I Wonder What Human Flesh Tastes Like by Isis Justin

Author:Isis, Justin [Isis, Justin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Chomu Press
Published: 2011-01-11T20:00:00+00:00

I Wonder What Human Flesh Tastes Like Etc.

Ayano and Ayako grew up in a family of strict vegetarians. From an early age they were fed on whole-grain bread, white and brown rice, pickles, tofu, fresh fruits, soy cheese, dairy-free ice cream and egg-free pasta, mixed salads and nutritional yeast. Their mother sent them to school with lunchboxes containing vegetable soup, rice balls, cheese sandwiches, pretzels, popcorn and granola bars. The young girls were instructed that their diet was not only for the benefit of their health, but also a moral response to the corrupt and wasteful industries that sustained most food production. But since they had no other experience to compare with, this rhetoric was mostly lost on them, and they accepted their diet as they accepted most everything their parents taught them.

Not that they were obedient to a fault — as long as they made a show of politeness and consistency, they were left to do as they pleased; their parents had little reason to discipline them excessively. Ayano was a diligent student, and Ayako was a kind girl, quiet and softhearted. Whenever a relative or a friend of their parents’ came to visit, they always remarked on the girls’ excellent manners.

But they were both ugly, that much was agreed. Ayano was thin and pustular, too tall for her age, with tiny eyes and a flattened nose. Ayako was soft, squat and shapeless, her crooked teeth unimproved by braces. Their mother was beautiful, but neither of them looked anything like her, and their father, a policeman, had wanted sons. He regarded his daughters as being no different from his chair, or desk, or bed: something he expected to find when he came home, but not anything worth troubling himself over. At school the girls had few friends, preferring to spend their time with each other. As children they had made up stories and songs and imaginary countries to play in, and this closeness persisted as they approached the end of high school: they often wore matching clothes; they sometimes held hands as they walked; until a few years ago they’d slept in the same bed. But their peculiarities weren’t enough to draw the attention of their classmates: since the sisters were quiet and unathletic, they were mostly ignored. And this, for the most part, suited them fine.

Ayano had not yet decided what she would do after graduation, and the question had been preoccupying her for some time. She was approaching the end of her third year, and most of her classmates were already preparing for university. She had a vague idea that she would like to study medicine, but it was only that this seemed slightly more interesting than business, or law, or anything else. At the moment, though, all she could think about was the next test, the next assignment, what she would do on the weekend. Graduation seemed distant, but at certain moments she became aware of time moving past, and it seemed to her that at some point the future would arrive suddenly, leaving her stranded and unprepared.

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