“You hear rumors, that the New Guy's legit. That he used to be a chef and knows all about food. That there's someone on the other side working with him. That they can bypass the Hall, summon Aftertastes on demand. That they can smuggle you through.” HopeAfterlifeWandering Soul Book:Aftertaste Source: Aftertaste
“The maze reappeared, in ghostly blue this time, the pellets punctuated by countless miniature foods--- not only fruits but pixelated pizza slices, tiny sushi rolls, petite hamburgers. Ms. Pac-Man faded onto the screen, not in the bottom half, where she usually started, but in the central box, where the ghosts usually did. Instead of her trademark yellow, she appeared blinking, in blue. "She's--- she's one of the ghosts?" Maura took up the controls again. Kostya watched her move through the maze, eating everything in sight. "It's a secret level," Maura told him. "Only available in the 1983 rerelease of the Japanese cabinet. It's called the Hungry Ghost Maze." "So it's a bonus round? The point's just to... get more points?" "The points don't matter in the ghost realm. To clear this level, you have to find the Happy Meal. Hidden in one of these fruits is a portal that gets you back to the real world.” IronicAfterlifeSymbolicLittle SisterHungry GhostsMs Pacman Book:Aftertaste Source: Aftertaste
“The veil between the Living and the Dead drew me in, guided my spirit, deposited me before the welcoming glow of--- I shit you not--- an In-N-Out Burger. Turns out the Afterlife? Where you go when you die? It's a Food Hall. There were good things to eat in every direction. Spirits strolled the streets with the lazy haze of tourists. They ate crepes in waxed paper; they licked swirls of ice cream. They chewed translucent strips of prosciutto folded inside newsprint cones. My stomach growled at the sights; it moaned at the smells. Garlic crisping in foaming slabs of butter. Crusty bread, still steaming from the oven. Glossy discs of chocolate melting over double boil. In the Hall, it was impossible to think about anything but food. Everywhere I looked, something beckoned. And as I passed a storefront--- a sweetshop, the candy arranged in the window like so many jewels--- the cravings won. Just one bite, I thought, and pulled open the door. Inside, on a marble counter, a black box appeared. Nestled inside were four perfect confections--- a sampler surprise. The aroma was decadent--- thick and bittersweet. I didn't even think before shoving one into my mouth. A gourmet peanut cup. Dark chocolate. Crunchy nut interior. Hard, thick outer shell. A bastardization, but enough to trigger a memory so strong I nearly dropped the box. Reese's. Everleigh. Halloween. The whole reason I was there.” HungerAfterlifeLittle SisterCrossing OverFood CourtReeses Book:Aftertaste Source: Aftertaste
“When you get to the Food Hall, you eat and you drink. You're starving by the time you arrive, so you pretty much stuff your face with everything. Pomegranate pips. Mushroom caps. Blood-red wine. Soda pop. Cinnabuns. Spicy Girl rolls. This thing you had once on vacation with your parents, at a bed-and-breakfast that hasn't been there for a decade. This other thing you couldn't have eaten while you were alive, even if you wanted to, because the restaurant that makes it won't open for years. That's the cool thing about the Food Hall. It serves, like, everything. Anything. Whatever you want. Whatever you feel. It's full of coffee shops and grocery stores and restaurants. There's bodegas and clam bakes and a whole island of cheese. Imagined places to hit up for imaginary meals. Carbon copies of your favorites from the Living world. It's endless. All-you-can-eat. Edible Eden, basically. And it's all there to feed you because that's the whole reason the Food Hall exists--- to nourish the spirits of the Afterlife. To help us get full so we can move On to our next lives.” HungerAfterlifeIn BetweenWandering SoulSmorgasbord Book:Aftertaste Source: Aftertaste
“In the end, he doesn't know her by sight, or touch, or sound. Only by taste. The flavor of her kiss a craving, its quality like coming home. The best thing he has ever tried. Will ever. Ever could. A special kind of salt.” Love StoryAfterlifeSaltIn The End It S Love Book:Aftertaste Source: Aftertaste