Writing Prompts

17 Wicker Street

Prompt: A reporter comes into town and starts asking the townsfolk odd questions. What is she asking questions about and why?

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Another for sale sign is pounded into the front lawn of 17 Wicker Street as Joe Harris walked into town, using the sidewalk on the other side of the street, of course. When it sells, its new proud owners will be the ninth family that Joe has been obliged to welcome to Cape May. He can picture their bright faces, and their excitement over their lovely white bungalow, so close to town, with a beautiful covered porch, mature trees... and not to mention the rememdously low price! Joe writes a script for the event silently in his head as he finishes his walk to the market. The bell rings as he enters and old Mr. Dosey looks up from his newspaper.

"You see the red house is up fer sale again?" Mr. Dosey starts.

Joe shakes his head. He is continuously amazing at how fast news travels in this small town.

"Good morning to you too, Mr. Dosey," Joe quips back.

"It's a shame, I tell ya. Good lookin' house, but yer better off burnin' it to the ground."

Joe smiles and nods, and Mr. Dosey's jabber gets faint as he makes his way to the back, looking for the vegetables that he came in for.

As he perused the produce section, Joe couldn't stop thinking about how Mr. Dosey referred to the newly listed house as "the red house". The house was clearly white. Perhaps Mr. Dosey is not seeing colors correctly in his old age? Or perhaps it was just a simple mistake.

Joe is relieved to see Ruby walk in as he approached the register, hoping she would occupy Mr. Dosey so he could pay for his items in a timely manner.

"You see the red house is up fer sale again?" Mr. Dosey says to Ruby.

"Again?! Bless the poor souls who buy it next..." 

"It's a shame, I tell ya. Good lookin' house, but yer better off burnin' it to the ground."

Joe smiles politely and pays Mr. Dosey, wondering how many more times he'll repeat those two lines before the day is over.

As Joe leaves the market, a woman in a retro green wool coat and black beret is standing outside. He knows most everyone in this town, but he's never seen her. 

"You missed the snow by a few months," he says to her playfully.

"Pardon me?" she says, confused.

"Oh, nothing. It just... seems a little warm for such a heavy coat."

The woman looks down at her coat, then up towards the cloudless, sunny sky.

"Hm. Guess I didn't notice."

Joe stood in front of her in awkward silence, wondering how she didn't notice that it's been a steady 70 degrees for the past few weeks. The only explaination is that she not been in Cape May very long.

"So, you're not from around here, I take it?" 

"No, not really."

"Not really? So you're sort of from around here?"

"I used to live here when I was little."

"Oh, well, welcome back," Joe said, beginning to make his way back home.

"Have you lived here long?" the woman asks before he gets too far.

"Three years."

"Oh," the woman replied, with an obvious tone of disappointment.