if she was finally being useful for once in her life. The lights shine on her skin, making her skin glow more.
"Finally," She mumbles. The waiter moves her plate onto the table, sliding her like a prized cut of beef. Her smile slips from her face when she's laid in front of her parents. They hold knives and forks, ready for a bite. "Mama? Papa?"
Sammy looks up at her family, watching them pour sauce all over her with wide eyes. She thrashes frantically, panicking as their knives get closer. "Why are you doing this?! No! Stop!"
Julia's words are caught in her throat when she's placed in front of her parents and boyfriend. "What the hell… you ordered me? You backstabbing son of a-"
Elizabeth is placed in front of the many people who had fostered her, her delectable scent wafting into their noses. They look at her with pity, the same pity they gave her when they would send her to the next home. The same pity they gave her when they heard about what her father did.
Claire's eyes fill with tears at the sight of her coworker. The same man she turned down time and time again. She barely knew the guy's name but he knew her well enough to order her.
They all take their final breaths in unison as the carving begins. Each bite fills the customers mouths with the flavor of slow cooked meat. The taste of memories and pain linger, but the seasonings overpower it. Guilt was absent and regret was nowhere to be seen. The only emotion brewing in their stomachs was hunger, a hunger for more and more of what they shouldn't have had.