I was starving. My stomach growled so loudly that it felt like a small animal trying to claw its way out. It had been one of those days---work deadlines, stress, and barely any time to breathe.

I don't have the energy to cook, so I grabbed my phone and opened the food delivery app, scrolling through my options. All I wanted was something quick, familiar, and comforting.

But when I looked at the menu, something felt … off. My go-to restaurants were there, but the items listed were strange. At first, I thought it was a glitch or maybe some kind of marketing stunt.

One restaurant that usually sold fried chicken now had something called "Roasted Cicada with Honey Glaze."

Another, known for their burgers, was offering a "Mealworm Salad with Spicy Dressing."

I scrolled faster, my fingers flicking over the screen. Every restaurant I checked had bizarre options. No more fried rice, noodles, or pizza. Instead, they were offering things like "Cricket Tempura," "Ant Soup," and "Human Steak---Organic, Ethically Sourced."

I nearly dropped my phone.

Human steak? That had to be some sort of sick joke.

I refreshed the app, thinking maybe there was a problem with the system. Maybe a hacker had gotten in and changed the menus as a prank. But after the refresh, it was the same. No regular food anywhere, just this disgusting, surreal list of options.

I shook my head, my heart pounding. "What the hell is going on?" I muttered under my breath.

I checked the reviews, expecting other people to be freaking out about the same thing, but all the recent reviews were five stars. People were actually praising the food, raving about the flavors, the "exotic textures," and "new experiences." No one seemed bothered by the fact that they were apparently eating bugs---or worse.

My hands were trembling. This couldn't be real. There was no way. Maybe it was just my app, some kind of localized prank. I needed to know if this was happening to everyone or just me.

Without thinking, I got dressed, grabbed my keys, and headed out the door. If the app was showing me some kind of hoax, maybe I could get the truth by going to one of the restaurants directly.

I walked down the street toward the burger place I'd seen in the app. It was close to my apartment, and I figured I could settle this quickly, maybe laugh about it later. But as I walked, I noticed something unsettling.

The streets were unusually quiet. I lived in a busy part of town, and at this time of night, there were usually people out walking, cars passing by, the usual city noise. But tonight, the air felt heavy, still---like everything was holding its breath.

When I got to the restaurant, the lights were on, but there were no customers inside. That wasn't too unusual, considering it was late, but there was a weird glow coming from the kitchen. I hesitated at the door, then pushed it open.

The smell hit me first. It wasn't food. It was something metallic, almost like blood. My stomach churned, but I forced myself to walk up to the counter.

There was a man standing behind the register, his eyes locked on me the moment I walked in. He didn't say anything, just stared with a strange, unsettling smile. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

"Hey," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I … I saw some weird things on the app. The menu's all … wrong. Is this some kind of joke?"

The man didn't answer. Instead, he reached under the counter and pulled out a laminated menu, sliding it toward me.

"See for yourself," he said, his voice low and gravelly.

I glanced down at the menu, my heart hammering in my chest. It was the same as the app---no normal food, just those same bizarre, horrifying items.

My fingers trembled as I pointed to one of the items. "Human steak? What is this?"

The man's smile widened, and he leaned closer. "It's exactly what it says."

I backed away, my pulse racing. "This is insane. You can't be serious."

He shrugged. "We serve what people ask for; what they need."

I felt a cold sweat break out on my skin. This isn't right. None of this was right. I needed to get out of there.

Without another word, I turned and bolted out the door, my footsteps echoing in the empty street. I ran all the way back to my apartment, not daring to look back. Once inside, I slammed the door shut and locked it, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

What is happening?

Is this some kind of twisted reality?

I grabbed my phone and opened the app again, hoping that maybe things had returned to normal, that I'd wake up from whatever nightmare this was.

But the menu hadn't changed. If anything, it was worse. Now, the app was sending me notifications---special offers for "Limited Time Delicacies" and "Exclusive Human Cuts." My phone buzzed incessantly, each notification more horrifying than the last.

I threw the phone onto the couch, pacing back and forth, trying to make sense of everything.

Am I losing my mind? Had the world gone insane?

I needed answers. I needed to know what was really going on. Maybe the restaurant was part of some bigger conspiracy. Maybe I wasn't the only one who had noticed the change.

I spent the next few hours searching online, diving deep into forums and obscure websites, looking for any clue that could explain what was happening. But the more I searched, the more I realized that this wasn't just isolated to my city. Similar reports were popping up everywhere---people around the world were experiencing the same thing. The menus were changing.

The food was becoming … something else.

Some people seemed to embrace it, even relish it. They spoke of a new world order, of "evolution" and "progress." Others were terrified, like me, unable to comprehend how everything could change so suddenly.

Then, I found a thread on a dark web forum. It was titled "The Harvest." My heart raced as I clicked on it, scanning the posts. The users spoke in cryptic language, but the gist was clear---something had shifted. The world as we knew it was no longer the same.

A new hunger was spreading, and it was being fed by something darker, something ancient.

I felt sick. The more I read, the more it became clear that this wasn't just a glitch or a joke. This was real. The food, the strange menus---it was all part of a larger plan. And the worst part?

No one seemed to know who---or what---was behind it.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the screen in disbelief. My stomach growled again, reminding me of the gnawing hunger that hadn't gone away. But there was no way I could eat anything now, not after what I’d seen.

As I sat there, trying to process everything, a new notification pinged on my phone. Reluctantly, I picked it up and read the message.

"Your special order is ready for pickup."

My blood ran cold.

I hadn't placed any order.

Slowly, I turned toward the door. There, sitting on the floor just inside my apartment, was a neatly wrapped package. I hadn't heard anyone knock. No one had called. But there it was---a delivery, waiting for me.

I didn't want to open it.

I knew, deep down, that whatever was inside wasn't meant for me. Not the real me. But some part of me---a part I didnit recognize---is curious.

Hungry.

With trembling hands, I reached for the package and tore it open.

Inside, there was a meal.

And it smelled delicious.

I stared at the meal, my hands trembling as I hovered over it, the smell so enticing that my stomach growled involuntarily. The package contained a neatly arranged dish, one that might've been appetizing under normal circumstances---seared meat, grilled vegetables, and a side of what appeared to be mashed potatoes.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that something is horribly, horribly wrong.

What kind of meat is it?

My mind raced back to the menus on the app: the insect dishes, the human steak. A wave of nausea churned in my stomach.

My rational side screamed to throw it away, to run far, far away from whatever this meal was.

But I'm hungry.

So hungry.

My hand inched closer to the fork, a mix of dread and uncontrollable curiosity gnawing at me.

Why hadn't I heard the door open?

Who delivered this without making a sound?

None of it made sense, and yet, as my fingers touched the metal of the fork, I felt a sense of resignation. There was no escaping whatever was happening.

I picked up the fork, hesitating only for a moment before stabbing it into the meat. The flesh tore apart easily, revealing tender, juicy insides that gleamed under the dim light of my apartment. A small voice in the back of my mind screamed for me to stop, but I silenced it as I raised the fork to my mouth.

I took a bite.

The taste was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Rich, savory, with an underlying sweetness that lingered on my tongue. My body reacted immediately, my hunger intensifying as I chewed, swallowed, and took another bite. The nausea faded, replaced by an overwhelming desire to consume more.

Before I realized it, I had devoured the entire plate. The empty dish sat in front of me, its contents gone, but the hunger remained. It isn't just physical hunger anymore; it is something deeper, something primal. It gnawed at me from the inside, demanding more.

The momentary satisfaction I'd felt from eating turned to dread.

What had I just done?

I stared at the empty plate, my hands shaking uncontrollably. This isn't right. I knew, in the pit of my stomach, that what I had eaten wasn't normal.

Isn't human food, in the way I understood it. But a part of me---the part that had devoured the meal so ravenously---didn't care.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed again.

Another notification.

"Thank you for enjoying your meal. More is on its way."

My throat tightened.

I stood up, heart racing, and stumbled toward the window. The streets outside looked the same---quiet, empty, as if the world had been drained of life. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching me, waiting for my next move.

I glanced back at the package. My hands were covered in sweat, my legs unsteady. This is a trap, I realized. Whatever this is, it is luring me in, feeding on my hunger; my curiosity. And I had fallen for it. But I couldn't stay here any longer.

I had to leave.

I grabbed my jacket and bolted for the door, sprinting out of my apartment and down the stairs. I didn't know where I was going---just that I needed to get as far away from the meal, from that delivery, from whatever was happening in this twisted, nightmarish version of reality.

As I ran through the streets, my breath ragged, I noticed the changes. Buildings that once stood proudly were now decaying, crumbling under the weight of something unseen. The neon signs of restaurants flickered, their once familiar names now displaying symbols and languages I couldn't understand.

People moved in the shadows, their faces obscured, their bodies gaunt and skeletal. They were feeding too. I could see them, lurking in the corners, gnawing on their own bizarre meals, their eyes glazed over with the same hunger I had felt moments before.

I ran faster, my mind spinning.

What was this place?

How had the world changed so quickly?

And then I saw it.

At the end of the street stood a large building, a restaurant that I had never seen before. Its windows were pitch black, no light escaping from within, but the sign above the door gleamed brightly.

"The Harvest," it read.

I knew, instinctively, that this place was the source. It had to be. Whatever was happening, it all led back to this restaurant. I hesitated for a moment, fear coursing through me.

But I had come this far.

I need answers.

I pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The interior was cold, sterile, like a morgue. There were no tables, no chairs, just a long hallway that stretched into darkness. The walls were lined with strange, pulsing lights, casting eerie shadows that seemed to dance along the floor.

As I walked deeper into the building, I could hear it---the faint sound of chewing, slurping, the wet sounds of flesh being torn apart. My stomach churned, and I had to fight the urge to turn back. But something pulled me forward, a force beyond my control.

At the end of the hallway, I found them.

Rows upon rows of people, sitting at long tables, their faces blank, their eyes dull. They were eating.

But they weren't eating food.

They were eating each other.

The sight sent a wave of nausea crashing over me, but I couldn’t look away. Their hands tore into flesh, ripping it apart with a sickening ferocity. Blood dripped down their chins, pooling on the floor beneath them. Some of them were still alive, their bodies twitching as they were consumed by the others.

I stumbled backward, my mind reeling. This was the truth. This was what the world had become. The hunger had taken over, and there was no escape.

Not for me, not for anyone.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I spun around, my heart racing, and came face to face with the man from the burger restaurant. His eyes gleamed in the darkness, his smile wide and predatory.

"Welcome to The Harvest," he said softly. "You've already tasted it. Now, there's no going back."

I tried to speak, but my throat was dry, my voice caught in my chest.

"You're one of us now," he continued, his grip tightening on my shoulder. "The hunger will always be there. You'll never escape it."

And then, I felt it again---the gnawing, insatiable hunger. It clawed at my insides, demanding to be fed.

I look down at my hands, trembling as the realization washed over me.

I am no longer human.

***

2.423 words.