Creative Writing Collection

It's Simpler Than You're Making it out to Be

{ Mason Spam 1/2 }

Mason had been cleaning all over the apartment today; moping, vacuuming, sweeping, dusting, etc… The rooms were spotless, and he was proud of his work after. As a small reward to himself, he decided that he’d make some tea. He washed his hands thoroughly and put all the cleaning supplies away, yet couldn’t seem to find one cleaning chemical that he seemed to misplace.

       As always, he added a pinch of sugar to the tea before placing it on the stove. While waiting for the whistle, he noticed that there were small sugar crystals settled along the counter. His eyes scanned the kitchen, even though he knew Phoebe wasn’t home. With a slight smile, his tongue lightly wet the tips of his fore and middle fingers, picked up each little crystal, then ate them. At first, he could taste the sweetness, and smiled a bit more. But then his face soured when tasting something else that wasn’t sweet. Mason’s stomach felt odd and a bit cold, as well as oddly… clean? It was as if scent, taste, and sense were all the same; it was a sort of cleaning chemical.

       There was a lighter green shade behind the potted plant near the stove, and he knew that the lighter color hadn’t been there before. Reaching over, he took a hold of a cylindrical object and pulled it out. Just as he suspected: cleaning chemical. Well, at least he had found out. But now he’d be stuck with the odd clean feeling for a while. Since he only ate a few particles, he shrugged off the worry that it could hurt him.

       The pot still had some time to heat for, so he returned the chemical back into the cleaning cabinet.

       Phoebe came home soon after Mason took the screaming pot of tea from the stove. He asked how her day was, and she asked him the same. She complimented his handy work at cleaning, to which he laughed and said. “What else do you expect from someone like me?” He poured them each a cup of tea, then they spent a few minutes of reflection with each other on the couch.

       At hearing that he ate the chemical, Phoebe was worried, though wasn’t as concerned after Mason clarified that it was only a little.

       “You should still be careful,” she said anyway, Mason sheepishly agreeing with a nod.