I uncorked it. Poured slowly, as instructed.
The first was a garish neon-green jug. “Liquid Lightning. Instant heat. Will melt a grease clog into soup in ninety seconds. Will also melt the glue holding your PVC pipes together, your wife’s nail polish on the counter, and the retina of your left eye if you splash. For the bold and the foolish.” best drain cleaner
The liquid was warm. It moved down the drain not like water, but like a living thing—a serpent of amber and shadow. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the drain made a sound. Not a gurgle. Not a hiss. It was a low, resonant note, like a cello string plucked in a deep well. I uncorked it