Winter's Edge

Chapter 12 - Laundered

Ian

THE next morning, as I exited the showers, Abby ambushed me, shoving a laundry basket full of clothes into my stomach. I must've turned twenty shades of red when I saw her frilly black panties sitting right on top.

"Time to make good on your bet," she said, a huge grin stretching across her face. She walked to a nearby wash basin to grab a bucket and washboard which she stacked on top of the pile of clothes. "Now get to it!"

I lowered the laundry basket so I could see over the bucket. "Wait, you guys are loaded, and you don't even have washing machines? This is a prank...right?"

Abby shook her head. "Nope. The electric motors in washing machines drive the Watchers crazy."

I frowned. "Seriously?"

"Yep."

"Great." My shoulders sank. So that's why she'd wagered laundry.

After an awkward moment of silence, Abby raised an eyebrow. "Well, the laundry's not gonna do itself."

I put on a half smile tainted by a sullen look. "Yeah, yeah." I sighed, then headed for the wash basin against the wall.

"Oh! Don't forget the detergent," she said.

I turned around just in time to duck out of the way of a flying box of death labeled DETERGENT. "Whoa!" slipped out as I dodged the projectile soapbox that nearly took my head off. The bucket toppled to the ground, sending the washboard clattering across the floor. The sound of cardboard scraping against stone filled the area as the box slid to a stop a few feet behind me. "Gee, thanks for the warning."

Abby giggled.

I sat the laundry on the sink and collected the other things from the ground.

"Oh!" Abby said again.

Instinctively, I ducked, then spun around, but nothing barreled toward my head this time.

Abby let out another giggle. "I was just gonna tell you to hang my wet clothes on the clotheslines in the room under the stairs in my quarters. The door's unlocked. I gotta go help Mom in the gardens, but I'll see you for training this afternoon. If you're serious about getting trained up quicker, you can train with me every day if you want."

I didn't have to think about the answer to that question. "Sure."

"Alright. And I'll see you again tonight if my laundry's not done right." She flashed me a devious grin.

I hoisted the bucket onto the sink and filled it with hot water as she vanished around the edge of the town square.

I was about to discover the joys of doing laundry in Winter's Edge.

***If you liked this chapter, vote for it!***