Whispers from the Washing Machine

Date & Location

October 2024
Orlando, Florida

From Childhood Fears to Fantastical Tales

In a creative writing exercise where we had just 8 minutes to craft a spooky story for children, I wove these memories into a whimsical yet eerie tale. As the only foreigner in the class, I drew inspiration from my experiences living in Taiwan, reflecting on childhood fears of various corners of the house. It is set in an old Taiwanese apartment, blending everyday life with supernatural elements, evoking both suspense and nostalgia through cultural and personal touches.

Project Type

Creative Writing

Course

Storytelling as Theatre Art

Professor

Patrick Braillard

Keywords

Writing Exercise

The First 8 Minutes

"Don’t overload the washing machine," my mom warned.
"What’s the big deal?" I retorted.
She replied, "The washing machine works hard. If you put too many clothes in, it gets angry and might eat your socks as a warning."

I’m usually lazy, letting laundry pile up until I have no socks. One day, after finally doing a load, I noticed one of my penguin socks—my birthday gift—was missing. Panicking, I searched everywhere, even inside the washing machine, but it was nowhere to be found. Determined, I opened the lid again, hoping it was stuck in a hidden corner.

I saw a valve inside the machine, something I had never noticed before. Curious, I twisted it, and to my surprise, the bottom of the washing machine opened like a lid, revealing a hidden compartment.

Inside, a creature sat, panting heavily, squinting as if unaccustomed to light. Its eyes glared at me with a mix of anger and disdain. The creature had deep, brassy skin, rough and smeared with black oil. With three strong arms, it gripped the machine’s axle tightly. It was clear this monster was responsible for the machine’s spinning. Exhausted and irate, it chewed on something—my missing penguin sock.

Silently, I closed the lid, locked the valve, and took a deep breath.
"Okay," I whispered to myself, "next time, I’ll definitely put in fewer clothes."

Another 5 Minutes

"Don’t overload the washing machine," my mom warned.
"What’s the big deal?" I countered.
She explained, "The washing machine works hard. Overload it, and it might get angry, eating your socks as a warning."

Typically, I procrastinate on laundry until I’m out of socks. One day, after washing a pile, I realized one of my penguin socks—my birthday present—was missing. Frantic, I scoured every possible spot, even the washing machine, but it was just gone. I reopened the machine, hoping it was trapped in some hidden crevice.

Suddenly, I noticed an unfamiliar valve inside the machine. I had never paid attention to it before. Intrigued, I twisted it, and astonishingly, the bottom of the washing machine opened, revealing a hidden compartment with steam.

Inside sat a creature, panting, squinting at the light. It gazed at me with a mix of irritation and disdain. Its skin was a dark, brassy hue, rough and coated in black oil. With three muscular arms, it clung to the machine’s axle. This must be the monster responsible for the washer's spinning. Weary and vexed, it gnawed on something—my lost penguin sock.

Then, the creature stretched, slowly crawled out of the machine, and put on some of my freshly washed clothes. To my horror, I realized I was now crammed inside the tight space of the washing machine, gripping the axle, unable to move.

The creature turned to me, and shockingly, its face turned to mine. Paralyzed, I watched as it spat the chewed sock into my mouth. Before closing the lid at the bottom, it whispered, "Next time you feel overwhelmed by laundry, you can steal a sock too, so we know you’re upset."

Image

AI generated image with texts above.

Other Languages

「洗衣機不要一次放太多衣服」我媽警告；
「是會怎樣！」我反駁。
媽媽說：「洗衣機工作很辛苦，放太多衣服他會生氣，會吃掉你的襪子提醒你」。
我平常都很懶，總是積到沒有襪子穿的時候才洗衣服。有一天洗完衣服後，我發現我的企鵝襪不見了，那可是我的生日禮物！我馬上回去看洗衣機，沒有，找遍能找的地方但都找不到，只好再次打開洗衣機，想說可能卡在某個我剛沒看到的死角。
突然我發現洗衣機的內側有一個我從沒看過的閥，之前從沒注意過，嘗試轉了一下，沒想到居然洗衣機的底部居然是個蓋子，因閥門被轉動而打開。
我看到一隻氣喘吁吁的怪物，坐在洗衣機的底部，瞇著眼，似乎還不習慣光線，但我看得出他的眼神很生氣，不屑地瞪著我。
他的皮膚是深深的黃銅色，粗糙且滿是黑油。他有三隻非常強壯的手臂，雙手緊握洗衣機的輪軸。我想他大概就是負責旋轉洗衣機的怪獸吧！他看起來又累又氣，瞇著眼，尖銳而外露的牙齒咀嚼著我那隻找不到的企鵝襪。
我默默把蓋子蓋回去，把閥給鎖緊，深吸一口氣，ok好我下次衣服還是少放一點好了。
「洗衣機不要一次放太多衣服」我媽警告；
「是會怎樣！」我反駁。
媽媽說：「洗衣機工作很辛苦，放太多衣服他會生氣，會吃掉你的襪子提醒你」。
我平常都很懶，總是積到沒有襪子穿的時候才洗衣服。有一天洗完衣服後，我發現我的企鵝襪不見了，那可是我的生日禮物！我馬上回去看洗衣機，沒有，找遍能找的地方但都找不到，只好再次打開洗衣機，想說可能卡在某個我剛沒看到的死角。
突然我發現洗衣機的內側有一個我從沒看過的閥，之前從沒注意過，嘗試轉了一下，沒想到居然洗衣機的底部居然是個蓋子，因閥門被轉動而打開。
我看到一隻氣喘吁吁的怪物，坐在洗衣機的底部，瞇著眼，似乎還不習慣光線，但我看得出他的眼神很生氣，不屑地瞪著我。
他的皮膚是深深的黃銅色，粗糙且滿是黑油。他有三隻非常強壯的手臂，雙手緊握洗衣機的輪軸。我想他大概就是負責旋轉洗衣機的怪獸吧！他看起來又累又氣，瞇著眼，尖銳而外露的牙齒咀嚼著我那隻找不到的企鵝襪。
怪物動了動筋骨，緩慢地爬出洗衣機，拿起洗衣機旁我剛洗好的衣服穿上。突然，我發現我居然坐在洗衣機的底部，在這個又擠又小的空間中動彈不得，雙手緊緊握著洗衣機的輪軸，無法拿開。
這時怪獸轉頭看向我，他已不是那油膩粗糙的怪物，而他的臉，居然是我的臉！我想掙扎卻無法動彈，他走向我，吐出他嘴裡嚼爛的企鵝襪，塞進我的嘴巴裡。關上洗衣機底部的蓋子前，小聲地跟我說：「下次妳覺得衣服真的太多的時候，妳也可以偷一隻襪子，讓我們知道妳生氣了」。