Wrong Menu

It was a warm, rainy midnight in the middle of nowhere, the full moon casting an eerie glow over the deserted highway. The only sign of life was a diner, its neon lights reflecting off the wet pavement like a beacon. Inside, a diverse cast of characters had gathered, each with their own secrets and stories.

There was Stu, a truck driver... Sleep deprived and stoic. A young couple, Jack and Suzie...on a road trip. It was the first time outside of their comfy pleasantville-ish town, and it showed. A lone traveler, Gavin. He was in a suit and eyeing  all possible escapes and threats. A group of rowdy bikers, all with  unconventional nicknames. They were definitely too rowdy for midnight. A mysterious woman in a long coat. Gorgeous red hair. She seemed to not notice anything but her coffee.They all seemed out of place, yet somehow drawn to this diner on this particular night. Only the waitress and cook, Jane and Sammi had ever even been to this location before.

As they sipped their coffee and nursed their plates, a low, unnatural howling began to echo through the night. Even among the shuffling and chatter, everyone could hear the distinct snarle that followed the wolf like howling. At first, it was distant, but it grew louder and closer, sending a shiver down their spines. 

The diner's patrons exchanged nervous glances, their differences forgotten in the face of the unknown threat. Gavin  cried out "Is that fuckin laughter I hear as well" as if the other sounds were understandable. They barricaded themselves inside, using tables and chairs to block the doors.

Unfortunately the diner's walls were mostly glass, offering little protection from the horrors outside. As they watched, a pack of twisted, muscular hyenas emerged from the darkness, their eyes glowing with an otherworldly intensity.

They were no ordinary animals, but the product of some twisted experiment gone wrong. The diner's patrons knew they had to act fast to survive the night, trapped and vulnerable in their glass cage.

As the hyenas closed in, their hungry faces pressed against the glass, the patrons froze in terror. Stu, the truck driver, instinctively took charge, directing the others to reinforce the barricades. Jack and Suzie huddled together, their eyes wide with fear. Gavin stood back, assessing the situation, his suit now rumpled and stained. The bikers, fueled by adrenaline, cracked their knuckles, ready to fight. The mysterious woman, still sipping her coffee, seemed almost bored.

Jane and Sammi, the waitress and cook, exchanged a knowing glance. They had heard rumors about strange happenings in these woods, but they never thought they'd be caught in the middle.

As the hyenas began to circle the dinner, their laughter-like cries growing louder, the patrons realized they had to act fast. Gavin spotted a fire extinguisher and grabbed it, ready to use it as a weapon. Stu and the bikers prepared to make a stand, while Jack and Suzie hid under a table. The mysterious woman finally looked up, her eyes locking onto something outside.

"What's that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the the excitement.

A figure emerged from the darkness, tall and imposing, its presence seeming to calm the hyenas. The patrons held their breath as the figure approached, its face hidden in the shadows.

only giving the patrons a glimpse of its twisted features, illuminated by a flash of lightning. The figure's eyes glowed with an otherworldly intensity, its skin dark as the night. It's face was a human werewolf mixture and its presence seemed to draw the air out of the room. The hyenas, now silent, parted to let the figure pass, their eyes fixed on it with a mixture of fear and obedience.

As the figure reached the dinner's entrance, it raised a hand, and the patrons felt a strange, unsettling calm wash over them. The mysterious woman, still sipping her coffee, seemed to be the only one unaffected by the figure's presence.

"Let me in," the figure growled, its voice like gravel.

Stu, still holding the barricade, hesitated, unsure what to do. Gavin, ever the strategist, whispered, "Don't let it in. We don't know what it wants."

The mysterious woman stood up, her eyes locked on the figure, and said, "I think we should listen. He might be our only hope."

The patrons exchanged nervous glances, unsure what to do. As they hesitated, the figure's gaze fell upon them, and they felt their resolve crumbled. 

The mystery woman named Nancy slowly stands and walks over to the entrance. "Are these your creatures?"

The figure's gaze followed Nancy as she approached, its eyes narrowing slightly. "They are mine," it replied, its voice low and gravelly. "And they have been...altered."

Nancy's eyes flicked to the hyenas, still gathered outside, their eyes glowing in the dark. "What have you done to them?" she asked, her voice firm but laced with a hint of curiosity.

The figure took a step closer, its presence seeming to fill the room. "I have given them a gift," it said. "A gift of strength, of speed, of ferocity. They are no longer just animals."

Nancy's gaze returned to the figure, her eyes searching for something. "And what do you want in return?" she asked.

The figure's smile was like a crack in the earth. "Oh, I think you know," it said. "I want what's inside."

As the figure spoke, its eyes seemed to bore into the souls of the patrons, and they knew that they were in grave danger. Stu, Gavin, Jack, Suzie, and the bikers exchanged nervous glances, unsure what to do next.