The bathtub. The wet hose. You go back in. The tub is full to the rim. Clear water. Forty gallons of it.
You're down to one gallon. The heat is brutal. And you think about rationing.
But here's what Ready dot gov actually says. Don't ration drinking water unless authorities tell you to. Drink what you need today. Stay cool. Move less.
You find unscented bleach under the sink. For safe-looking water, the CDC says eight drops per gallon. Stir it. Wait thirty minutes.
But that only kills germs. Bleach can't fix chemicals. And you still don't know what's in that tub.
At sunset, a flashlight sweeps across your window. Then another. Then six.
People. Your neighbors. Standing in the street, all facing your house.
Dale knocks again. Just share the tub, he says. That's all we want.
And the kitchen phone rings. The county woman. Don't let them drink it. Whatever they say.
Dale says one more thing. We know it's not for us. It was put there for you.