I sipped the fruity wine, hoping it would help to calm my nerves. It had been a long time since I had last been on a date, and I didn’t want it to be too obvious. I let my eyes wander the room of the small pub, taking in the burgundy walls crowded with picture frames. The low lighting made it difficult to see details, but every frame seemed to hold clusters of people, their faces pale and expressions unreadable. There were so many of them it felt less like decoration and more like the pub was keeping records. If that was the case, there was no space for the next record. Over my date’s shoulder, I could see the sticky wooden bar that we had just ordered at. I made the mistake of resting my hand on it for a moment and had to quietly peel the skin away. Despite the décor or maybe in defiance of it, the place was surprisingly busy. As I swallowed my wine and guided the glass back to the table, I wondered why she had chosen this place for a first date. She’d called it her hidden gem, a place she swore I’d love.
The clinking of my glass back on the table refocused me on the date. I looked across at the beautiful woman sitting across from me. She had full blonde hair that fell to her shoulders and flawless porcelain-smooth skin stretched over her sharp cheekbones. Her lips curved into a naturally amused smile, looking delighted to be here, to be seen. Her amber eyes were hypnotic, but they sat just a little too deep in their sockets, like gemstones set in shadow. She wore a ruby red top, just visible below her large black coat, that she hadn’t removed since we stepped inside.
“So, what made you choose this place?” I asked, my thoughts circling back. My leg shook gently under the table, trying to disperse the nervous energy I’d built up thinking about this date. She took a slow sip of wine before answering.
“I’ve been coming here since childhood. It’s somewhere I feel truly safe and comfortable, which is ideal when you are meeting a stranger from the internet.” she replied.
She wrapped a strand of hair around one of her fingers, her eyes still locked on mine. “Why, do you not like it?”
I decided to avoid her question. “Wow, are you and your family regulars? We’re not about to run into your dad, are we?” I said with a half-smile, looking over my shoulder.
“Some of my family will definitely be here at some point,” she replied. “But don’t worry about them, they’ll leave us alone if I want them to. They always do what they’re told.” A tight smile curled on her lips, but her eyes didn’t match it.
A ripple of unease curled in my gut, slow and sour. I masked it by outwardly laughing awkwardly, unsure what to say, and trying to keep the atmosphere light. What does she mean by that? And why would you bring a first date here? She may be close to her family, but I’m not sure I want to be anywhere near her family. Them doing what they’re told might just be a joke, but she seems quite serious. I told myself it was nothing, just first date jitters getting the better of me, making me read too much into it.
I saw her staring back at me, waiting for my response.
“Well, you must be close then, you and your family?” I asked, my mind failing to think of a new topic to move onto.
“We’ve always been close.” She said, her smile returning. “This pub is our lifeblood. That’s why I picked it.” She scanned the picture frames on the walls. “You can actually see many members of the family from various generations in the picture frames on the walls.” She reached across and pulled one of the picture frames off the wall. Without even looking at the picture, she thrust it towards me.
“You can see my aunt and uncle on the far right of the photo. My parents couldn’t attend that year due to,” She paused. “An illness.”
I peered down at the grainy photo and saw about 20 people standing in front of the pub, all staring at the camera. None of them were smiling. They all stared blankly at the camera in what looked like 80s clothing. I saw a man and woman standing on the far right of the group, who must have been her aunt and uncle. The man was broad-shouldered, had a heavy brow, and wore oversized glasses that hid his eyes entirely. He wore a tight turtleneck that looked almost painted on to his skin. The woman next to him had enormous, dark, teased hair and a denim jacket covered in pins. My eyes were drawn to her face; her features looked oddly soft, as though the contours of her cheeks were beginning to melt under the camera’s flash.
“Wow, it’s very 80s, isn’t it? Everyone is in stereotypical clothing for that time.” I smiled as I passed the photo back to her, which she had laid down on the table between us. I wondered what fashion trend as I currently following that I will be embarrassed about in decades to come? I was about to voice this idea when she completely ignored my remark.
“What about you? Are you close to your family?”
I wasn’t expecting that as the next question, but answered after a pause, “Not really, I ran to London as soon as I could and never really looked back. They’re nice people, we just don’t always see eye to eye.”
“Such a shame, such a shame.” Her mouth twitched upwards at the corners. “Families are always tricky, so many individuals, but all part of a collective.”
“Yeah, I guess so. You can’t choose your family after all. Although it seems you are very close to yours.”
I glanced away instinctively, scanning the pub for any potential family members. My eyes settled just over Elisa’s shoulder. I could see a dark-haired woman sitting alone, staring at the bottles that lined the mirrored wall. A full glass of amber liquid sat in front of her, untouched. Wasn’t it full when I ordered? A thought tugged at my mind, and I squinted at her. She hadn’t moved since I walked in. Same posture. Same stare straight forward. My stomach churned, and my knee started to shake again. There was something else about her. There was something oddly familiar about her face. Had I seen her before? What was I missing?
“Are you alright? You’ve gone very pale.” Elisa’s voice cut through my thoughts, but my eyes remained just over her shoulder.
“Yes, I just,” I stopped, unable to explain my thoughts. “I think my mind is playing tricks on me.” I rubbed my eyes and looked back at her. Her brows were furrowed, looking concerned, but the corners of her mouth twitched, suppressing a smile.
“Sorry, I’m a bit off it this evening.” I rubbed my forehead and looked down at the table, avoiding her gaze. My eyes rested on the pub photo, and I finally made the connection. The dark haired woman in the denim jacket was the woman sat at the bar, but this photo was 40 years ago, she hadn’t aged a day. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and my throat felt tight. I had to get out of here. I had to get away from this place. The entire pub felt like it was closing in on me, the walls and tables pinning me in. I tapped my feet rapidly on the floor, my eyes shaking fast.
“I’ve… just got to go to the bathroom,” I blurted out, desperate for an excuse. “I’ll be back in a minute.” I looked back up at her, and she had a broad, ivory-white grin on her face. Oh, god, her teeth. Her teeth looked too large to fit into her mouth. As her smile reached its unnatural broadest point, it looked like someone had fit alligator teeth into a human skull and expected someone not to notice.
Not caring if she accepted the excuse anymore, I got my limbs moving. As I rose to my full height and my chair screeched backwards, several others scraped across the floor. My mouth went dry as I realized that everyone in the pub, except Elisa, had stood up and had stopped talking. My legs refused to move any further. All I could bring myself to do is tilt my head down and look at Elisa.
“Well, it seems that there is going to be quite the queue,” she whispered playfully. The back of her hand came up to rest underneath her chin. “Although I don’t think any of these people can actually use the bathroom.” The smile had returned to her face now, no attempts to hide it this time, her teeth bared at me.
I blinked hard. Elisa was still smiling. 20 people remained standing in front of their chairs silently, mimicking my own stance.
“Okay…” I whispered to myself, keeping my eyes on Elisa. I took a slow side step, and so do all of the bodies, not a beat between them and my own movement. My knees went weak under me, but I remained standing.
“Of course, I think you already know, this is all just theater.” Her arm glided through the air, motioning at the still room. As she did, the sleeve of her leather jacket slipped down her arm a couple of inches. I could see her wrist. The skin was stretched taut over it, looking as though it could split open at any moment, the bones or whatever lay beneath almost bursting through.
“You aren’t getting out of here. We’re just having fun.”
Her greedy, hungry smile remained. Think. Think. THINK. Ok, delay her. Talk and think. I took my eyes off Elisa and looked towards the door.
“And what is your fun? What is this place?” I asked her, trying to sound confident.
There were about 10 steps between me and the door. If they keep moving with me, I’ll never make it to the door, but I can’t stand here forever. Without moving my head, I scanned as much of the room as I could see. I shuddered as I looked across at dozens of blank faces, just waiting for me to move. To my left is a door, only a couple of steps away. I could make it, but it doesn’t look like it will take me out. It may only take me further in.
“Well, seeing as you’re going to be part of the family, there’s no harm in telling you.” She looked gleeful and proud. As if she had already won.
“We were thrilled when we saw your profile.” She rose to her feet and stepped towards me, oozing confidence.
“We had 20 profiles set up to ensure that you got to this spot.” Dozens of people turned to face me. Maybe I had seen some of them on the app?
“We need some fresh meat, or more accurately, we need some fresh skin. And your skin. Your skin is perfect, with a warm tone, good elasticity, and barely any sun damage.” She ran a fingertip across my cheek. “Of course, you’re also the perfect size. Cousin Tom has been wearing that for so long and it’s wearing a bit thin.” The dark-haired woman at the bar turned in her seat and got up. She took slow steps towards me, reveling in their shared victory.
“Yes, it’s been a good suit, but it’s time for a change. I could definitely get used to wearing this one for the next few decades.” She brought her hand up to her cheek and pulled the skin. She dragged it a few inches away from her face and was met with no resistance, like putty stretching effortlessly in her hand.
My lips parted, but nothing came out. I think there is only one possible way out. I sprinted towards the door to my left. I grabbed the handle and threw the door open. My hope crumbled entirely as I saw only bricks in front of me. There was nowhere to go. The door was never a door. I turned slowly on the spot, back to face the room, my breathing ragged as tears started to form in my eyes.
“Welcome to the family,” Elisa said, her voice overlapping with dozens of others as they closed in around me.
Credit: Jamie Dee
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