The moment the cold water hit the granules, the magic—and the danger—began.
She remembered the white granules under the sink: caustic soda, also known as sodium hydroxide. Her grandmother swore by it, but Marta had always been scared of the warning label:
After fifteen minutes, the hissing stopped. Marta filled the sink with hot tap water, pulled the plug, and watched the water spiral down with a clean, hungry gulp.