DAY 14 OF FLASH AUGUST FICTION. 30-in-30. I’m plagued with a drippy faucet these days. You know how annoying that is. Let’s see what happens with that drippy faucet in my story today. I think I’m going to start writing my stories first thing in the AM like I did for FFF beginning tomorrow. I think the stories were better and more interesting. These later in the day stories aren’t doing it for me, but they can be more challenging. Thanks. I’m Commercial Herschel and I’m here to help.
First, I have a new follower alert.
wrote this excellent piece that I have shared right here. If you read the whole thing you’ll understand how it probably influenced my podcast story from yesterday which is also posted below. What a fantastic writer this man is, I think you’ll agree.
Purge the Gargoyles
OK, Let’s get to today’s story
Accidental Treasure
Life is Full of Surprises
677 WORDS WRITTEN IN 45 MINUTES
Klaus lay in bed, sleepless, and listened to the annoying drippy faucet keep him awake. He debated whether to get up and place a washcloth beneath the faucet so he wouldn't hear it or perhaps lean something into the sink at an angle in order to deaden the sound. He was comfortable, and he didn't want to get out of bed at all. He hoped he could just fall asleep regardless of the annoying sound.
He tried to block the sound out and listen to the rest of the house to see if that drip was as pronounced as he thought it was or if it only seemed louder because he was obsessing over it. He could hear the outlet timer in another room quietly ticking before it would automatically turn on a light in the morning. He heard a cricket outside, chirping away out the window. There were random creeks and knocks around his fairly old house, which was built by his grandparents, as it settled and adjusted. Somehow, the incessant, dripping faucet would not blend into the night. He was going to have to get up and find a way to deaden the sound if he wanted to get to sleep any time soon.
Klaus rustled himself out of bed and went over to the little bathroom off the side of his bedroom. He folded a washcloth and placed it under the faucet in order to deaden the noise. This temporary fix would get him through the night. In the morning, he would call a plumber and take care of the annoyance once and for all.
Back in bed, Klaus resumed listening to the night. He revisited the cricket and the little timer in the other room. These sounds didn't seem to bother him, nor did the occasional house noises. Then, something happened. He heard a trickle coming from the bathroom now. This was something new, and he became frustrated. He went into the bathroom and saw that the washcloth was saturated. He surmised that the trickle was the sound of the water going into the drain and trickling down the drain. It was really bothering him. He was not going to be able to let it go.
As he went to get his tools from the closet on the first floor, he thought perhaps he'd just sleep on the couch instead of putting himself through experimenting with the drain. He knew that if he tried sleeping on the couch, he'd wake up sore. He stopped and listened, and he couldn't help but pick up the sound of the trickling noise from all the way upstairs.
He took his toolkit upstairs into the bathroom. He knew he could not fix the nozzle to stop the drip, but at least he could disconnect the u-trap and find a way to do some other sound-obfuscating technique. He prepared to disassemble the u-trap. This was the original, old cast iron plumbing that his granddad installed. He wondered if it had ever been taken apart before. He was delicate and very cautious with the old system, and he was able to dislodge and then slowly turn the collar.
Then Klaus took a clean cloth and began clearing out the u-trap, as long as he had it apart. He noticed that there was something affixed to the inside of the trap. He placed a screwdriver against it to break it free from the soap scum and hair that were holding it in place. He pulled the debris from it and rubbed it clean with the cloth. It was an earring.
He immediately recognized the earring. It matched what his grandmother was wearing in her portrait. In fact, the other earring was in the set of heirlooms that he inherited with the house. He now had the pair. He wondered what else he would find in the other drains and obscure places in the house. He would begin that exploration in the morning. Tonight he would drown out the sound of that annoying trickle and finally go to sleep.
The End.
Well. There you have it. Sometimes following an obession leads to a consequence that can be pleasant. Sometimes it goes the other way. Believe me, I thought about it. LOL. I hope you might get a paid subscription, or buy me a coffee, or donate some bitcoin. I wish you the best. I’m Herschel Sterling, and I’m here to help.
Accidental Treasure