Lost in the Futuristic Flush
Micro fiction — loo but not really?
Moonbeams cut through curtain gaps into a dark home. The dusky blue of night floods in as a breeze sounds the chimes. Out by the balcony, an ashtray sizzles with ribbons of smoke reaching to the sky. An abandoned drink left to balance over the guardrail, all as though left in a hurry.
A man rushed to his washroom, sweating profusely, as he took his seat on the commode. After the secrets that he had uncovered, this was a time-sensitive affair.
The man quickly punched in a log entry with the necessary GPS coordinates. Then, without so much as turning, he used his elbow to ram down on the flush.
In under a second, the house was empty.
Time log — 04-Apr-2156 01:43:46
In the year 2156, an empty house with a bathroom locked from the inside, more often than not, meant emergency molecular teleportation.
After decades of research, teleportation portals with the least catastrophic implications to Earth had taken the form of a commode. Strangely, the energy system that managed this resembled a high functioning sewage system in both structure and smell.
A missing person report was filed on 06-Apr-2156. Subsequently, an investigation revealed that a teleportation was attempted from the man’s last known address.
The commode was further examined by experts for more clues. A crack ran along the edge of the flush; the bathroom’s busted lights and fried circuitry indicated leakage of energy from that crack.
After scientists confirmed to PR that the incident was a freak accident, an offhand note was made that, theoretically, less energy would lead to delayed teleportation. If the man did survive, he would be stuck somewhere in the vast mess of burgundy coloured sewage pipes.
Whether the flush had cracked under some sort of applied pressure or had been sabotaged could not be verified.
Time log — 04-Apr-3196 01:43:46
A man was admitted into a local hospital with symptoms of mental fatigue. The social media influencer, who had called for an ambulance, claimed that he was prepping for his next viral video when this man suddenly appeared on his commode.
Zane Dickens, I tried to make this Loo story sound a bit like a “true story uncovered” kind of piece!
Thank you, Paul Mansfield, Zane Dickens and readers, for your valuable time. I would love to hear your feedback!
Written in response to Microcosm Pub’s weekly prompt, this piece rides on the fear of being sucked away with the flush.
My source was too shy to publicly share their secret.
