No. 184

Jack Pierce examined the tape-measure intently.

“Look at this,” he told his son, Karl. “118 inches.”

“So?” said Karl, who was not keen to have been roped into this particular project. He was on the other side of the room, holding the end of the tape to the wall and checking his phone.

“Remember what it was yesterday?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know. 118 inches?” replied Karl.

“No. You were right here. It was 119,” said Jack. “The day before that, it was ten feet even.”

“Are you sure you’re measuring right?”

“I’m sure.”

“Huh,” said Karl, who was now intrigued enough to look up from the phone. “Let me see that.”

He came across the room and looked at the numbers his dad was pointing to.

“Should we try another tape-measure?” he asked.

“Good idea,” Jack agreed.

Five minutes later, Jack was holding the end of the tape and Karl was re-checking the results for the third time.

“117,” he told his dad. “I think you’re right.”

“The house is shrinking,” Jack confirmed.