Careful with your (or not) tooth

Esta é uma história baseada em fatos reais. Os nomes de pessoas e lugares foram modificados para proteger a privacidade dos envolvidos (they might or might not have a tooth left).

Introdução

Apollo é um jovem aventureiro e entusiasta da gastronomia que tem a oportunidade perfeita de visitar o novo restaurante enigmático em sua vizinhança. The Tooth Fairy promete uma experiência “de arrepiar até os dentes” e é lá que Apollo faz uma das melhores refeições de sua vida: os Wisdom Poppers, uma  iguaria picante feita por uma excêntrica cozinheira. Contudo, ao retornar para casa, Apollo é tomado por um calor desesperador que parece brotar de dentro de sua boca e se espalhar pelo corpo. Atormentado pelos efeitos da comilança, Apollo é obrigado a procurar por ajuda e a encontra no pior lugar possível quando é levado a um lugar sombrio, onde uma sequência de horrores se desdobra, revelando que a visita ao restaurante foi apenas o início de um ritual perturbador que ele jamais imaginou enfrentar.

OBS: Está é a versão em inglês. Clique aqui e leia a versão em português!

📖Aqui você encontra….

The Tooth-Fairy

A spine-chilling culinary experience

Apollo had just returned from a long work trip and had no food at home. It was the perfect opportunity to try the new restaurant down the street. The place was called The Tooth Fairy and promised a “teeth-grinding” culinary experience. People who visited the place described it as unlike anything you’d ever experienced. Naturally curious and a food enthusiast, Apollo knew he had to see for himself what kind of place promised to leave you “shocked to your teeth.”

A bell rang as Apollo entered, and he was immediately struck by the establishment’s visuals. It looked like a blend of a surreal dream and an unsettling nightmare — a magical creation of an eerie aesthetic straight out of a fairy tale, but one of those originals with a macabre ending. The restaurant was empty, which thrilled Apollo, who loved everything fantastic and mysterious.

True to its name, the restaurant was all about Fairies and Teeth. The tables were a yellowed white, crafted to look like stacked teeth. The tops of the tables had molars in relief, aligned side by side to form a flat surface, while the chairs were carved to resemble open jaws, with irregular ceramic teeth along the edges, remarkably lifelike. There were soft pink seats , like a tongue inside a mouth — cushions so plush that they sank when Apollo sat down. He knew the experience had already begun when he could only describe the comfort as “being cradled in a warm mouth.”

While waiting for service, Apollo calmly observed the surroundings, taking in every detail of the decor, which hovered between charm and horror: the walls featured Victorian-framed portraits of people giving their best (and worst) smiles. There were adults and children of all ages with mouths full of teeth — crooked teeth, straight teeth, decaying teeth, yellow teeth, and even no teeth at all. The lamps above the tables were chandeliers, but instead of candles, they held giant teeth, sharp canines lit with a yellow glow that gave the place an ethereal, almost ghostly atmosphere.

The menu was equally creative and on theme. There were various snacks, full meals, and a drinks list. Apollo half-expected options like Hot Milk or Calcium-Packed Banana Smoothies. Instead, the clever menu names made him grin with items like Anti-Cavity Shot, Frosted Whitening, Painless Extraction, and General Anesthesia. He read through the menu and decided on the item that intrigued him most: a dish called Wisdom Poppers. It was the only dish without listed ingredients, and he had never heard of anything quite like it.

Apollo signaled for the waitress to inquire about the dish, noticing for the first time that no one else was around. Nonetheless, an elderly woman emerged from the kitchen and approached his table. She carried a cane with a pink star on the end but didn’t lean on it for support. Her skin was chocolate-colored, and her eyes were two deep black dots in a face full of wrinkles. She wore a cook’s uniform in many bright colors that reminded Apollo of a fairy tale film. Her hair was tightly wound in a braid atop her head, crowned with a white tiara made of sharp teeth glued side by side.

Up close, Apollo noticed that the old woman was completely toothless, her smile was a drooping line of unsupported lips stretching wide. Despite her small stature, Apollo had the sense that her shadow stretched and grew, towering and broadening far beyond her slight frame. Though he felt a bit uneasy, Apollo pointed to the dish on the menu and asked what it was. The old woman explained that it was a savory dish made with ingredients selected from her region and had one peculiar element: the dish was so spicy it risked awakening one’s wisdom. Apollo chuckled, as if she’d told a good joke. The old woman laughed with him and returned to the kitchen, her enormous shadow trailing behind her.

When she returned, Apollo hardly recognized anything being served. The round platter had tooth-shaped reliefs carved in circular patterns, suggesting a strange dental symmetry. The utensils were white with handles that looked like teeth lined up side by side. And the food? It was divided into portions. The first thing that caught Apollo’s attention were a few fried dumplings. They were golden-crusted on the outside and soft and white on the inside. Also, they were shaped like molars.

The other portions consisted of chopped green tomatoes with onions, a strong-flavored greenish paste, salted red shrimp, and a serving of a strange, viscous vegetable. The flavors combined perfectly, each portion carrying a different spicy heat, especially the dumplings. Apollo ordered an extra serving before he even finished eating. Then he ate more. He ate a lot and with great enthusiasm, eating until he noticed he was sweating from the spiciness.

Close to finishing the second platter, Apollo still felt a craving, a need for more; he wasn’t fully satisfied yet. And so, despite the old cook’s warning, he ordered a third round of Wisdom Poppers and started sampling them with every possible combination of the other ingredients.

When he finally finished, Apollo wanted to take another serving home, but he was talked out of it when the chef informed him it wasn’t a good idea; the peppers only grew hotter with time, and that was “bad for your wisdom.” Apollo showed the proper disappointment and consoled himself with the thought that he would be back as soon as possible to order a double serving of Wisdom Poppers.

Upon leaving, Apollo was surprised to find it was already dark. He couldn’t tell if it was a warm night or if it was just the growing heat in his mouth. He welcomed every passing breeze, opening his mouth to let in a bit of cool air. And then he bought a popsicle from a street vendor and ate it on the short walk home, letting it linger against his lips to soothe the burning sensation, even as he began to wonder if he might have overindulged.

****

Over an hour after his feast, Apollo grew increasingly restless with the heat spreading across his face. He was under the shower, trying to convince himself he was just overreacting and that cold showers had always been his favorite. Especially with the water pouring directly into his mouth as he tilted his head up toward the stream. He lost track of how long he spent gargling with cold water without swallowing, but when he finally turned off the shower, he felt his neck stiffen and noticed his fingers were pruney from the time spent under the water. Uneasy, he meticulously examined himself in the mirror for signs of an allergic reaction or injuries caused by the food, but there was nothing.

He tried watching a TV show, but nothing distracted him from the sensation that his mouth was on fire. He drank a glass of milk, ate a few candies he had saved for Halloween, downed some yogurt with fruit, a bowl of salad, and even tried chewing on an ice cube. All of it was useless. It felt as though there was a fire-breathing dragon inside him. The heat radiated from beneath his tongue, beginning to flow down his throat.

His stomach was bloated, and he felt as though he had eaten everything in his house, which wasn’t far from the truth. The ice had left his gums sore, and now his mouth felt as though it were pulsing. Heat seemed to fill his mouth, his breath was a hot mist, and his nose had begun to run. Apollo was sweating as if he were inside a sauna.

He took his own temperature, but he didn’t have a fever. The only difference he felt now was the throbbing inside his mouth, near his throat. He tried to sleep, but only drifted in and out of a restless, feverish slumber. His lips seemed to hum with their own rhythm, a vibration that resonated deep in his ears. When he opened his mouth, he felt as if he were inhaling steam, and his skin was now overly sensitive to touch. His gums throbbed like a rock concert in the last available spaces for his wisdom teeth, and with each passing second, it grew more painful to open and close his mouth.

His jaw ached like the cries of agony during sleep paralysis. Standing before the mirror, he tried to open his mouth as wide as he could, but the pain was so intense that even the slightest movement of his jaw made him groan like the squeak of rusty hinges. When he finally managed to look inside his mouth, he was horrified by the sight of his gums at the back of his mouth. They were so swollen that it looked as though he had four round little pearls, each precisely where a wisdom tooth was supposed to erupt.

Terrified, Apollo decided he needed help. As he stepped outside, he had the unpleasant revelation that it was already day and the sun was scorching. Immediately, he felt as if he were embraced by a ball of celestial fire, the heat blindingly intense. His head felt like a frying pan, and his mouth, a furnace. His gums throbbed so fiercely at the back of his mouth that his lips no longer closed. When he became aware of it, his tongue was hanging out, a bead of saliva dangling, ready to drip. He looked down and thought he heard a faint hiss as the drop hit the sidewalk, like water on a hot pan. In a state of delirium, Apollo stretched his arms out in front of him, zombie-like, unable to keep his eyes open, and pushed through the door of the first establishment he encountered.

Inside, the air was so cool that Apollo felt his whole body soften. He slumped forward and collapsed onto the floor. Then he felt himself being turned onto his back. He was so sweaty his shirt clung to his body. He opened his eyes, feeling his sockets burn, and focused on the toothless face of the cook from the restaurant he had visited the night before. She stared down at him, but there was a lamp directly above her head that obscured her expression. He tried to open his mouth to ask for help, but his tongue was so swollen he couldn’t make a sound.

Apollo heard the cook smack her lips, making a pop sound, and then felt himself being lifted off the ground as though he were a sack of potatoes. The world blurred as he was hoisted over someone’s shoulder. He couldn’t keep his eyes open, and saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth, which no longer closed properly. However, amid the confusion, Apollo could make out flashes of light in his peripheral vision, a kaleidoscope of colors dancing in his hazy view, as though he were looking through the stained glass windows of a church. He reached out toward the light, his fingers brushing against something soft as silk, though he couldn’t identify it.

As he was carried, Apollo could hear nothing — not voices, nor any other noises. The person holding him said something, and Apollo was certain it was a woman’s voice, the cook from the restaurant. Still, he couldn’t imagine the tiny old woman maneuvering a body so much larger than her own with such ease.

Suddenly, Apollo felt his body carefully placed on a surface that was somewhat slippery and had a distinctive smell, helping him recognize it as leather. However, other scents in the air only deepened his dread. His anxiety sent a rush of adrenaline through him as the smell of alcohol and ether spurred him to try to rise from the chair he had been laid in. He attempted to lift himself, but then a hand grabbed his wrist. It was the cook from the Tooth Fairy. This time he was certain because she looked straight at him and grinned with her shriveled mouth.

Her hand on his wrist was like an iron bar, the cold fingers clamping down tightly. Apollo struggled, hoping his waning strength would at least convey his reluctance to be there, but he couldn’t tell if he was too weak or if the woman was simply stronger than she looked.

Apollo felt his wrists being pressed down against the chair’s arms, and he tried to scream as she secured leather straps around them. The old woman leaned in close, gripping his chin. He let out an involuntary cry of pain as she forced his mouth open. She smacked her lips with a pop of disapproval and muttered to herself about how swollen he was. The fool had eaten too much despite her warnings, and now it would be harder to administer the anesthesia. She leaned in closer, pulling a light directly toward Apollo’s face. He couldn’t tell if the room was bright or dark, so blinded was he by the light and the pain.

Without hesitation, the unscrupulous old woman slipped a long finger into Apollo’s mouth and jabbed at his swollen gums, top and bottom. Each touch felt like a knife stabbing through his body, but with every prod, the old woman grew more animated. She counted to four as she felt along Apollo’s inflamed gums, and by the end, she wasn’t nearly as displeased as she had been before. Instead, she stretched her shriveled lips into a delighted grin.

Apollo was terrified and helpless, bound hand and foot. He tried to look around, but there was an absurd pressure in his head, and his eyes were swollen and blinded by the light. The old woman reappeared in his line of vision, holding a needle. She gripped his chin again and injected his jaw, but from the outside. It hurt terribly, and Apollo would have screamed, but he felt his mouth start to lock open against his will. He tried to close it, only to feel another jab on the other side of his jaw. Then, as if astonished by the old woman’s audacity, Apollo’s mouth fell completely open.

Now the old woman held another needle, instructing him not to thrash around or she might accidentally pierce his tongue. Naturally, this had the opposite effect, and Apollo did struggle when the needle came toward his mouth again. Consequently, her warning proved true, and she ended up injecting Apollo’s tongue. He cried, but more from shock than pain. Fear consumed him, leaving him in a dizzying helplessness, a hopeless despair.

The old woman made another dry pop sound with her lips but didn’t pause her work. With tremendous strength and efficiency, humming a childish rhyme, she adjusted the chair so that Apollo was now almost sitting. She secured a strap around his forehead, forcing his head to stay facing up. His mouth hung wide open, the muscles around it paralyzed, and his tongue — or “the little cushion,” as she called it — now dangled out, drooling onto the bib on his chest.

Apollo finally managed to focus on the demon standing before him. His eyes widened as he realized that the same cascade of colors and lights he had seen earlier emanated from her. In fact, it came from her wings. He might have been hallucinating and near death, but Apollo could still recognize a fairy if she stood in front of him, about to pull his teeth.

When the old woman returned with yet another needle, Apollo credited the universe for casting him as the protagonist in such a miserably comical affair. The next jab struck his lower left molar. Yes, it was really quite amusing that the Tooth Fairy was a toothless old crone. Apollo’s vision blurred with each sharp prick, and amid the pain, he could only think how absurd it was that the old fairy wasn’t wearing gloves.

Paralyzed, Apollo was powerless when the fairy returned with a scalpel and began extracting his teeth. Despite the anesthesia, he felt far more than he would have liked. The old woman wasn’t exactly gentle and kept commenting, between satisfied pops of her lips, that Apollo’s teeth were connected to his nerves. She smacked her withered lips and rambled on about the quality of his teeth, noting how she could remove each one intact and that they were exactly what she needed.

Apollo’s body jolted more than once as the fairy rooted around in his mouth. She used force and a lot of pressure on the bottom teeth, causing his nerves to flare up in his elbows, shoulders, and behind his knees. With the top teeth, she practically leaned her whole weight on him, and it hurt much more than he could bear. It was the only time he managed to scream throughout the entire ordeal. He felt overwhelming pressure behind his eyes and inside his ears; he thought he might pass out, but the Fairy gave him two pats on the cheek and announced she was almost done, with only the stitching left to do.

It was to be expected that this would hurt less than the tooth extractions, but Apollo had the horrible sensation that his mouth was in shreds, that his gums were nothing but pieces of raw flesh needing patching up, and he cried with each stitch the Fairy sewed into his mouth with her bare hands.

The Fairy cleaned him up and helped Apollo close his mouth. She then showed him the “precious things” she had extracted. They were perfect pieces — huge, white teeth that had never seen the light of day. Apollo felt distant, as if he were floating outside his own body. The Fairy smiled, satisfied, holding up each tooth in front of Apollo, beneath the white light to inspect every detail.

She spent so much time staring at the teeth that Apollo wondered if she had forgotten him, even imagining if she would leave him there to die. Somewhere deep in his mind, he mused how many people died after visiting the dentist. Based on this experience, at least one per year. Lost in these thoughts, Apollo noticed the old woman moving again. She was…eating his teeth? No, wait. She was placing his teeth into her own mouth, fitting each one into her own gums, one by one.

To reach an absolute level of sheer terror, Apollo realized that the old woman was transforming more and more into, well, a fairy. With each tooth fitted, she grew taller and stronger, younger and more beautiful, more magical and radiant — becoming increasingly like an ethereal creature. She was utterly content, which was evident from the rising laughter that began to echo through Apollo’s ears. The Fairy now seemed to radiate light, glowing with an intense and growing brilliance. Apollo would have run if he had been given the choice, but there was nothing he could do except stare, mesmerized, at the dazzling light, the kaleidoscope of colors, the laughter. Her outline became unmistakable — gossamer, thin wings, glowing and iridescent, spread wide as if to cast shadows that wavered with every flicker of the dim light…

*******

Apollo woke up to the sound of his own snoring. He had slept with his mouth open and his throat felt dry. A slight headache lingered, but as he came to, he recalled the previous day, the restaurant, the Fairy. He glanced at the clock; it was early morning, but he couldn’t remember what day it was. Panic surged as he rushed to the bathroom and examined the inside of his mouth. There was nothing abnormal, except for when he looked very closely and noticed a surgical X marked on each of his gums where his last teeth should have been. Apollo thought about laughing. It was impossible; it was complete madness that this had happened to him. It couldn’t be real, just couldn’t. Those scars had surely always been there.

As he walked to the kitchen for a glass of water, he noticed a paper bag on the counter. He approached the package and read the note attached: “Eat as much as you want, it’s safe now.”

In denial, Apollo retreated to his room. He felt he should cry, although he didn’t know why. He lay face down on the bed, burying his face in the pillow to scream in despair. That’s when his fingers brushed against something cold. Curiously, Apollo lifted the pillow, revealing four large coins. Golden pieces so shiny and polished that they produced a soft sound when touched. On one side was a perfect wisdom tooth; on the other, fairy wings shimmering in a multitude of colors.

Numb, Apollo picked up the coins, made his way to the kitchen, and devoured a giant serving of Wisdom Poppers while watching a documentary about people claiming to have been taken by fairies.

Bora fazer um quizz?

Which Tooth Fairy Restaurant Guest Are You?

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You walk into a restaurant that looks part dream, part nightmare. What’s your first thought?

“I must take pictures! This place is so surreal!” 📸

“I wonder what’s on the menu. Hopefully something spicy!”

“Are those chairs supposed to look like jaws? Creepy!”

“This feels like something out of a dark fairytale…”

You see a dish called ‘Wisdom Poppers’ with no ingredients listed. Do you…

Ask the server for details. You like to know what you’re eating.

Order it without a second thought. Mystery dishes are exciting!

Hesitate but eventually try it. When in Rome, right?

Decide to play it safe with something else on the menu.

As you sit down, you notice the chairs are shaped like jaws with “teeth” around the edges. Your reaction?

“This is some next-level creativity!”

“Is it too late to leave?”

Laugh nervously but stay seated.

“Well, I did want a unique experience!”

A woman without teeth, wearing a tiara made of fangs, comes to take your order. What do you do?

Smile politely and place your order.

Try to hide your shock and ask about the menu.

Casually ask her about her… unique tiara.

Wonder if she’s part of the decor or just dedicated to the theme.

You notice the menu offers spicy dishes with “heat levels.” Which do you pick?

The highest heat! You love the thrill of a challenge.

A moderate level—you like it hot, but not too extreme.

Something mild. You’re here for the experience, not the burn!

Ask the chef to surprise you—you’re feeling bold today!

The server recommends a spicy drink to cool you down. You…

Try it without hesitation. Sounds intriguing!

Decline politely. You’re not up for surprises.

Ask for details first—you need to know what’s in it.

Order it only if someone else tries it first.

The decor includes teeth chandeliers and jaw-shaped chairs. How do you feel?

It’s amazing! So different and creative!

It’s unsettling but kind of fascinating.

It’s a bit creepy, but I’ll stay.

It’s too weird. I’m ready to leave.

You’re offered a “Tooth Fairy’s Special” dessert. It’s a mystery. Do you…

Order it right away! Who cares about mystery?

Ask what’s in it first—mysteries are fun, but you need some info.

Share it with a friend. Half the fun, half the risk!

Pass. You don’t do “mystery” when it comes to dessert.

After the meal, you’re given a souvenir tooth with your name on it. Your reaction?

“This is so quirky and cool!”

“Uh, that’s… unexpected.”

Laugh and keep it as a conversation starter.

Politely decline. A tooth as a souvenir isn’t for you.

Reflecting on the experience, how would you describe the Tooth Fairy Restaurant?

“An unforgettable adventure!”

“Fun, but very odd—I might come back.”

“Strange and a bit too weird for me.”

“Definitely a one-time experience!”

Which Tooth Fairy Restaurant Guest Are You?

The Bold Adventurer 🌟

You’re drawn to new experiences, and nothing—not even eerie restaurants—deters you. Every strange dish or spooky theme only adds to the fun!

The Thrill-Seeker 🔥

You live for the thrill and embrace every unexpected twist. A restaurant like this is perfect for your adventurous spirit.

The Skeptical Explorer 🧐

Curiosity drives you, but you prefer a hint of caution. You’re brave enough to explore new places but keep an eye out for any surprises.

The Suspicious Wanderer 🕵️‍♂️

You’re observant and cautious, noting every strange detail. A place like this keeps you on edge, but you find it intriguing nonetheless.

The Cautious Realist 😅

You prefer things predictable and safe. This restaurant may be a bit too odd for your taste, but it’s certainly an experience you won’t forget.

The Foodie Dreamer 🍴

You’re enchanted by unique dining experiences, and the Tooth Fairy Restaurant’s quirks make it a dream come true. Every strange dish and detail adds to the magic for you!

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