Kleen Out Drain - Opener [upd]

Instead, Arthur upended the bottle. A thick, gelid rope of chemicals slithered down the drain, hissing as it displaced the standing water. It smelled sharp, metallic, and angry—like chlorine and battery acid had a fight. He poured until half the remaining bottle was gone. “Overkill,” he muttered with satisfaction. “That’ll teach it.”

The cloud that hit him was a weapon. Aerosolized lye and chlorine gas. He inhaled sharply and his throat closed. It felt like swallowing a mouthful of hornets. He staggered back, coughing, eyes streaming, while the black tide spread across the kitchen floor, eating the finish off the linoleum and creating small, sizzling pits where it pooled. kleen out drain opener

The aftermath was a montage of emergencies. The paramedics who arrived in seven minutes wore respirators. The fire department had to ventilate the house. The poison control center was on speakerphone. Arthur, his corneas superficially burned, sat on the front lawn wearing an oxygen mask. Lena rode in the ambulance with Maya, whose foot would require skin grafts and months of physical therapy. Instead, Arthur upended the bottle