A spice like no other - a story written in five minutes

“That’ll be $28.72.” The cashier was already putting all the herbs and spices I bought into a paper bag while I was getting the money from my wallet.

“What’s that you have there?” I noticed three small glass vials behind him with an astonishingly high price of $99 a vial. “I’ve never seen that before.”

“I’m glad you asked.” He picked one up from the shelf. “The essence of Phalanoia. It tastes differently to each and every person.” He waited for me to respond but seeing as I didn’t, he continued. “To me it’s got a very tropic taste but for my wife it tastes like a mix of Mediterranean spices. The elder tribes believed that Phalanoia was capable of picking out soul mates. They believed that the two people the Phalanoia essence tasted the same for were soul mates.” He chuckled. “I damn sure hope they were wrong, though.”

“Sounds very awesome but damn… it’s $99.” I was used to spending a lot of money on spices – I liked eating tasty food – but $99 was far beyond I had ever spent on anything, especially a small vial of an essence I didn’t even know the taste of.

“It’s a neat little trick to play on a date and I’ve never heard of anyone reporting it tasted bad for them. Always a pleasant taste or even the one you love most.”

“You know what? I’m feeling lucky. Give me one.” He had convinced me.

Back home I rushed to cook up dinner for my wife and I, and we soon figured out that the Phalanoia essence tasted the same for both of us–or should I say was tasteless for both of us.

Talk about $99 well spent.