Myshuno! 2013 Prompt: “Sleeping on the couch” (503 words)
The prompt for this story was “Sleeping on the couch” submitted by katrisims. This story fits in just before Chapter 1 of Sun, Moon, and Tamara.
Rating: G
Dramatis Personae
Tamara Langerak, new to living on her own.
The Electrician, as described.
Setting
Tamara’s bedroom. There is a loud, regular, continuous beeping during the following - the kind of noise a smoke detector makes when it needs a new battery. The Electrician is on a ladder examining the smoke detector mounted on the wall directly over Tamara’s bed. It’s one of the newer models that is tied in to the apartment’s electrical system, but that uses a battery for backup in case the power goes out during a fire.
THE ELECTRICIAN: You say this started last night?
TAMARA: Yes. At quarter to two, I heard this beep, and I woke up thinking the place was on fire. But then it beeped again, and the green light was flashing, you know? Twice a minute, like the manual says it’ll do when the battery’s low. So I changed out the battery and went back to bed. I didn’t hit the rest button because then it makes that sound, and I didn’t want to wake the neighbors, but I figured that was okay because there weren’t any more beeps.
THE ELECTRICIAN: Uh-huh. (opens a new pack of batteries and swaps out the battery in the smoke detector; the beeping continues)
TAMARA: So then at quarter to three, it went off again. I figured maybe the battery I’d put in was a dud, so I changed it again. And then I thought that maybe it was because I hadn’t hit the reset button, so I went ahead and did that.
THE ELECTRICIAN: Mm-hm. (pushes the reset/test button, and there is the usual ear-splitting sound… followed by continued beeping)
TAMARA: And it sounded just like that. And the beeping stopped and the green light stopped flashing, so I figured it was okay now and went back to bed again.
THE ELECTRICIAN: Ah-huh. (takes the smoke detector off the wall and examines the wires going from the detector to the wall)
TAMARA: So then at quarter to FOUR, it goes off AGAIN. So this time I figured the whole pack of batteries was bad, and I opened a new pack, but the beeping didn’t stop. And the beeps aren’t regular like they’re supposed to be - the manual says once a minute, but the spacing on these is anywhere from twenty seconds to a minute and a half, and the green light’s supposed to be flashing, but it isn’t, and I figured the unit had to be malfunctioning, but since it was four in the morning and the place wasn’t actually on fire, I just slept on the couch with a pillow over my head and called you this morning. (anxiously) That was okay, right?
THE ELECTRICIAN: (carefully replacing the smoke detector) You got a carbon monoxide detector?
TAMARA (puzzled): Yes, just behind the door. Why?
(Instead of answering, The Electrician goes over and pops the battery out of the carbon monoxide detector. The beeping stops immediately. The Electrician puts in a fresh battery. The unit beeps once and is silent.)
THE ELECTRICIAN: Happened to me once. You have a nice day now.
Notes
In the United States, smoke detectors that are wired into a building’s electrical system with a battery for backup are increasingly common, and are often legally required in rental properties. These units can also be carbon monoxide detectors too, or a person can have a separate detector for carbon monoxide. In my apartment I have three hardwired smoke detectors with battery backup, and one of them also detects carbon monoxide. I also have a separate carbon monoxide detector, which was installed before the combination detector.
This exact problem with the wrong detector needing batteries has happened to me not once, but twice. Fortunately, the second time (which was last week), I figured it out in time to not have to call the electrician.
Rating: G
Dramatis Personae
Tamara Langerak, new to living on her own.
The Electrician, as described.
Setting
Tamara’s bedroom. There is a loud, regular, continuous beeping during the following - the kind of noise a smoke detector makes when it needs a new battery. The Electrician is on a ladder examining the smoke detector mounted on the wall directly over Tamara’s bed. It’s one of the newer models that is tied in to the apartment’s electrical system, but that uses a battery for backup in case the power goes out during a fire.
THE ELECTRICIAN: You say this started last night?
TAMARA: Yes. At quarter to two, I heard this beep, and I woke up thinking the place was on fire. But then it beeped again, and the green light was flashing, you know? Twice a minute, like the manual says it’ll do when the battery’s low. So I changed out the battery and went back to bed. I didn’t hit the rest button because then it makes that sound, and I didn’t want to wake the neighbors, but I figured that was okay because there weren’t any more beeps.
THE ELECTRICIAN: Uh-huh. (opens a new pack of batteries and swaps out the battery in the smoke detector; the beeping continues)
TAMARA: So then at quarter to three, it went off again. I figured maybe the battery I’d put in was a dud, so I changed it again. And then I thought that maybe it was because I hadn’t hit the reset button, so I went ahead and did that.
THE ELECTRICIAN: Mm-hm. (pushes the reset/test button, and there is the usual ear-splitting sound… followed by continued beeping)
TAMARA: And it sounded just like that. And the beeping stopped and the green light stopped flashing, so I figured it was okay now and went back to bed again.
THE ELECTRICIAN: Ah-huh. (takes the smoke detector off the wall and examines the wires going from the detector to the wall)
TAMARA: So then at quarter to FOUR, it goes off AGAIN. So this time I figured the whole pack of batteries was bad, and I opened a new pack, but the beeping didn’t stop. And the beeps aren’t regular like they’re supposed to be - the manual says once a minute, but the spacing on these is anywhere from twenty seconds to a minute and a half, and the green light’s supposed to be flashing, but it isn’t, and I figured the unit had to be malfunctioning, but since it was four in the morning and the place wasn’t actually on fire, I just slept on the couch with a pillow over my head and called you this morning. (anxiously) That was okay, right?
THE ELECTRICIAN: (carefully replacing the smoke detector) You got a carbon monoxide detector?
TAMARA (puzzled): Yes, just behind the door. Why?
(Instead of answering, The Electrician goes over and pops the battery out of the carbon monoxide detector. The beeping stops immediately. The Electrician puts in a fresh battery. The unit beeps once and is silent.)
THE ELECTRICIAN: Happened to me once. You have a nice day now.
Notes
In the United States, smoke detectors that are wired into a building’s electrical system with a battery for backup are increasingly common, and are often legally required in rental properties. These units can also be carbon monoxide detectors too, or a person can have a separate detector for carbon monoxide. In my apartment I have three hardwired smoke detectors with battery backup, and one of them also detects carbon monoxide. I also have a separate carbon monoxide detector, which was installed before the combination detector.
This exact problem with the wrong detector needing batteries has happened to me not once, but twice. Fortunately, the second time (which was last week), I figured it out in time to not have to call the electrician.