Unblocking A Bath -

He never did. But for one evening, the bath ran free.

Liam sat back on the bathmat, victorious and revolted. He ran the tap for a minute just to watch it drain clean. Then he poured bleach down the plughole, lit a candle, and made a silent promise to buy a drain guard. unblocking a bath

“Right,” he muttered. “Fine.”

The water sat in the tub like old tea, unmoving and brown-tinged, hours after Liam had climbed out. He stood in the doorway, towel still damp on his shoulders, staring at the greasy ring left behind. He never did

He pulled out a dark, sodden clump that smelled like a wetland grave. A wave of nausea passed. He dropped it into a plastic bag and went back in. He ran the tap for a minute just to watch it drain clean

More came out. Strands of his own hair, long and ginger, tangled with what looked like cat fur (they’d never owned a cat). A bobby pin. The ghost of a cotton ball. Finally, with a wet, sucking sigh, the drain released. The water spun into a lazy vortex, then vanished with a hollow gurgle.