Mabel nodded solemnly. “Now you’re a true Lost Hollow resident. Here—pecan pie. Stinky Pete’s recipe. Wash your hands first. Twice.”
The hole yawned below him, dark and alive with the scent of a thousand forgotten meals. A crusty, grayish scum floated on top, and just beneath it, a dam of doom: a solid mat of non-degradable wipes, cooking grease, and what looked like a toy rubber chicken’s head. how to unclog a septic tank
“City boy,” Pete sighed. “Alright. I’m three towns over. You got two choices: wait three days for me, or get your hands dirty right now.” Mabel nodded solemnly
Eli hung up. Five minutes later, the shower drain made a sad, wet noise. That was his breaking point. Stinky Pete’s recipe
Eli scrambled to his feet just as the back door slammed open. His neighbor, a leathery woman named Mabel, stood on the porch holding a pie.
“No,” Eli whispered, watching the water rise. “No, no, no.”