I’ve broken through Chapter 6 and still need to write Chapter 7, which will reach the minimum requirement as far as length for my thesis. At this particular moment in time, I am finishing my final class, finishing my thesis on top of taking that class, in the middle of moving house, upgrading said house (new floors and paint yay), and of course working. It’s one of those times where I know I’m going to look back and wonder how I did everything. But everything is exciting. I’ll admit I am ready to be done with classes and hope to use that new free time to work on the book and hopefully finish before this year is out.

Aside from that update on the business of my life right now, I know I’ve been lacking on writing stories on this blog (something I hope to pick up on once I finish my current craziness). So, for today, I decided to take about 20 minutes and just write something from scratch. Let’s see how it goes.

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Flood Incoming

He could hear the water sloshing at the bottom of the stairs. His wife was on the second step, just above the water level. She had taken off her shoes but hadn’t taken the final step into the basement. He watched her from the top of the stairs, rolling back and forth in his wheelchair.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t call somebody?” she asked.

“I’ll call as soon as we get the water shut off. They aren’t open on Sundays anyway so they probably won’t be able to someone out till tomorrow at the earliest.”

“What about Gary? Can he come do it?”

“It’ll be easy. The valve is behind the panel next to the washer. It’s only about twenty feet from where you are now.”

She placed a foot in the murky water and withdrew it quickly.

“It’s freezing.”

“It’ll only take a second. I know you can do it.”

She hesitantly placed her foot back in. The water was threatening to rise onto the second step. She had her second foot in now and was on basement floor. She took one step into the room and screamed.

“Something moved,” she yelled while retreating back to the stairs. “Oh my god, something brushed against my leg. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.”

“There is nothing down there, honey. It’s our basement. It was probably just the mop floating around.”

“No. It was something alive.”

“There is nothing alive down there.”
“Yes there is.”

“How? How could something have gotten down there?”

“I don’t know. It was probably a rat. Oh my god Carl, if there is a rat down here, I swear I’m getting a hotel until you get an exterminator.”

“There aren’t any rats,” he said, but he wasn’t completely sure himself. He rarely went down to the basement.

“Can we please call somebody?” his wife implored.

Walter, their Boston terrier, snuck around his wheelchair before he could grab it, raced down the stairs, and leapt into the murky water.

“Godamnit. Grab Walter and shut off the water before the whole house is flooded.”

“Don’t yell at me.”

“I’m not-” he caught himself and lowered his voice. “I’m not yelling at you, but you have to go shut off the water. The longer you take the worst it will.”

“I know that Carl.”

“Time’s a wastin.”

She stepped back down into the brown, opaque water. Walter swam up next to her, paddling and panting, and followed her over to the valve.

“Oh my god.”

“You’re doing good honey.” He encouraged her.

“I hate you.”

He chuckled. She screamed and sloshed back and ran up the stairs. Her feet dripped on the living room carpet.

“Did you get it?”

She shook her head yes.

“Now, was that so bad?” She glared at him and he smiled. He knew it to be a simple task. She continued to glare. His smile faded.