Drain Clogged — Backyard

Arthur worked methodically. Scoop, squelch, toss. Scoop, squelch, toss. The water level around his boots didn't seem to be dropping. He frowned. He was clearing the grate, but the pipe beneath was still silent. No gurgle. No whoosh.

Then, a sound. A low, guttural rumble. The water in the yard began to move. The surface tension broke. A whirlpool formed over the drain grate, small at first, then widening. The sucking sound was loud and glorious. backyard drain clogged

Second extraction: a dense mat of maple seeds—the "helicopters" that his children loved to throw but his gutters hated. They had interlocked to form a watertight seal. Arthur worked methodically