The Scenario: Somewhere in the neighborhood lurks a dog with one of those yippy, yappy barks. The first time I heard it, I jumped out of my skin, thinking something was being strangled. Turns out - thankfully! - the only things being hurt were my ears. (And my sanity, such as it is.)
I don't know where this dog lives. I suspect its owner lets it hang out on the screened patio so it can get some fresh air and bark at every single thing that walks, crawls or flies by.
So, in an effort to not run screaming into the streets, I thought I'd let my imagination - and yours, if you'll join me - go screaming onto the paper/screen instead.
What if . . . the dog is trying to tell us all something, like aliens or zombies are on the way?
What if . . . we figure out where the dog lives and go over to talk - nicely! - to its owner, only to find the front door unlocked and no evidence any human lives/lived there at all? We follow the barking through the house, to the patio, only to find it empty, too. Do we just have the wrong house? Or could the place be haunted?
What if . . . we find out it's not a dog barking at all but some mutant creature never seen before? Is it from another planet? Is it the result of some lab accident or a science experiment gone wrong?
What if . . . we are the only ones who hear the barking? When we mention it to other people, they look at us like we're crazy. Are we losing our minds? Do we have super-amazing hearing? Are we hearing sounds from a parallel universe?
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Your turn! Chime in on any of the above or come up with your own! Do you have any annoying critters in your neighborhood? How did you handle it? Did they ever make an appearance in one of your stories or blog posts?
