The Menu of the Forgotten

The rain pelted against the windows of the old Victorian house, turning the night into a canvas of darkness. Inside, four friends gathered around a flickering candle, their faces illuminated by the soft glow. They were in search of a ghost story, a tale to scare them into submission, but little did they know that their adventure would become their worst nightmare.

Olivia, the curious one, had stumbled upon a dusty, leather-bound menu in her grandmother's attic. The restaurant's name, "The Menu of the Forgotten," had intrigued her, and now she was sharing the menu with her friends, Alex, Sarah, and Tom. Each page was filled with dishes that seemed to whisper secrets, their names written in an elegant, almost haunting script.

"The Menu of the Forgotten," Olivia read, her voice tinged with excitement. "A place where the past never dies."

Alex, the skeptic, chuckled. "Oh, come on, Liv. It's just an old menu. There's nothing to it."

Sarah, the pragmatist, nodded. "Yeah, but it's interesting. Maybe we can find out more about the restaurant."

Tom, the joker, leaned in closer. "I say we go there. Maybe we'll get a free meal out of it."

With a mischievous grin, Olivia agreed. "Alright, but if we don't find anything, I'm holding you responsible for the dinner bill."

The friends spent the next week researching the restaurant, but their efforts were fruitless. No one seemed to know where it had been or what had become of it. Determined to uncover the mystery, they decided to visit the old restaurant on a rainy night, the perfect setting for a ghost story.

As they drove through the soaked streets, the rain seemed to follow them, a constant reminder of the stormy night ahead. The restaurant stood at the end of a long, overgrown drive, its once-grand facade now crumbling and covered in vines. The windows were shattered, and the doors hung loosely on their hinges.

"Wow, this place looks like it's been abandoned for decades," Sarah whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

"Let's not worry about that now," Olivia replied, pushing open the door. The hinges creaked, and the sound echoed through the empty space.

The interior was as decrepit as the exterior, but it was the menu that caught their attention. It was still there, propped up against the wall, as if waiting for someone to order. They approached it cautiously, their fingers brushing against the faded ink.

"Should we read it?" Tom asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Sure," Olivia replied, her eyes scanning the menu. "The first dish is 'The Haunted Salad.' It's made with lettuce, radishes, and a secret ingredient."

Sarah shuddered. "What could that secret ingredient be?"

"Who knows?" Alex said, his eyes fixed on the menu. "But it sounds delicious."

Olivia's hand trembled as she pointed to the next dish. "And then there's 'The Whispering Soup.' It's made with chicken broth, celery, and a dash of... 'forgotten memories.'"

Tom's eyes widened. "That's eerie. What kind of memories?"

"Exactly," Sarah said, her voice tinged with fear. "What kind of memories?"

The friends exchanged nervous glances before Olivia continued. "And finally, 'The Menu of the Forgotten' has 'The Last Supper.' It's a dish of all the restaurant's best offerings, served to the last patron before the restaurant closed forever."

The rain intensified outside, the sound of it like a heartbeat in their ears. The friends felt a chill run down their spines, but they were determined to read the entire menu.

"The next dish is 'The Crying Child,' made with pasta, cheese, and the tears of a lost soul," Olivia read, her voice barely above a whisper.

Tom's eyes widened. "That's sick."

Sarah nodded, her voice trembling. "We shouldn't be here. This is all too much."

Alex, however, was fascinated. "I think we should try one of these dishes. Maybe it'll give us some answers."

Olivia hesitated, her eyes scanning the menu. "But what if it's not real? What if it's just a trick?"

Tom laughed. "It's just a menu. It can't be real."

Without another word, Alex reached out and pulled a menu from the wall. He flipped through the pages, his eyes fixed on the dishes. "Let's try 'The Haunted Salad.' It's the least threatening, right?"

The friends nodded, their eyes fixed on the menu. Alex turned to Olivia. "Read the instructions."

Olivia's voice trembled as she read. "First, gather the ingredients. Then, place them on a plate. Finally, close your eyes and imagine the salad being prepared in front of you."

Sarah took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll go first."

She placed the ingredients on a plate, closed her eyes, and began to imagine the salad being prepared. She could hear the sound of the lettuce being chopped, the radishes being peeled, and the secret ingredient being added.

Tom's eyes widened. "It's like the menu is talking to us."

Olivia's voice trembled as she read the next instruction. "Take a bite, and listen to the salad whisper its secrets."

Sarah took a bite, her eyes fluttering open. She tasted the salad, and immediately, a chill ran down her spine. She felt as if the salad was speaking to her, whispering secrets that she couldn't understand.

"Sarah, what did you hear?" Olivia asked, her voice filled with fear.

Sarah's eyes widened. "I heard a child crying. It was so real."

Tom's eyes widened. "What kind of child?"

Sarah's voice trembled. "A little girl. She was crying for her mother."

The friends exchanged nervous glances, their eyes fixed on the menu. Olivia's voice trembled as she read the next instruction. "Now, try 'The Whispering Soup.'"

Alex took a deep breath and placed the ingredients on a plate. He closed his eyes and began to imagine the soup being prepared. He could hear the sound of the chicken broth simmering, the celery being chopped, and the forgotten memories being added.

Tom's eyes widened. "It's like the menu is really working."

Olivia's voice trembled as she read the next instruction. "Take a sip, and listen to the soup whisper its secrets."

Alex took a sip, his eyes fluttering open. He tasted the soup, and immediately, a chill ran down his spine. He felt as if the soup was speaking to him, whispering secrets that he couldn't understand.

"Alex, what did you hear?" Olivia asked, her voice filled with fear.

Alex's voice trembled. "I heard a woman screaming. It was so real."

Tom's eyes widened. "What kind of woman?"

Alex's voice trembled. "A mother. She was screaming for her child."

The friends exchanged nervous glances, their eyes fixed on the menu. Olivia's voice trembled as she read the next instruction. "Now, try 'The Last Supper.'"

Tom took a deep breath and placed the ingredients on a plate. He closed his eyes and began to imagine the dish being prepared. He could hear the sound of the food being cooked, the dishes being set, and the restaurant's last patrons arriving.

Tom's eyes widened. "It's like we're really here."

Olivia's voice trembled as she read the next instruction. "Take a bite, and listen to the dish whisper its secrets."

Tom took a bite, his eyes fluttering open. He tasted the dish, and immediately, a chill ran down his spine. He felt as if the dish was speaking to him, whispering secrets that he couldn't understand.

"Tom, what did you hear?" Olivia asked, her voice filled with fear.

Tom's voice trembled. "I heard a man laughing. It was so real."

Sarah's eyes widened. "What kind of man?"

Tom's voice trembled. "A killer. He was laughing about his victims."

The friends exchanged nervous glances, their eyes fixed on the menu. Olivia's voice trembled as she read the final instruction. "Now, listen to the menu whisper its final secret."

The friends closed their eyes, their hearts pounding in their chests. They could hear the rain outside, the sound of it like a heartbeat in their ears. They felt the chill of the night, the darkness surrounding them.

The menu began to whisper, its voice soft and haunting. "The Menu of the Forgotten is a place where the past never dies. It is a place where the forgotten are remembered, and the secrets are spoken."

The friends opened their eyes, their faces pale and shocked. They looked at each other, their eyes wide with fear.

"The menu is real," Sarah whispered, her voice trembling.

Olivia nodded. "It's real. And it's not just a menu. It's a portal to the past."

Tom's eyes widened. "What do we do now?"

The friends exchanged nervous glances, their eyes fixed on the menu. They knew that they had to leave, but they also knew that they couldn't just walk away. They had to face the secrets that the menu had revealed.

"Let's go," Alex said, his voice filled with determination.

The friends turned and began to walk towards the door, their hearts pounding in their chests. As they reached the door, they felt a chill run down their spines. They looked back at the menu, its pages fluttering in the breeze.

The menu whispered one final time. "The Menu of the Forgotten is a place where the past never dies. It is a place where the forgotten are remembered, and the secrets are spoken."

The friends stepped outside, the rain following them as they drove away. They never returned to the old restaurant, but the memories of that night would stay with them forever. They had opened a door to the past, and they had seen the secrets that were spoken. And they knew that those secrets would never be forgotten.