My pulse drums inside my skull.
“And we have a surprise guest… your sister is here with us.”
Sarah blinks, confused, tears streaking her cheeks. “Beth—she’s here—where?”
Asher leans over her shoulder. “She’s right here, sweetheart.”
He taps the roast with the end of his knife.
A cold wave washes over me. The room seems to tilt sideways.
Emma shakes her head violently. “No—no, no—Oh my god—”
Jared stares at his plate. “No… What the fuck—no—”
Sarah looks from the TV to her plate, lost, trembling. “What—”
Elliot leans closer, his voice soft and cruel.
“You’re eating Beth.”
The moment the words settle…Everything shatters.
Sarah screams, a high, throat-tearing wail that makes my skin crawl. She shoves the plate away and vomits instantly, collapsing out of her chair. She claws at her tongue, sobbing, gagging, retching like she can somehow erase the taste.
Jared pushes his plate away so hard the ceramic shatters. He staggers up, choking, spitting, crying without sound.
Emma gags into her napkin, shoulders heaving, full-body shaking, tears streaming as she presses both hands over her mouth.
Miles stares straight ahead, eyes empty, refusing to look at the plate.
Sophie claps, delighted. “Now Beth lives in all of you.”
Asher bends down to Sarah, whose entire body is trembling so violently she can barely breathe.
He whispers loudly enough for all of us to hear, “Next time, eat slower. Really savor the family recipe.”
Sarah screams again raw and broken.
The rest of the victims cry in varying degrees of horror:
“Stop—please—”
“Oh God—oh God—”
“No—NO—NO—”
I can’t move or speak. I can barely breathe. The room spins. The screaming doesn’t stop. The smell of roasted human meat mixes with vomit and iron and makes my stomach twist violently.
Everything inside me feels cold. Like something essential has been scooped out by these monsters and replaced with nothing but shock.
Elliot stands at the head of the table, looking absolutely delighted.
“What a heartwarming family reunion.”
Sophie laughs and wipes a tear from her eye, like she has just heard a good joke.
Sarah wails again and curls into herself on the floor. No one tries to comfort her. No one can.
