"The Inside of a Cup" -short-short exercise

Jeffrey struggled with the rusted lock on his door until it gave way.  The air was almost as cold inside as it was outside.  He walked in darkness to the sink and wiped a dirty cup on his jacket which he hadn't taken off.  The outside of the cup seemed a bit cleaner, but the inside was still coated with dust and the dried film of milk.  He held the cup under the faucet and turned the handle.  The faucet sprayed out water and air and came to an abrupt stop. 

The water bill...

Jeffrey walked to his couch and wrapped himself in the blanket his grandmother had made years ago and turned on the TV.  The dark room lit up from the light of the screen.  A man dressed in a pinstripe suit with gold cufflinks and slicked back hair was selling his book on an infomercial. It was called 8 Steps to the Better You.  Jeffrey left the TV on that channel, because the channel buttons on the remote had quit working.

"Wealth is nothing to be ashamed of.  But in order to acquire it, you have to give to receive.  My new book will walk you through the eight steps that will help you grant yourself the life and wealth you've always wanted.  If you call now---"

The TV shut off leaving Jeffrey cold in the dark.  Far away he could hear the sound of a couple fighting.

The power bill...