short story competition: Lost & Found
my partner's work is having a short story competition. the theme is 'lost and found'.
CHAPTER 1
He strained further into the mire, but reality remained steadfast. Daniel's shoulder would not surpass cold iron.
DUCTILE. FIFE IRONWORKS. Up close, the letters towered in his eye. The filthy grate pressed a line into his cheek.
'Hrngf'. He shifted, peered into the drain -- no sign of it. He strove for the mire; his fingers fanned ripples over the oily film.
'dang it.' Daniel took a deep breath and coughed at the smell.
'Blrplplrlblrb.' said something in the mire.
CHAPTER 2
'Blrplplrlblrb.' said the Groobilex.
A yelp and grating iron. Daniel sprang back in alarm, but grate and shoulder were firmly wedged -- it pulled from the ground savagely, opening a path directly into the sewer.
'Ouch,' said Daniel.
'Thbank ybou,' said the Groobilex.
CHAPTER 3
'dbelicious,' slurped the Groobilex.
'not my best work,' said Daniel. It's hard to make tea with your shoulder wedged in a grate. He didn't say that part out loud. He felt bashful.
'hbave ybou dbecided?'
'yes.'
'absk abnd ybou shball rbecieve.'
'For my first wish, I'd like to get this arm off my grate.'
'obkay?'
'WAIT! i meant grate off my arm.'
The Groobilex sucked down the last of its tea. It sounded like a blocked drain.
'Thbat's ok. I fbigured.' The grate popped off of Daniel's arm.
'wow.' He shook his arm out. It felt light and renewed, like it was rushing full of warm air.
'wow,' he said. He frowned and paced. He said it again. 'Wow... number two then. Hm. Um, one second.'
'Thbank ybou fbor fbreeing me fbrom thbat smbelly drain.' The Groobilex wandered down the hall to the bathroom. Felix yelped and skidded under the sofa. Her hackles were as high as they would go.
'ok, second wish: I want Mum to never need to work again, so she can stay at home all day with me.'
'Cbonsider it dbone,' came the call from down the hall. The toilet flushed, and there was a shattering of porcelain. 'Oobps'.
The doorbell rang. 'Daniel, I'm home!' called Mum.
'Lbast wbish?' queried the Groobilex, a mild urgency now in its tone.
Sweat gathered on Daniel's brow. 'I want to word this right.' His eyes darted to the front door.
Keys jingled in the door. 'Daniel! I've got great news --' A pause. 'Daniel, why is there sewer slime on the doormat?' The door came unlatched.
'I wish...'
Floorboards creaking. 'Daniel, are you okay? There's clumps of what looks like porcupine fur in the carpet. And more slime.'
'I WISH...'
Mum was just about to enter the kitchen. The Groobilex squeezed under the sofa. Felix shot out, yowling, like a black sneeze. 'Nbow or nbever, yboung chbap.'
'I WISH TO HAVE MY TAMAGOTCHI BACK, UNDAMAGED AND WORKING!!!!!!!!!!'
END