rain and smelled faintly of iron. My name, Ethan Miller,

led in a bed of wood shavings, was a vacuum-sea

ved, and unmistakab

ned. I almost

into the side. I picked i

thing. You have to make a bone broth with these. Simmer for 6 hours. Film yourself drinking a cup of it and s

thin as a rail. It made no sens

ible. I had to tell someone. But who? "Hey, my college buddy sent me

d do. I took a blurry photo of the note and the package and posted it on

s me to make soup. He' s always been eccentric

came fast. M

friend is

not recommen

iend' s name

e. My phone buzzed again. It was a private message from a user w

one short, chi

p. They' re trying to take

a bad horror movie. But Liam' s request was so bizarre, so specific, that the insa

ent. But I couldn' t just throw them i

local animal sanctuary my aunt ran on the edge of town. They had a large composting progr

could find. My plan was simple: I would make a fake soup with the beef bones, film it, and sen

ough behind the main barn. It was filled with a mash of grain and vegetable scraps for the sanctuary' s p

ened the box, ripped open the vacuum-sealed bag, and dumped th

ed. It was a

package?" he asked, his

t," I said, trying t

t, right? It' s really,

is tone was new. It

ed. "The soup is si

nd ever. Seriously. Send me that

the bull lumbering over to the trough. He started to eat, his massive head lowered. A wave of

e, threw the beef ribs in a pot, and started simmering

out that anonymous

my girlfriend, Sar

kissing me. "What' s th

oth," I said, tryi

e lid. "Oh, nice. I love bone broth. It'

... strange. A li

later,"

ed it. He called back immediately. And ag

ered, putting

n hours! Is it rea

aid. "These th

curious smile on her

Liam,"

e," she said, stil

harsh whisper. "Don' t mess this up, E

d by a raw, ugly demand. I looked at the simme

oup. A knot of suspicion tightened in my gut. He said the doctor told him to do this, but no doctor wou

ck to the forum. I had a new mess

the offering willingly. If you fake it, they will know. The consequence

Sarah, who was now humming to hersel