The writing dice are back for February. This time, instead of January’s ancient history, we are writing short stories that take place in recent history. The details from the dice were: the story has to be about a stubborn and optimistic minority female protagonist from the perspective of an omniscient outsider. The theme of the story is justice and the conflict is man to man. The word count for these stories should be about 2,000 words. (yeah, it was under 2,000, but I’m posting this and mine may have been a little over 2,000. Sue me)
Get your own Writing Dice at Two Tumbleweeds.
New Neighbor
By Glenn Matchett
It was a pleasant day when Lucy Helmsburg moved into Elfton Lane. Old Mrs. Milton peeked out the window as the attractive young woman in the sunflower dress admired her new surroundings. ‘I like her dress and I think I spotted a new mixer. She might be interested in joining our baking afternoon’
On the other end of the line Mrs. Lyndsey eyes sparkled with excitement. She gripped the phone cord of the landline resting on the wall like she had news that the First Lady was dropping by.
‘Good idea! We simply must ask! Have you seen any sign of the husband yet? I talked to Melinda, Dorothy, Agnes, Fiona, Susan and Iris but no one has spotted him yet.’
Shaking her head like her next door neighbour could see her, Mrs. Milton took a look outside once more. Now it seemed Lucy was carrying a box herself which seemed odd to Mrs. Milton. Perhaps she felt obliged?
‘No sign yet. He might be at work. You know how strenuous it can be for men to supervise moves. Best leave it to the woman of the house. Do you think I should drop over with my lasagne today or leave it till tomorrow? If I start the oven now, I could have it ready by dinner.’ For over 50 years, Mrs, Milton’s legendary welcome lasagne had greeted new residents to Elfton Lane to rave reviews. It was also a clever way to assess new residents. Even though from a distance the new woman on the street looked well kept, attractive and had passable good taste in homeware, one didn’t know for sure until you got a peek inside the home..
‘Best leave it till tomorrow.’ Mrs. Lyndsey more ordered than suggested ‘We don’t want to overwhelm the poor thing. She seems young and this could be her first home. Lot’s of pressure to make everything just so for her husband getting home from work.’
A wise choice from Helen Lyndsey who was the leader of the wives in the community. It had been Elizabeth Milton once upon a time, but one understood when it was time to step aside and Lyndsey had seized the crown as neighbourhood Queen Bee with abundance.
‘I’ll call around the girls and make sure we give her space. We can do lasagne tomorrow.’ Agreements were in place, phone calls were made and the wives watched. Their husbands arrived home in their cars almost all at the same time like clockwork. They nodded to each other, tipping their fedoras with the precision of a cuckoo clock. Of course, Lyndsey had dinner on the table as always for her husband when he got in. She’d listen about his day, mention the new neighbour and discuss what their son and daughter had done that day. They’d listen to the radio while she knitted and he read the paper ,making sure they never missed the Jack Benny show. Then Elizabeth would tidy up and they’d both head to their beds with lights out by 10.30PM at latest. Wedded bliss was everything to Elizabeth and she thrived on the routine. That night when she lay in bed with her curlers in her hair though, she realized one odd thing.
There was yet to be a sign of the husband.
Listening to the pleasant beep of her oven, Patrice Milton felt her excitement rise. Waiting any longer seemed too much of an ask when she had success with lasagne at lunch as much as dinner. She thought perhaps she should check with Elizabeth but for a rarity, Patrice decided to be risky. While her husband slept on his easy chair, enjoying his well earned retirement, Elizabeth busied herself getting dressed up and ready for the first impression. She’d been in bed earlier than Elizabeth so had seen no sign of the husband of the new woman across the street either but when one got old, one got patient. Not only then would she be able to ascertain the quality of the new resident of Elfton Lane but there would be pictures. Pictures of her husband that she could then report back about. That would sate any upset about not asking about the lunch Lasagne she was sure.
Making her way across the street armed with her lasagne and her best attitude, Patrice glanced at Elizabeth’s house and wondering if she was watching. Knocking on the front door of the new resident, Patrice waited patiently. Outside the house gave nothing away, but that wasn’t a huge surprise. Their neighbourhood association wanted the houses to look as much alike as possible. It just made everything nice and clear Patrice thought, good and proper. Frowning that no one was answering and wondering if the wife had gone shopping by taking the bus or some such, Patrice was tempted to knock again when the door opened and her excitement rose once more.
‘Slow down Patrice.’
Elizabeth had never heard her neighbour try to convey so much information so quickly. It was less than half an hour after the door to the new neighbour’s house had opened and Patrice had returned back to her home with her lasagne still in hand. Ignoring her husband’s snoring in the distance, Patrice felt slightly shaky on her feet like on the radio they’d reported something as odd or unusual as the news about those talking picture boxes that were becoming more popular. ‘It wasn’t the woman we saw yesterday’ Patrice reported again, ‘It was another woman. Quite lovely yes but with dark hair and….it just wasn’t the same one. She was…she was wearing pants Elizabeth! Pants!’
For a moment, Elizabeth wondered if Patrice was starting to wonder in her mind. Her mother had called it ‘doting’ when her grandmother had done it. She sometimes mistook Elizabeth for her mother which always horrified her since she was yet to have any wrinkles or grey hair, perish the day.
‘Pants? Like a man?’ Elizabeth wondered if she spoke slowly that Patrice would see the absurdity in her statement.
‘Exactly like a man!’ Patrice confirmed.
Wondering if perhaps Patrice could be right, Elizabeth thought over this odd conundrum ‘Perhaps they’re from somewhere odd or exotic. Indiana perhaps?
‘ It would be nice to have a different type of culture in the neighbourhood,’ Elizabeth supposed. ‘No, the woman who answered the door told me where they were from. They said it was why they couldn’t take my lasagna. They said they were Vegetarian. I didn’t really know what state that could mean, do you know?’ Elizabeth didn’t want to admit she didn’t so ignored the question. ‘Let me handle it from here. Let’s not tell the others quite yet. We don’t want to start a panic.’
‘Quite agree’, Patrice agreed knowing calling Gail, Jennifer, Christine, Annie, Ruth and Henrietta already hardly counted.
Taking things into her own hands the next day, Elizabeth made sure her husband was ready for work and her kids off to school before taking action. Unlike Patrice the previous day, she didn’t look at any other house on the street. She knew she was being watched, it was just how things were after all. Clearing her throat and opening up her make-up mirror to check over herself to assure she still looked flawless after her walk across the street, Elizabeth knocked on the door. Standing waiting, Elizabeth glanced at the door window and then leaned back ever so slightly so she could glimpse inside the house. Wondering if she could convince her husband to pay for a new furniture set, Elizabeth turned her head back towards the front door as it opened up.
‘I’m confused.’ Scratching his head, looking at the empty table in his dining room Nathan Lyndsey had the appearance of a man trying to solve an ancient riddle. His kids were in the living room reading politely as he stood alongside his neighbour, Mrs. Milton. ‘It is strange isn’t it? The children came to mine when they came home saying Elizabeth wasn’t there. I assumed she’d been detained somewhere so I allowed them in to do their homework. I made sure they were fed but I haven’t seen any sign of her. I thought she’d come home and I didn’t notice. I didn’t even realize the time until you knocked.’
There had only been a letter explaining to Nathan where his children were instead of the usual peck on the cheek, greetings from his children and dinner on the table. In their entire marriage, Elizabeth had never failed to have dinner waiting for him and tonight with it being meatloaf night, all of them seemed especially disappointing to him.
‘If you ask me.’ Patrice started to whisper, ‘It’s something to do with that new woman across that street and her odd friend. They’re foreign I think, from a place called Vegetation or some such. I thought perhaps European, but I couldn’t find it in my Atlas. Yesterday Elizabeth mentioned dropping over. ‘Have you seen or met the husband yet?’
Shaking his head, Nathan remembered Elizabeth mentioning a new neighbour.
‘Can’t say I’ve met the man.’ Nathan answered wondering what on Earth was going on. He didn’t want to deal with this after work. He was tired and just wanted to sit down. ‘I can watch the children if you need to maybe call over?’ There was a malicious glint in Patrice’s eye. There was drama forming and she could smell it. Not noticing, Nathan glanced at the children and nodded. ‘Yes, that would be fine. I’ll be back in a moment.’
Watching eagerly out the window, Patrice watched as Nathan made his way across the street. Knocking on the door firmly, Nathan looked around him thoughtfully. There was no car in the driveway. Perhaps the man took the bus to work? Hearing the sound of the door opening, Nathan was greeted by a pretty blond. Finding a smile upon seeing the stunning creature before him, Nathan removed his fedora and held it to his chest. ‘Sorry to borrow you ma’am at such a late hour. Is the man of the house home?’ For a moment the woman seemed puzzled, but then nodded. She stood aside and Nathan let himself in. Hearing the door close behind him, Nathan surveyed the interior. ‘You have a lovely home Mrs….’ This is the moment when Natahan heard it. The moist loud chewing.
Instinctively, he almost told his son to stop chewing so loudly but realized that couldn’t be the source. Following the noise, Nathan was almost to the kitchen when he saw it, the sight that made him stumble back and the breath catch in his throat. In front of him, a long thin bone creature was feasting on what remained of his wife’s face. ‘Fressssh young meat onlyyyyy’ He heard a hoarse croaking voice say behind him. Turning around, Nathan sees the final stages of the attractive blonde changing. She’s grown long and thin, like a tall extended skeleton with thin hair and dark eyes that seem to sink forever. He opens his mouth to scream but her jaw opens wider than he could have imagined. Then like the closing of a door of an unwelcoming neighbour, the moment is gone.
