The Pipes Are Broken Novels & Stories

I whispered, shaking the door like it would magically open if I begged. Behind me, Zane’s footsteps grew louder. His breath echoed down the stairwell. “You’re barefoot,” he said. “You’ll hurt yourself if you fall. Come back up.” I grabbed the handle again and slammed my shoulder into the door. “Open!” I whispered, voice breaking. The door didn’t budge. I backed away, my hands shaking as I scanned the darkness for anything—anything I could use. My foot hit something metal on the floor. A broken pipe.

Like I was reciting a script I’d been forced to learn. But I said them anyway. Because he’d told me not to break. Because that was the only thing I had left that still felt like mine—whether I followed through or not. My weight shifted, uneven and careful, as I tested my balance. The room swayed slightly, exhaustion pulling at me like chains, but I stayed standing. Barely. Just enough to keep from sinking back down and letting the pain win. “I won’t break,” I repeated, quieter this time, my voice steadier than I felt. “Even if I already feel shattered.”

A sharp crack broke the silence in the living room. The bracelet hit the hard marble floor, and the gem shattered into pieces. At that instant, everything around me stood still. I stared at the broken pieces on the floor, my mind going blank. Susan shrieked and took a step back. Jason swiftly grabbed Susan's hand and anxiously checked the back of her hand and her calves. "Did you get cut by the shards? Does it hurt?" He was finally relieved after making sure that Susan wasn't hurt. He turned around and stared at me, frozen in place, my face pale.

The iron tip missed my heel by two inches, striking the stone floor with a shower of sparks. I dug my fingernails into the concrete seams and threw my weight forward, scrambling over a pile of wet gravel. My bare left foot caught on a sharp piece of rusted tin inside the pipe. The metal sliced deep into my sole, right through the dark gray markings under my skin. A sharp shock of pain cleared my head, the fresh blood mixing with the stagnant water. "Vivienne, the end!" Clara’s voice echoed down from the dark ahead. A small circle of gray light appeared. The pipe didn't open up into a ditch. It ended at a massive iron grate—a heavy trash rack bolted into the concrete wall of the upper reservo

Those words finally got his attention. “And how do you plan on doing that?” He turned his head to look back at me. I didn’t answer. “Do you have money?” I shook my head. “Do you have a job?” I shook my head. “Then how do you plan on paying for the damages you caused.” The pretty nurse appeared in the doorway to say. “Times up sir. Visitation hours are over.” Mr. Hardin took one more look at me. “Get some rest, Danica.”

Boarded-up windows; some carrying phone numbers and the logos for security companies; Walls, graffitied, green-streaked from broken gutters, posters flapping loose, displaying faded images and unlikely names for rock bands. Mitch keeps running. The sound is louder. A child's howl then a man's muffled scream... She sees it: at ground level, the vault-light to some cellar. Half the lenses have gone. Most of the rest are broken. Some of the sockets sit empty. The frame is badly corroded; eaten away by time and neglect. But through gaps... "Daaddyyy..." Another scream. Again muffled. Closer she moves, and closer; drawn like a rabbit to a snake.

They were too absorbed in looking at the monument and remembering that night to notice my paralyzed state. I was also remembering that night. But another moment, before I fell into the fountain. *** [Flashback on] “Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, It's home from work we go” I could see Tom stumbling along singing the song of the seven dwarfs from Snow White, laughing like a hyena. I was laughing too, we all were, with all the alcohol in our systems even the air was funny.

Axen looked at me without a speck of emotion on his face and said. "I accept. Our bond is broken with the blessing of the Goddess.' Axen tried and failed to hold back another howl. In the end he let loose a loud heart breaking cry that felt like a dagger to my heart, then fell back hitting the hard Chapel floor with a thud.

The number of people in the other side seemed to have doubled, and they sounded quite keen to make these explosions as destructive as they could. The ground kept shaking. Hairline cracks kept appearing on the concrete walls of the pipes. After every burst, a round of jeers would follow, and it made Calix all the more apprehensive to go. What would they find there? What was waiting? Would he and his parents survive? Would they even make it out of this smelly track? Only the last question was answered. In no time, they were already met face to face with the end of the pipe. Calix expected it to be bright, as that was common. The opening of their path was pretty much lit the same, however, and

I need to identify the source of the water right away. While I was exploring the area, I discovered the source of the bubbles. I swam near it and discovered that the pipe was broken. I attempted to repair it but was unable. There must be another option. I looked about and discovered the basement windows. The water will run out of the basement if I smash this window. Yes! This is the method for removing the water from the basement. I looked about for something sharp to smash the window with. In the water, I discovered a steel rod. I tried to break the window with the steel rod, but I couldn't. Why is it so difficult to break the glass in this house? With the passage of time, I found it increa