After the bubbling stopped, she ran cold water for two full minutes. The water swirled—hesitated—then vanished with a final gulp . Clear. Fast. Clean.
A faint hiss. A chemical heat rose from the sink, along with a sulfurous, greasy smell. Lena stepped back and closed the bathroom door to keep her cat away. The mixture bubbled and churned inside the pipes for about fifteen minutes, dissolving the organic gunk into a soapy, liquid mass. unblocking drains with caustic soda
Lena pulled on rubber gloves that went past her wrists and found an old pair of safety goggles. She opened the window wide, then took out the small white granules from the back of the cleaning cupboard. The label read sodium hydroxide in bold letters, with warnings: After the bubbling stopped, she ran cold water