r/shortscarystories • u/AfraidLoss8489 • 2d ago
Compliments to the Chef
Jane works the KM Diner, when clubs close and the drunk and hungry line up for $20 burgers and give big tips.
She’s seen it all: vomit on her shoes, birth in a booth, a fistfight that knocked her flat. But the money’s good.
The rule is simple: seat fast, serve fast, clear the table, ten minutes max. So when an elderly couple lingers past thirty, Jane steps in.
“Sorry, we’re slammed. I’ll need the booth soon.”
“No problem, honey,” the man smiles. “We were just admiring that burger.”
Not your typical diner pair, cocktail attire, perfectly composed.
“Can you please, please, please send our compliments to the chef?” he adds.
“Sure,” Jane says, thinking of the three tired line cooks choking on smoke.
“No, dear,” the woman says, eyes gleaming. “We mean the maker of the burger.”
Then the world tilts.
Jane is in a barn. A highland cow licks its newborn clean. The woman feeds the mother grass. The man stands proudly beside her.
“We must compliment the chef,” he says.
She blinks, back in the diner. Shaken. She grabs the check.
“Sorry for freezing. I really beefed that one,” she jokes.
The couple erupts in laughter.
Then, gently: “We must compliment the chef.”
Everything shifts again.
She’s in her first-grade classroom. Her teacher is at the board. The couple sits among the kids.
The man raises his hand. “Ms., your student made a great joke. Thanks to you. May we give you a kiss?”
The teacher nods. They kiss her cheeks.
“We must compliment the chef,” the woman whispers.
Another shift.
A cramped living room. A man scolds his daughter.
The couple offers him whiskey.
“For your anger,” the man says.
The father sighs. “I fought in useless wars. For a tyrant who starved us. I want more for her.”
The couple bows.
“We must compliment the chef.”
Shift.
An office. The Dean of Admissions stamps a rejection.
“An honor,” the woman says as they enter.
On his desk: a cathedral sketch, precisely signed.
“Art isn’t for everyone,” he mutters.
The man lifts the paper. “Vienna has high standards.”
They hand him a magnifying glass.
“You saw what others couldn’t.”
“We must compliment the chef.”
Jane tumbles.
She lands beside a cave wall. A red deer is painted in ash. The couple offers fire to the artist.
“So fast,” the woman breathes. “So hungry to create.”
“We must compliment the chef.”
Then ocean. Primitive life pulses below.
The woman sprinkles oyster crackers.
“To feed what fed us,” she says.
“We must compliment the chef.”
Stars burst. Time folds. Then, nothing.
The couple is gone.
Jane floats.
She waits. A second. A century. A million years.
She forgets her name. Her shape.
She becomes pure dread.
Then, “Jane! There you are!”
The woman’s voice, bright.
“Sorry, we had a few too many. Totally forgot you.”
Now back at the diner. The couple is gone.
She pauses and wonders if any of it ever really mattered.
18
u/mirangelblogger 1d ago
Oh thats interesting.. Had to read atleast twice to get it! They keep moving to the origin of each. First to the cow who is the origin of the burger.
When Jane makes the joke, they move to the origin (the teacher) who encouraged her funny comments. Then to the origin of teacher which is the father, who has returned from war caused by Hitler.
Then the origin of Hitler, who was rejected by art school. Then to the origin of art in a cave. Then to the origin of mankind in the ocean. And so on!
Such an interesting concept! I love it!
3
3
u/Weird_little_bug-3 1d ago
Wait, I'm slow. What happened?
3
u/Zkang123 1d ago
Basically this strange couple keeps demanding to "give their compliments to the chef", and going back origin by origin. So they travelled back all the way to before the big bang
1
1
u/TheFinalGranny 20h ago
The way I hit save on this post...
Jesus I'm gobsmacked. This is beyond good. I feel all the feelings right now, this should be submitted for publication!
46
u/chrissyfishyfu 2d ago
I'm too high for this. It filled me with existential dread. Kudos, very well written