The Snowflake Chronicles

Have you met the neighbors?

Lesson 5 Writing Assignment: Dialogue
Written in February 2010

Word count: 565

“Have you met the neighbors yet?”

“Yes un no. I’ve met the guy across the street, he seems nice enough. He walks a…”

“I hope he isn’t as weird as the family next door to us.”

“What d’ you mean weird?”

“I mean peculiar, bizarre, odd, and creepy!”

“The name of this street isn’t Mocking Bird Lane, so you can’t be referring to the Munsters or the Addams Family. How are they creepy, odd, bizarre, un peculiar?”

“You’re making fun of me!”

“I’m not making fun ov you, Honey. It’s just that you have a vivid un very wild imagination. So why don’t we go into the kitchen, I’ll make you a cup of coffee un you can tell me what you mean by weird.”

“I don’t want to go into the kitchen.”

“Un why don’t you want to go in the kitchen?”

“Because it’s getting dark and the kitchen window looks directly into the Jones’ backyard.”

“The Jones’ would be the family living in the house to the east ov us, right?”

“Yes, and I don’t want their…”

“We can close the curtains if you don’t want them to see us in the kitchen.”

“Closed curtains won’t protect us!”

“Protect us from what?”

“You’re going to make fun of me, you’re going to laugh at me, you’re going to tell me that I’m crazy.”

“I won’t make fun ov you un, of course, you’re not crazy. So please tell me what we need protection from in the Jones’ backyard.”

“Their pet…”

“Their pet cat, I saw the ‘Beware of cat’ sign in their yard this morning, but I don’t think it’s dangerous. A lot ov cat owners have those signs in their houses un yards. Those signs don’t mean the animals are dangerous.”

“I guess you could say their pet is part cat.”

“Do you mean the Jones’ have exotic pets?”

“Yes, I would say that creature is an exotic pet. I believe it’s part lion.”

“Is it a liger, a large cat that’s part lion un part tiger?”

“No, it’s… it’s a Sphinx.”

“A sphinx, you mean it’s one ov those ugly hairless purebred felines?”

“No! I mean it’s a Sphinx like the hug tomb we saw when we were in Egypt last year.”

“Oh, Uh, did you take your meds this morning?”

“Yes, I took my medication this morning! I’m telling you the Jones’ have a real live creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human being in their backyard.”

“Well, uh, who does it’s head look like?”

“You’re making fun of me!”

“I’m not laughing at you un I’m not making fun ov you… Actually, I’m starting to worry about you.”

“When I saw it last night it’s red glowing eyes looked straight into my soul. It gave me chills.”

“Un where were you when you saw it?”

“I was in the kitchen getting a midnight snack and I looked out the window. There the creature was, setting on the other side of the fence staring directly at me through the kitchen window.”

“I’m going to The Home Depot tomorrow for some fertilizer. While I’m there I’ll get you one ov those mini fridges to put in the bedroom. That way you don’t have to go in the kitchen for a midnight snack un if you want I can get you a small microwave as well.”