Black goo coated his teeth and tongue, sliding down the back of his throat. He gagged into the sink, clawing the gunk free. Loosened his tie, winced at the rank eye-burning
odour, turned on the tap and washed out his mouth, lips, and chin. Cuffs on his white shirt smeared with black spots as he continued to rinse and repeat over the kitchen sink. “What the hell was that?”

She picked up the sandwich from the lunchroom floor. “Creamy boot polish. That’ll teach you for stealing my lunch. Oh, there’s a call for you line two… I’ll take a message.”

(100 words)