A STRANGE DINNER
BY RENEE LUCAS
“Ah,” he spoke, the glimmering eyes of the beast looked back at me as he cleaned his hands with the napkin provided on the table. “I never knew you had such bland taste.” he continued, his ears twitching.
I moved slightly in my seat, feeling uncomfortable, which I have been this whole time. When he requested to have dinner with me, I didn’t think he was serious, especially since the last time we had meet he tried to kill me. I was surprised when the next day I found a letter of invitation to Vilá Diner by him. Marked in cursive was my name. A café was an odd choice for dinner, but one that I didn’t really want to complain about. The situation was already too strange. He, Nune, was an interesting creature. Purple colored fur covered his body, bunny ears sticking out of his head, an odd smile that stuck to his face, and mismatched eyes that watched me with a curiosity. It was quite a silly look to me, but his behavior and voice made up for that, being intimidating and holding a mature standing.
I had ordered a small salad since I wasn’t in the particular mood to dine myself into anything too big or fancy. It must have come off to him as cheap, but I honestly didn’t care. All I really wanted was to get out of there. He observed me quietly.
“You seem to be a bit squeamish. What’s on your mind?” he spoke slow but powerfully, his voice deep.
I swallowed, looking down at my half eaten salad and then around me, observing anything person or thing that could bid me time from this.
“N-nothing, really. I guess I just wasn’t expecting this…” I answered back sheepishly, feeling more pathetic than I already was.
“Wasn’t expecting me to request so kindly to join me in an evening of dining after the last event?” He asked with an eyebrow raised, almost comically.
“Uh, yeah.” I responded, feeling quite awkward.
The Minister told me that joining him in a meal will show forgiveness from ‘so rudely’ trying to escape the last time he had invited me over. My excuse being that he tried to murder me, but he just didn’t care. The people here never care. And I’m stuck in with them in this godforsaken world, or realm. However they call it.
His laughter sent silent chills down my back and goosebumps to cover my arms. The last time I heard that laughter, I was one step closer to death. He stopped to look at me closer, his eyes never leaving mine. They glistened with the intention of something I couldn’t quite case. I moved in my seat awkwardly. He made sure his eyes never left mine, to my great displeasure. Of course, he noticed my discomfort and seemed to enjoy it. I heard the distant click of a clock.
“So what’s your favorite hobby?” I raised an eyebrow with this. Was he actually curious or was he just trying to make me more uncomfortable?
“Normal things…” I answered quickly.
“Normal things? There is no such thing as normal. Please elaborate.”
I sighed and looked across the room at the clock. The guards told me they would pick me up at midnight. It was eleven forty. I could hear Nune tapping his foot impatiently.
“R-reading, I guess.”
“Reading? Reading what?” I breathed in deeply, how many questions was he going to ask? I saw his smile widen ever so slightly.
“…poetry?” Nune tilted his head as if he didn’t believe me.
“You don’t look like a poetry reader.” his ears twitching again.
‘Please let this be over.’ I glanced at the clock once again, eleven forty-five. In the corner of my eye I see his hands tap on the knife placed beside his plate.
“Well, I do read it.” my answer was mumbled, but I’m sure he heard it. He chuckled and anxiety rose within me.
Nune grasped the silver knife on the table, it’s blade glinting in the chandelier light. I cringed in my seat, taking in a breath. He slowly raised the to his plate and cut down on the bread, stabbing into its soft flesh with force. I clenched onto the fabric of my dress under the table, hating every moment of this. I could feel the sweat running down my back as the clicking of the clock continued. It was then I witnessed him devouring his share of bread in an ungodly way, crumbs and salvia flying everywhere as I tried to looks away. I could already see the horrified faces of bystanders beholding such the awful sight. He then took the napkin he was using from the table and wipe his mouth calmly. As if this dinner wasn’t weird enough.
“Don’t worry, Anni,” his spoke, I stared at him with the look of disgust on my face,”I didn’t invite you here to hurt you. I simply wanted a conversation.” he looked back at me and smiled, a smile that didn’t matched his tone at all.
“Then…why?” I asked, watching him peculiarly, my grip on my dress loosing.
He stopped to look at me, our eyes meeting once again. His eyes still held something I still can’t describe. Was it confusion? Anger? Even fear? After a few moments, he only shrugged with a crooked smile.
“I just wanted to get to know you better.”
“After you almost killed me?” I retorted, feeling slightly angry. He wanted to better know me after he threatened my life? As if none of those terrible memories of the encounter mattered to him?
A loud clang was heard as the knife fell onto the table. I looked up to see him calling over a waiter. The dread slightly eased as the waiter trod to our table, though their conversation was muffled by the ticking of the clock. Eleven fifty five.
Just five more minutes, Anni. You can do this.
Once the waiter walked off, I looked back at the purple bunny, preparing what I was going to say next.
“I-it has been nice having dinner with you b-but I must be off. My ride will soon be here and I would hate to keep them waiting.” I waited for his response as I hesitated to grab my things, but he only smiled at me, one that didn’t make my heart leap.
“Oh, of course! I enjoyed this evening as well. And I would also hate to make you late for your ride.” I gave him a tight smile as a collected my purse and gloves, trying not to hurry in order to not look rude.
Getting up from my seat and cautiously heading to the front doors of the Café, I heard his deep voice call out to me.
“I can’t wait to see you next time, Anni.”
Next time?
