Pig

A life-size molded acrylic pig hovered inches above our heads. Its technicolor pink gave the naive form a humorous tone but no one was smiling. The swine’s mouth was open – would it vomit or scream? Its blank expression suggested neither but I wasn’t sure.

I pulled my cap over my eyes and slumped in my chair. I was fearful of this thing hovering so close but I was more embarrassed, painfully so, about showing up for class without a project to present. This creature-sculpture was terrifying to me – almost as terrifying as that guy in the back who, unlike myself, completed his assignment . He was quite odd. I can’t recall his name but his smug expression, flanked on either side by two of his buddies, reminded me of why I didn’t bother to remember. His dress was a bit sloppy, khaki and grey, wrinkly and disheveled. But the look on his face was increasingly becoming more alarming to me than the floating pig.

I wanted to get out of there. Why did I even come today? I desperately wanted this guy’s “presentation” to end. Should I be gleaning some message from this creepy sculpture hovering over us like a balloon? The pig shifted slightly with the imperceptible air currents in the room, suggesting its form was indeed without purpose. Something besides this disturbing floating nothingness needed to happen.                     


Stay tuned for Part Two tomorrow...