Have I Died In The Dishwasher?

Terence comes out of the Bean Scene with a raspberry Fanta.

He sits down at the outdoor table.

Where's Monty?

Roo-kai looks up from his prawn.

Bronte looks up from his smoothie.

Someone's cleared the dirty mug away, says Roo-kai.

But Monty was in it! cries Terence.

Never mind, says Roo-kai. He still will be.

I'll go in and ask, says Bronte. You drink your Fanta.

Terence scowls at his Fanta.

Bronte comes out.

Monte is in the dishwasher, says Bronte. They won't switch it off.

Wah! says Terence. Monty will be neighing.

He'll be getting clean, says Roo-kai. 

They'll bring him out when the dishwasher's finished its cycle, says Bronte.

Terence sucks on his raspberry Fanta, but the joy has gone out of it.

Dishwashers are for dishes, not horses. Monty will be scared of the sound effects. 

Clang-prong-slush-woosh-grrum, clang-prong-woosh-gurrr, clang-prong-swoosh-grruum....ding!

Can I at least go in and wait for the ding? asks Terence.

I don't see why not, says Roo-kai.

Terence goes back into the café, and through to the kitchen.

No one sees him because they are busy.

He tiptoes up to the dishwasher.

He hears Monty neighing, and also loud clanging and swooshing.

He waits for the ding.

Inside the dishwasher Monty is jammed upside down in the coffee mug, between the curve of the mug and the prong.

Hot water squirts up into his face and around him, then cascades down his tail and hind quarters.

The water is soapy.

He slides out of the coffee mug, and becomes wedged in a grid.

He lies on his side amongst lentils.

Then, the dishwasher is silent.

Have I died? wonders Monty.

But no. It's just a pause before the rinse cycle.

Thump-gurr-swoosh-clang.

At last the dishwasher subsides to a state of inertia.

Drip drip.

Ding!

A kitchen hand hurries over to open the dishwasher.

Finally! says Terence