Un-PUN-ctilious

Un-PUN-ctilious


Tom rolled over in irritation. He'd been having an enjoyable dream but now he could hear Sarah, his dog, barking incessantly.

Peering through bleary eyes, a red "6:42" stared back at him.

"Sarah!" he yelled but the barking continued. Dragging himself out of bed, he tottered to the kitchen. Sarah was jumping at the basement door.

"What's going on, girl?" he asked. Sarah barked. "Sorry, girl, I don't speak rough." Tom smiled at his pun but Sarah, unimpressed, turned back to the door.

Opening the door, Tom watched Sarah scrabble down the stairs. Splash, splash echoed back.

"What?" Tom's startled response was cut short as Sarah returned, dripping wet. Tom hurried down the stairs to find his basement flooded. Moments later, Tom was on the phone.

"Morning, George," he said. "Yes, I know what time it is but this is an emergency. You're a plumber and my basement's underwater. Could you come over?" Hearing an assent, he hung up.

George arrived carrying a toolbox. "Have you shut off the main yet?" he asked.

"I remember the Maine," Tom retorted, thinking of his sinking basement.

Ignoring the weak humor, George said, "Never mind, it's probably drownstairs."

At Tom's groan, George laughed. "Payback's a bitch. No offense, Sarah."

"With her, it's OK, Sarah, Sarah. You know, what will be will be."

"Really? You're stooping to Doris Day puns?" George gave a disgusted stare, shook his head, and then disappeared down the stairs. He returned after a few minutes.

"Were you able to fix it?" asked Tom.

"Nope," was the terse answer. "With all the rain we've had, I'd guess the water level has risen. You've an underground flow that broke through your foundation. The water's almost table high," said George.

"Would that be a pool table?" quipped Tom.

George groaned more loudly than before. "What have I done to deserve this punishment?" Hoping to move past the jokes, George said, "Look at the bright side."

"What's that?"

"Well, you've been telling me how you needed to straighten up your basement. This gives you a perfect opportunity."

"You're right!" said Tom, with a wicked grin. "I guess this could be considered a spring cleaning."

Even Sarah winced at that one.

An entry for "Intentionally Bad Story Contest" 
Prompt: Open
Word Count: 400

punctilious - showing great attention to correct behavior.