The Lady's Everyman

-CH 7-

"Okay then... I think we're ready to get started!" Amanda announced as she collected an assortment of ingredients and tools needed for her cooking endeavor. Looking amongst the counter top filled with various types of food supplies Zach couldn't imagine what she could be making.

She claimed to be making something sweet, but whatever was on the counter looked to prove otherwise. But Amanda looked confident enough that he figured that there must have been some sort of logic behind everything she was doing, even though he didn't understand why any of it made sense. Maybe it wasn't important that he understood. Just so long as she got the job done?

He took a seat beside the counter watching quietly while she busied herself by opening up a package of assorted spices and herbs and adding them into a mixer along with a scoop of sugar and butter before turning it on low. She poured in two eggs and beat them into the mixture before continuing to add in vanilla extract followed by a dash of salt before finally pouring in half a cup of flour and beating again.

Everything seemed normal to Zach until she began mixing in another ingredient that caught him off guard.

"Amanda?" He called out hesitantly after taking a good look at what appeared to be curry mix with powdered milk sitting at the top of the bowl. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Amanda replied confused, glancing over her shoulder at Zach with a puzzled expression. "I'm making dinner, duh!" She said, turning back around and dumping the contents into a large pot filled with water and letting it heat up.

"Dinner, huh..." He mumbled under his breath as he sat back down. "Maybe I'm just overthinking this. She'll be fine."

"Okay then... What should I do next?" Amanda muttered, setting aside her spatula in order to retrieve the food processor from its cabinet. The appliance's metal base clanged against its countertop as she placed it down. "I guess we can start chopping our vegetables."

"Vegetables? She's going to use those things for something sweet?" His eyes widened when she picked up a large mushroom and tossed it onto the blades of the processor without hesitation. One by one, she filled the machine with chunks of anything she could find. A couple of carrots were added and a handful of red bell peppers later and she set about pulsing the buttons in order to create a puree within minutes.

Amanda stopped what she was doing after finishing with all of the vegetables in search of a baggy full of nuts and dried fruit. After emptying their contents into the bowl, she dumped some sugar into the container followed by some more butter before turning the food processor back on until everything had been completely incorporated together into a thick paste.

The sight was horrid enough to make Zach lose his appetite entirely. But despite himself, he couldn't help but continue to watch intently as she began pouring the concoction into an oven safe dish while taking care not to let any spillage reach her fingers or clothes. She glanced briefly at him again with a confident smile before closing the door and pressing the start button on top.

Zach only smiled in return as he watched the dark, ominous liquid begin bubbling inside its pan. Whatever was brewing in there was certainly not for human consumption. It was no wonder that there was so much takeout all over the place. If she had continued eating her own cooking, she might not have ever left this house alive.

Amanda stepped away from the oven and took a seat on the couch beside Zach, watching silently as it heated up. "Well then..." She spoke nervously while keeping a close eye on it. "This is the first time I've ever cooked for someone other than myself." She admitted to herself quietly as she crossed her legs. "It feels kind of strange actually."

"Strange? More like lethal. Zach thought to himself. He wouldn't say this to her directly so as to not hurt her feelings since she was obviously nervous about doing something new, but deep down, he was still fearful of what the final result would be.

Her innocent demeanor only increased his worry. Did she truly not know what she was making or was she trying to secretly kill him off? That was a possibility considering the amount of needless spices that had already been added in without any sort of instruction or warning.

"What's with that face? You look like you've just seen a ghost or something!" Amanda chuckled awkwardly, attempting to lighten the mood a bit. They had been sitting in silence for what felt like an hour.

"Oh-uh, sorry! It's nothing really... I was just wondering what that amazing smell was coming from our kitchen," He explained halfheartedly. Zach wasn't too sure about lying to her.

"Oh really?! You think it smells good? Then why don't we try some?" She stood up quickly and began walking toward the oven. "Let's see if it's all ready."

Amanda pulled open the oven door and peeked inside at the bubbling food while giving a satisfied nod. Freeing the contents from the oven and placing it onto a plate she grabbed a pair of forks and brought them over before taking a seat next to Zach once more. She placed the plate of brown, warm goop in front of him with the brightest smile he had ever seen on her face.

Zach could only stare down at the now steaming pile of mush dumbfounded, completely confused as to what he should do with this meal. "Well? Don't tell me you're not hungry anymore. Give it a taste." She laughed as she stared into his eyes. Her anticipating stares made him feel nervous and anxious as his heart rate rose uncontrollably within his chest.

There was no way that this meal was made for human consumption. How was anyone supposed to eat something like this? The thought alone was nauseating. And yet, despite being repulsed by everything about it, he found himself picking up a fork and attempting to bring the chunky concoction closer to his mouth.

He knew that Amanda was watching him closely and the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint the girl who put so much effort into cooking for him. Zach hesitantly took his fork into his hand and used it to dig out a piece of what looked like the most edible of anything else on the plate. He held it in front of him for a minute as he prayed silently to whichever god was listening that whatever terrible ingredient was in there wouldn't kill him right then and there. After what felt like an eternity he brought the mush covered utensil toward his lips and slowly began to place it inside of his mouth where it sat firmly on top of his tongue.

Zach almost choked immediately when an odd texture filled his mouth which sent him reeling back while covering his nose with his hands, trying to ward off the awful smell coming from within. It smelled nothing like the curry that was used to make it, but rather more along the lines of rotting flesh or some sort of sewage waste.

He had almost spit out the substance when he remembered Amanda sitting beside him. It was now or never. "Amanda," he whispered her name with the horrid meal still within his mouth. Forcing himself to swallow quickly and without thinking too hard about what he was doing, Zach pushed the rest down his throat in one swift motion. This looked to be a bad decision as his vision began to blur and his stomach churned. Was this how his life ends? From food poisoning? What a tragic end!

"Mmphhhh..." Zach tried to speak as Amanda stared at him blankly. Even if this was the end, he still couldn't bring himself to admit that he'd just eaten that horrible concoction. With his will unbroken, he let out his final words before losing consciousness. "It was delicious!"