Estimated reading time 7 minutes
Richard’s Friday night started like every other, after finishing his last-minute studies he travelled home, alone. Richard knew when he got home the house would be empty, so as usual he decided to grab some food on the way. His mom was working the late shift again and his dead-beat Dad would still be out getting a pack of smokes that he’d been out buying for the past 11 years without returning, so there was no rush to immediately head home. On his way home Richard stopped by the local pizzeria, just down the road from his house, Hungry Pete’s Pizzas.
He couldn’t help trying the latest weekly special, so much so his order was usually ready by the time he stepped foot through the door. Richard enjoyed his weekly visits to the pizza place, it was one of the few places he could let his guard down, share with someone the troubles of being a teenager … love interests, school life and bullies. However, in the back of his mind he always felt a certain… wariness around Pete he couldn’t quite put his finger on why, but most nights the pizza helped him forget his doubts…
Hungry Pete was a welcoming man most the time, his imposing overly round physique and bright red puffy face somehow made him easy to talk to for Richard. No matter the troubles Richard found himself in, like the time Sam from the school Football team decided he didn’t like Richard’s face and wanted to rearrange it for him, daily he would spot Richard, look at his watch and announce ‘Its beatings time’ before pummeling Richard to the ground.
After a long night talking to Pete, Richard was never bothered again by Sam. In fact, Richard was pretty sure he hadn’t seen Sam since that night, but didn’t dwell on the thought too much and was just thankful he no longer had to hide from him.
At first, one of the more pleasing aspects of Hungry Pete’s was the authentic feel of the place, right down to the hand-written wall menu, admittedly riddled with spelling mistakes and quirks but still charming nonetheless.
Over time, Richard began to notice little changes at the pizzeria, mainly the special on the menu that changed weekly. At first, he thought the names were just mere coincidences, or that Pete had added the names after his conversations with Richard, but the doubt in Richards mind grew with each new addition…
Additions such as;
Chicken Sue-preme – No more mixed signals here! This is the one for you!
Bar – bara – Q Sauce Meat Feast – Why dwell on choices out of your hands, this is the one for you!
Carl-bonara – No need to watch your weight, this Carl-bonara won’t judge you… anymore.
It was only when this week’s special went up on the wall that Richard couldn’t ignore the signs any longer…
Hawaiian Style Sam & Pineapple Pizza – A real homegrown treat, a great little kicker for the weekend too.
Richard had to somehow get into the kitchen without alerting Pete…
Richard hatched a plan as he walked through the door, and he knew he had to act fast.
As the bell above the door rang and Pete appeared, Richard rushed forward towards the counter, with urgency in his voice he told Pete he’d just seen two guys trying to pry open his truck door round back. Pete’s face contorted into rage, a cold shiver ran through Richard as Pete stormed past him saying thanks through clenched teeth. Pete swung the door open and disappeared into the night to stop the would-be thieves.
As the front door swung shut behind Pete, Richard seized the moment and ran around the counter, pushing his way through the large heavy door. As he entered the kitchen he was met by a horrid pungent smell, trying to stop himself in his tracks his feet slipped from beneath him on the greasy kitchen floor. Legs flailing in the air he landed on his back, from where he lay he could see an unhealthily large amount of meat tenderized on the bare stainless-steel counter.
The kitchen looked closer to a butcher’s kitchen than a pizzeria, with meat hooks holding half cut lengths of God knows what and dishes of discarded off-cuts Richard’s stomach began to turn. Slowly getting to his feet Richard reached out for the closest countertop, his head had begun to feel faint with the sight before him. In the corner stood an old-fashioned meat grinder, Pete must have been interrupted while grinding as meat still seeped out the one side while a large chunk dangled from the other…
Richard wouldn’t have noticed the grinder at all if it wasn’t for a metallic glint coming from the still to be ground chunk of meat out the one end, but what was that glint?
It took a while for Richard to realise what stood before him in the grinder, as he edged closer a subtle ticking could be heard… sure enough the mangled meat jutting out of the grinder was what Richard had begun to realise, with sheer revulsion Richard gagged at the sight of Sam’s half chewed out arm complete with watch hanging out of the grinder..
The next few hours were a blur for Richard, police came and sealed off the pizzeria, bombarded him with questions and at one point held him as an accomplice. After further searches of the fast food establishment the police concluded a minimum of 5 half consumed victims, with the missing remains likely fed to the locals passed off as weekly specials, each victim being a student at the local high school…
Nobody saw Pete again, he left no trace after leaving to confront the alleged car thieves, the police presume he spotted Richard heading into the kitchen and made a run for it to get ahead of the law…
But I know otherwise you see… Pete listened to Richard intently about his troubles, and his home life. And the one thing that always stuck with Pete was just how hard Richard’s mother worked, and how absent his father was… Pete didn’t have to wait to meet Richard again by chance, no, he was going to pay him a home visit…
So remember, be careful who you trust..
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