Excerpt from a Book that Does Not Exist

An Excerpt from a Book that Does Not Exist

“What on earth are you doing?” inquired Sarah.

Sam looked up.

“I’m testing out the truth of the phrase ‘It tastes like Styrofoam,” he said, shoving another piece of Styrofoam into his mouth and chewing it carefully.

Sarah sighed.

“Well, in that case, there is also that other saying – ‘It tastes like chicken.’ So why don’t you stop with the Styrofoam and eat your chicken?”

“All right, then,” Sam said, slowly swallowing his Styrofoam. He took a bite of his chicken.

“Well?” Sarah asked, somewhat amused.

Sam wrinkled his nose. “The chicken tastes like Styrofoam,” he observed, turning his attention back towards the pile of Styrofoam bits.

Sarah picked up her own drumstick and took a bite. “Ew,” she said, putting it back down on her plate quickly. “You’re right.” She leaned down a bit to inspect the chicken drum more closely. “Actually, this chicken looks sort of questionable to me.”

Sam gave her a look. He picked up a piece of his S-shaped Styrofoam and offered it to her. Sarah stared at it in Sam’s outstretched arm for a moment, then sighed resignedly and took it, placing it into her mouth somewhat hesitantly.

“Well?” It was Sam’s turn to ask.

“It’s actually not bad,” Sarah said, “especially compared to the chicken.”

They sat in silence for a while, both just munching on their small pieces of white Styrofoam and contemplating their situation.

“I think it says something about us, though,” Sarah said thoughtfully, breaking the silence. “I think it says something about us that we’ve sunk so low that we’re sitting around on the floor, eating Styrofoam pieces. Don’t you?”

Sam shrugged. “I haven’t thought that far ahead, yet.”

And that was that.

Juliet