Tap Water

Writing Club 

May 7, 2013

Prompt: Write a character that has an unusual phobia and write a situation where they face their fear.

Ted sat starring at into the glass of water.  Parched as he was, he just couldn’t bring the drink to his lips.  It’s just one sip, one sip, he repeated over and over to himself again and again.  He licked his cracked lips and tried to swallow but his tongue felt tough, too big for his mouth.  Costly beads of sweat escaped his wrinkled forehead in running in rivulets, burning his eyes and stinging his lips.  The tremors ran up and down his spine now.

            One shaky hand finally slipped past the mental paralysis and reached for the cool tumbler.  He could see the drips of condensation gathering on the outside, running down onto the white tabletop. 

            For a moment he looked up at the man who called himself Mr.Towns.  His face expressionless behind the dark glasses as the white walled rooms that threatened to close in on them both.  His compulsory companion leaned forward as Ted's fingers contacted the cup.  Ted recoiled with Mr.Towns break in composure.  He wouldn’t do a thing for them.  Not a thing.  Ted sat back in metal chair and crossed his arms, sticking his palms tightly under each arm.  As he did, so did Mr. Towns.

            After twenty-four hours without a single drop of liquid, the 100 degree room itself was beginning to spin and pulse in rhythm of his own fluttering heart.  He grabbed the glass with a scowl.  Once more Mr. Towns leaned in with expectation. 

What was in the glass?  How could he be sure it wasn’t tap water?  He never drank tap water and he wasn’t about to now. 

            All Ted could think of was the slow steady drip, drip, drip upon his scalp the last two weeks as he sat in the dark.  He couldn’t see Mr. Towns then, but he knew he was watching, always watching, just as he was watching now.