[ WP ] A long time chef discovers a soup so delicious it grants immortality . A moral dilemma about whether or not to share his creation with the world ensues .

**Note: This story is just a stream of consciousness. Just letting you know. ** 
 
 Brad had finally finished his soup for the local soup contest after constant tasting and consecutive all-nighters slaving in front the stove. He called it Evette's Delight, which was an egg noodle soup made with stewed meat and vegetables. The colors of the vegetables bounced out like a cloud of balloons. The beef broth brought a warm red-brown. There was only one word that could describe the smell of this soup, amazing. It was comfort distilled in a bowl. 
 
 However, Brad felt nervous as it has been a while since he cooked for someone else after he got fired from the restaurant. On the day he got fired, he sank into his couch for hours wondering what he was going to do. 
 
 Finally, at three in the morning, Brad's stomach growled like a beast. He had to eat, but he did not want to be reminded about work. So he went to get a cup of water. As he was getting the ice, his eyes shifted toward a picture taped to the refrigerator. It was a picture of his wife, Evette, laughing after falling into the pond during their honeymoon. Brad sighed at the picture. He missed Evette a lot. If it was n't for that car accident, she would be still alive. Before things got sad, Brad's stomach reminded him why he was there in the first place. 
 
 “ You brought me here, but I'll let Evette choose what to eat, ” Brad thought. 
 
 He thought about Evette's favorite food. She would always crave for beef noodle soup. Brad knew it was always her favorite because the long noodles would slap her face when she slurped them and she would laugh at herself. Her laugh was infectious like a little kid's. That laugh could brighten anyone's day, even if they were fired. 
 
 “ Beef noodle soup, then. ” Brad decided while grabbing the large, clay pot. 
 
 Now what most people do n't know about Brad and Evette was that they were collectors of old cookware. What attracted them was the stories behind each piece. They would also cook with them to gain a sense of ownership over the pots and pans. However, the clay pot that Brad picked up was the only one without a story. All they ever found out about the pot was that it was used to cook food for some lost ritual. 
 
 After the cooking was finished, Brad tasted and served himself some soup in a bowl but something felt weird about the soup. He tasted it again and thought the taste made a change from the time he transferred the soup to the bowl from the pot. He went back to the pot. The taste of the soup in the pot was different from the taste of the soup in the bowl. Both were delicious, but the problem was that they tasted different despite being the same soup. Before Brad knew it, he had consumed the entire soup and was left with more questions. 
 
 “ This is freaky, let's try making this again, ” Brad thought. 
 
 Brad was out of ingredients, so he had to go the market to get some more. While he was shopping, he saw his friend Jeff promoting the local soup contest. Jeff shouted with a deep voice, “ Listen up everybody! The 50th Annual Soup-Off Contest is coming. The contest is being held at the town square. Everyone is invited. Contestants need to register a day in advance. Just call me. Everyone attending will judge who has the best soup in town. First place will receive $ 500 in celebration of the 50th. ” 
 
 “ Huh, a soup contest, ” said Brad. 
 
 As Brad turned towards the meat section, Jeff notice him like a hawk. 
 
 “ Hey, Chef Brad, are you gon na be at the Soup-Off, right? I know you are an amazing chef. You could probably whip something real quick. ” 
 
 Brad just smiled while nodding his head. “ Sure, I'll be there. ” 
 
 Once he got home, he tried to figure out what made the different tastes. Bowl after bowl, Brad was constantly tinkering to see if it was the ingredients that made the change. None of the ingredients were the cause of the changing taste. What he found instead was only soup cooked in the clay pot was changing in taste. So Brad thought that this was a magical pot. However, when he try to make something else in that same pot, the taste would be the same. The only dish that changed taste was beef noodle soup made in the clay pot. 
 
 “ I made this dish thinking about Evette. Maybe Evette is trying to tell me something, ” Brad chuckled. 
 
 After that, he became obsessed with the pot and beef noodle soup. He worked on it for days, never leaving home unless it was going to the market to buy ingredients. However, Brad began to notice that people were talking behind his back. He did n't care. It did n't matter how long it would take or how many hours of sleep he would lose. He just wanted to know more. 
 
 Finally, Brad made the perfect bowl of beef noodle soup, one that made him feel amazing. 
 
 Brad remembered, “ The Soup-Off is close. I should register for the contest. ” 
 
 Brad took out his phone and calls Jeff, who should be taking registration for the Soup-Off. 
 
 “ Jeff, hey, it's Brad. ” 
 
 “ BRAD! ” Jeff shouted with great concern. 
 
 “ Where have you been? It's been twenty years since I l have last saw you. ” 
 
 “ Twenty... What are you talking about? I saw you a couple of days ago. ” 
 
 “ No, the last time I remember seeing you was twenty years ago at the market. It was like you just vanished into nowhere. ” 
 
 Brad was confused. “ But I've been at my place all this time. ” 
 
 “ Really? Wow. ” Jeff expressed disbelief. “ I've been to your place, Brad, and it always feels empty and lifeless. Anyways, sorry Brad, but you caught me at a bad time right now. I am kind of busy getting ready for today's meeting about the 70th Annual Soup-Off. Let me call you back later tonight. If you are in town, come over to my house and grab some dinner with me and the family. ” 
 
 “ Okay, Jeff. Sorry to call you while you're busy. ” 
 
 “ Nah, do n't worry about it. We're friends. Okay, talk to you later. ” 
 
 “ Talk to you later, Jeff. ” Brad hung up the phone. 
 
 “ Twenty years... I know I did those all-nighters and lost my sense of time, but when did I lose twenty years? ” 
 
 Then Brad remembered the people who were talking about him. They were constantly talking about how he did n't age at all. 
 
 “ What is going on? ” Brad stands in doubt. 
 
 As Brad went to sit down on the chair, his legs gave in and suddenly lost their balance and he ended up on the floor with a bruise on his elbow. That was the final straw and Brad started shouting. 
 
 “ Why me?! I lost Evette, my job for twenty years apparently, and all I have to show for it is a pot of beef noodle soup. What am I suppose to do now? ” 
 
 Right then, his stomach began to growl. 
 
 “ Oh, so you know the answer to everything, ” Brad said sarcastically. “ Fine. ” 
 
 Brad got up and ladles out a bowl of beef noodle soup. Sighing heavily like he was sick of life beating down on him, he takes his first slurp. Then everything changed. 
 
 The taste transports him to a gourmet's garden of tantalizing deliciousness. Every smell and every color was there: green lettuce, purple eggplants, yellow bananas, orange oranges, etc. There were animals galore. Everything in harmony, it was an epicure's paradise. 
 
 Then a laugh echoes across the garden and I turned to see Evette just laughing with the biggest smile on her. 
 
 Brad thought, “ If Evette's here, then this is a dream and I do n't want to wake up. ” 
 
 “ You would n't want that, ” Evette said while running up to hug Brad. “ You have something even more amazing outside of here. ” 
 
 Brad shook his head, “ What can be more amazing than seeing you again? ” 
 
 Evette sighed, “ This is an illusion caused by the amazing thing that you have gotten yourself into, mister. ” 
 
 Brad said, “ And what is this amazing thing that made you so giddy? ” 
 
 “ The pot! ” exclaimed Evette. “ I finally understood what the clay pot was for. ” 
 
 Brad finally comprehended her happiness. The pot was the last piece she was studying before she passed away. 
 
 Evette continued, “ The pot was used in an ancient ritual that infuses life into people and grants them immortality. ” 
 
 “ Immortality. So if someone did this ritual, they could not die. Is that what you are saying? 
 
 “ It's not that you ca n't die. It's because the person would be filled with so much life that they would n't die, ” explained Evette. 
 
 “ Limited immortality, huh. That's amazing! ” Brad replied with amaze. 
 
 “ The ritual is to make a soup that has value to the person and have him consume it when during periods of uncertainty and doubts with one's life, ” said Evette. 
 
 Brad became alarmed. “ I might have done something like that. ” 
 
 Evette raised her right eyebrow. “ I know you completed the ritual. Twenty years slaving away in that kitchen. ” 
 
 Brad shrugged. “ Whoops, you caught me. ” 
 
 Evette said, “ Anyways, there is something important we need to discuss. While you were testing out your soup earlier, you were consuming life essence, more than a person would ever need in a day. The problem is, if you contain too much essence in your body at one time, you will explode out of existence. You need to go outside and fix that. ” 
 
 Brad was stunned. “ I thought you said the person will never die. ” 
 
 “ You ca n't die if you were never born in the first place, ” said Evette. 
 
 “ What do I do? ” 
 
 “ We need to balance your essence with another essence. We need to get as many people as possible to eat that soup. The essences that other people emit will counter-balance your huge essence and keep you safe from exploding. ” 
 
 “ But would n't that make too many immortals? ” said Brad. 
 
 Evette replied, “ Remember, Brad, immortality is n't just about cheating death. It can also mean full of Life itself forever. ” 
 
 “ Okay, Evette. I believe you, ” said Brad. “ If there is anything I learned from sharing a life with you, it's that I felt more alive because I shared it with someone like you. Thank you, Evette. ” 
 
 “ Go out there and share life with everyone. I will see you in your dreams, Brad. ” 
 
 With Evette waving goodbye, Brad returned to where he was before at the table. 
 
 “ I guess I should call Jeff to see if he wants some soup. ”
