Different

This is Normal

Kevin had returned to his apartment from a ten hour shift at the car dealership, and he was exhausted. Over three customers had decided to call the very last minute, so he was forced to work the extra hours just to tell people about cars they'd want to buy, but end up not buying them anyway. Kevin opened his small fridge to find utter disappointment and emptiness, so he had to grudgingly call for some pizza and hot wings. The only joy he experienced in his apartment was his shelves of books that he kept in a spare room, he would always call it, "Kevin's Mini Library". He peered through the shelves, wondering which book he should read. After over half an hour Kevin went with the classic Lord of the Rings, and positioned himself into the comfortable reading stance, and began to read. Kevin was already a quarter of the way through the sixth chapter until a droplet of water splashed onto the page. He stopped and looked up, and almost dropped the book in surprise. "What the hell?" How could he have missed this, he wondered. There were tin buckets that seemed to be glued to the ceiling, but each bucket was filled to the rim with water. Another drop of water fell, this time on Kevin's forehead. Without taking his eyes off the buckets, Kevin reached for his phone and called up his friend, Josh. "Please come over, I don't think I can explain this on the phone." Was all Kevin said and then hung up.

Josh was confused. He'd gotten a call from Kevin, but with no explanation. Josh still held the phone in his left hand, and with curiosity taking over, he drove to his friend's apartment. Josh walked up the steps and knocked on the door of the apartment, wondering just how urgent this situation was. Kevin opened the door fairly quickly and dragged Josh into the apartment with no hesitation, causing Josh to lose his balance. "What the hell Kev-" as Josh looked up to scold Kevin, he saw the water-filled buckets on the ceiling. He slowly stood up and tried to process what he was seeing. "H-how?" Was all he could say. Kevin shrugged, giving a look saying that he was just as confused as his friend. Silence for a few minutes. "Have you tried to do something about it? Like pull one down?" Josh asked. Kevin hesitated for a second, "Er- I haven't. I'll just get my ladder then." Kevin left, leaving Josh to wonder just how this was possible, and how his Physics professor in college never explained how any of this worked, considering that it never happened before. Kevin came back with a small step ladder, he set it down and began to climb it. Kevin reached for the bucket and successfully grabbed it, he easily pulled it down but was suddenly soaked with the water. Josh laughed under his breath. Kevin looked at the bottom of the bucket to try and look for anything that can suspend the bucket to the ceiling, "There's nothing here. No glue, nor hooks, nor holes. It's just a fucking bucket." Kevin cursed. He stepped down from the ladder and exhaled. Josh did the same. Both men were at a complete loss for words, but we're only able to look at every other bucket that defied gravity at the moment.

Josh had decided to sleep over for the night since it had gotten pretty late and he's been wanting to sleepover anyways. Kevin allowed him to stay, and provided Josh with some pillows and blankets. They said goodnight to each other and slept, although neither of them were able to take their minds off the buckets.

Kevin woke up the next day still feeling exhausted. He went into the bathroom, washed his face, and went into the kitchen to make his breakfast. Josh woke up after him and sat down on the couch, tired from the night before. He looked up and remembered the tin buckets on the ceiling. "Shit." He muttered. He stared at the bucket for a while longer, and found something he hadn't noticed before. The water was very clear, and he was able to see that a small goldfish was swimming in small loops, not noticing its environment. He called out to Kevin who was still eating his breakfast, "H-hey Kevin, come look at what I found." Kevin set his food down and walked over to Josh, and looked up to where Josh's eyes were pointing. They stared at this goldfish for what seemed to be ages, and soon there was a knock on the door. "Must be my neighbor." Kevin sighed, knowing that his neighbor from two doors down always loved giving away food she would always make the night before, and then claim, "I accidentally made too much, please take it." Anyhow, Kevin opened the door and expected a loaf of bread, but instead was greeted with an elder man who looked like he came out of a Disney movie. His sentences were let out like puffs of air, suggesting that he speed walked throughout the entire building, "Hello young man," he said with a sweet smile. Josh had walked up to Kevin and stood right behind him, both were very confused, and Kevin finally spoke, "Hi, can I help you with something?" He and Josh waited for a reply, the old man would simply open his mouth every so often as to speak, but would shut it immediately afterwards and would look as if he was thinking. "Yes," he finally said, "Have you seen my goldfish anywhere?" She ran away again, but this time she actually had a plan." He ended by pouting his face and muttering quietly to himself.

Kevin's mind stopped once the man said goldfish, so he ignored the words that followed right afterwards and said, "We have your goldfish, she's in here." Kevin politely let the man inside, and he pointed to the tin bucket with the fish that began jumping out and back into the bucket, creating small splashes that would fall onto the carpet. "Elaine!" The man exclaimed, not seeming to care about the buckets on the ceiling. Kevin grabbed the step ladder and a small plastic bag that he filled with water. He climbed the ladder once again and was able to catch the fish without getting as wet as he did the night before. He stepped down the ladder and gave the bag to the old man who was very happy to see his fish again. He looked up at Kevin, "Don't you know how to get rid of the buckets? Yes, I know they're a problem especially in this building, but I've never seen this many in years." Kevin and Josh looked at each other and then turned to the old man who spoke once again, "Look here," he set the plastic bag down on top of a nearby table and stepped onto a ladder, "you have to calm them down, and right now they're quite angry at you two." Kevin watched as the old man began to soothe one of the buckets by petting it, and Kevin swore he heard a purr coming from the bucket. Josh was in just as much in disbelief as Kevin as he watched the water beginning to evaporate and turn into what looked like dust particles. "There you go. Just do this with the rest of the buckets and soon they'll go away. The water will turn into nothing, and the empty buckets will melt into the ceiling." The old man picked up his plastic bag and walked out of Kevin's apartment. Josh took a deep breath while Kevin tried to accept the fact that this would be a 'normal' situation in his apartment.

Kevin decided to do what the old man said, and began to awkwardly soothe the buckets. Josh did the same, and soon the last bucket became one with the ceiling. "Finally." Kevin simply said. Still wanting to try and accept this situation he would be in from now on.