Lena's Big Book of Extras

【Short Story】《OSL》#3

December Shorts

1: The Devil's Dandruff.

Prompt source: Me.

Chores were Eran's least favourite thing, after seafood and social interaction. But it was nearing the end of the year and it'd be bad to leave out without having helped Riley with anything. He was pretty sure that one time he prepared dinner by sticking leftovers in the microwave didn't count.

Eran began vacuuming around the coffee table before deciding vacuuming under it wasn't too much work. Unfortunately, maneouvering the fat thing wasn't so easy for someone who wasn't used to it and it smashed into the table leg. The box of holiday craft supplies Riley had set on it for his students inched closer to the edge. Eran eyed the box and internally sighed with relief that it hadn't spilled as he continued vacuuming.

Finally, the job was done. He turned around and glanced at the plug in the outlet all the way across the room.

Eran was smart and wise. But he was also lazy. He gripped his end of the cord and yanked it. It did indeed come out of the wall, but the force swung the cord around, whipping the box of crafts right off the table.

As felt, googly eyes and various materials flew across the floor, Eran fell to his knees. Because the box contained the one Horror of All Horrors straight from the Devil himself: glitter.

As he crawled over to the table, the front door opened.

"I'm home!" Riley slipped off his shoes and hung his coat on the stand by the door. "Eran?" He stepped out of the apartment's foyer to see his husband on the floor in the "OTL" position. The craft materials he'd gathered for his grade 3 students were scattered about the floor. "Ah, damn―"

Sniff.

Riley was sure he'd misheard. Ah, perhaps Eran had a cold.

Sniff sniff sob.

"Eran?!" Riley crouched in front of his husband and gripped his shoulders. "Are you crying?! It's not a big deal. We can just put them back in the box."

"Are you stupid?" Eran snapped, covering his face. "It's the Devil's Dandruff."

"...The what?"

"It's impossible to get out of carpet. Just when you think it's gone, you find glitter on your dinner plate, your toothbrush... It's over." A tear spilled down his cheek.

Eran wasn't typically dramatic―quite the opposite, in fact. So when he had his drama king moments, you knew he was seriously affected.

"We can clean it up," Riley offered. "Where'd you get that, by the way? Devil's Dandruff?"

"That's what my dad called it. It was forbidden in the house. The first time I brought home a glitter craft from school, I had to throw it away."

Riley was shocked. He really hadn't taken his kind father-in-law to be the type to throw away his kids' crafts. It seemed glitter was really hated in the Kristiansen household.

"Sorry. I wouldn't have brought it home if you had told me."

Eran covered his face again. "I forgot it existed."

"Uh..."

"Riley." He grabbed Riley's shoulders.

"Yes?"

"Get some boxes."

"Boxes?"

Eran looked at his spouse, eyes dead serious. "We're moving."