4/23/19 - Starting today, Seeing Red will be getting a rewrite. The plot, point of views, etc. are staying the same, so don't worry about that. However, I'm updating the fic so that it matches up with my current writing ability. That means that some minor details could be streamlined or cut for being unnecessary or awkward, and I'm going to pay more attention to my wording (e.g. if I used to word "door" too much, you bet I'm going to look into cutting down on the use).

Does that make sense? Perhaps it doesn't, but this is how my brain works when editing, so...

Well, see you next time,

GitS

The water coming out of the toilet would not let up. It already reached my ankles and snaked out into the hallway. I shivered like mad as I stood amidst the chaos. In my left hand, I held a plunger, which had become utterly useless. Who knew why I still held on to it?

As I stood there, my cat, Tabitha, froze at the sight. She had been lounging on the laundry basket across from the sink when my father's toothbrush fell into the flushing toilet. She briefly studied the new pond my mistake created before backing against the wall.

If I were sane enough, I would've rushed off to call a plumber by now. But that… I wasn't that sort of person. Instead, my mouth fell agape. I just stared at the water, struggling to comprehend my own stupidity.

My father would've killed me if he were here. Our house was about two decades old. With another thing here breaking down, this time by my own hands, he'd have to waste even more money getting it fixed.

A pencil dangling from my left ear threatened to join Father's wayward toothbrush in the toilet. My body refused to move with my racing mind.

Tabitha mewed as if to say, "You screwed up. Game over." She then pounced from the laundry basket to the sink.

The flood had already risen another inch. I cringed as it stung my bare feet. At this point, I felt the need to scream. And so I did.

"GOD DAMN IT!"

My anger rang through the house, making Tabitha flinch. The toilet wouldn't stop spitting at me in spite of this. The small, furry rug previously stationed outside our shower floated by me. At this rate, the bathroom was going to become an aquarium.

No, my rational mind snapped, there must be a way to fix this. Machines always have an off button.

Oh sure, the angrier part of me groused. Where would this fabled off switch be?

The water slushed against my knees. Was it just me or was it rising fast? Maybe I'd spent too much time standing here? Whatever the case, I couldn't linger here anymore. I needed to figure something out now.

"Mew," Tabitha squeaked. Having probably figured out how bad the situation had gotten, she crouched into the bowl of the sink.

I took a deep breath. Maybe I couldn't do a thing for the toilet, but the cat could definitely use some help.

I walked over to her. I slowly moved my arms under her belly before lifting her up.

The cat growled when her feet swung about and she found nothing solid underneath. She swiftly lurched down, sinking her teeth into my shoulder.

I gasped. A flash of pain flared up where she bit me.

Tabitha fell back into the sink. Her eyes narrowed. Her pure white claws revealed themselves.

I made another attempt to grab her.

This time she hissed and wriggled around. I held her as far away from my body as I could.

"Do you want to get wet?" I asked her.

Obviously, cats don't speak English, so she continued to struggle. I set her down at the doorway.

"Get out of here," I said.

Tabitha didn't need any further prompting from me.

Once she had gone, I spun around. "Now, what am I supposed to do about this-"

I froze. While I dealt with the cat, something drastic had happened to the toilet. No longer did water flow from it, which was good news. But what I did find…

My breath got caught in my throat. I grasped the sides of the green object that suddenly popped into existence from the toilet.

"A pipe?!" I shouted.

That… That couldn't be right, could it? It looked exactly like those you'd see in a Super Mario game.

I banged the pipe's side with a fist.

The pipe hollowly rang back.

There were plenty of people who wished that they were born anywhere but on Earth. I myself once wanted to fly through the skies on dragonback and dreamed of climbing mysterious mountains. In the end, though, it was all poorly-written fanfiction. I was forced to see that over the years.

So why this? Why now?

I'd recently turned eighteen. After twelve years of school, I now had to worry about a thousand things. Counselors at school constantly insisted that I either get a job or apply for college. I couldn't decide which path I would take. What if I couldn't stick to it? What if I dropped one, went for the other option, and hated it as well? I'd basically be screwed.

A cheesy smell emitted from the pipe. I wrinkled my nose.

This pipe had to be a product of a dream. They didn't just appear when somebody broke a toilet. Hell, if I had seen one a few years ago, you bet I would've left this damn life behind. Who wouldn't want to live in the Mushroom Kingdom alongside the likes of Mario, Luigi, and Peach? But at the same time, why give me false hope now?

Cold air blew from the pipe along with the cheese smell. I stuck my face deeper within it, only to find darkness. There was no telling where I could end up if I went down it.

Wind gusts ruffled my shirt. The water around me drained into the hallway, where the cat cried mournfully; maybe her fur got wet-

A blur shot out of the pipe. It hit me square in the face.

I stumbled backward, uttering a befuddled gurgle. Red swarmed my vision. Then, my body hit something solid, and my head with it. A nasty smack reverberated through my skull.

Another chilly wind brushed by. A tremor raced down my body.

Tabitha continued crying from somewhere deeper within the house.

I slumped sideways, trembling. My body slid down into the water. The pencil on my ear dislodged from it and lightly stabbed me in the arm. My mind came to a foggy stop trying to comprehend the feeling. Adding to the pain was a headache, which flared up as I blinked.

The red had gone away. I saw the green pipe still lodged in the toilet. It stayed there as I stared, while everything else around me disappeared.