The New Neighbors

Fandango

Ever since her former next door neighbors, that nice, quiet, elderly couple, sold their house to a family with three teenagers, Barbara and her new neighbors had been at an impasse regarding the loud, raucous parties their kids threw every weekend. Parties that lasted late into the night.

Barbara had welcomed the new family to the neighborhood when they first arrived, informing them of what a nice, quiet, and extraordinary neighborhood they had moved into. Barbara mentioned to the woman of the house that she and her husband, Kenneth, usually retired at around ten o’clock at night and hoped that their new neighbors would try to keep the noise down after that hour.

“Well, you know how teenagers are, right?” the woman said. “They’re going to do what they’re going to do.”

“You’re the parent,” Barbara said. “Surely you can tell your children to be courteous to and respectful of their neighbors.”

“Don’t tell me how to raise my children,” the woman said, turning her back to Barbara, and walking away in a huff.

A few months later, Barbara had had it with these loud, late parties. It was almost 1:30 in the morning and the noise coming from her neighbor’s backyard was quite loud. She went to her back door and looked over into her neighbor’s yard and saw not only a large group of teenagers, but the mother of the teens who lived in the house.

“For the grace of God,” Barbara screamed from her backyard patio, “can you please hold that cacophony down a notch or two?” The teenagers just laughed and one had the audacity to actually turn up the volume of the music. And to add insult to injury, the mother, who was also there, smiled at Barbara and then flipped her the bird.

That’s when Barbara went back into her house, got her double barreled shotgun, loaded both barrels, and stepped out into her backyard.

Written for these daily prompts: Your Daily Word Prompt (impasse), The Daily Spur (ordinary), Ragtag Daily Prompt (grace), and Word of the day Challenge (cacophony).

24 thoughts on “The New Neighbors”

  1. Sadje December 10, 2022 / 3:20 am

    I hope she has good aim and shot the music system 😅

    Liked by 2 people

  2. donmatthewspoetry December 10, 2022 / 4:48 am

    “That’s when Barbara went back into her house, got her double barreled shotgun, loaded both barrels, and stepped out into her backyard………”

    I thought that was your story prompt

    “That’s when Barbara went back into her house, got her double barreled shotgun, loaded both barrels, and stepped out into her backyard……and shot herself” kaboom

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Gypsie-Ami Offenbacher-Ferris December 10, 2022 / 7:35 am

    Well ok then! I have some two doors down across the street. No teenagers but untold amount of loud, partying, angry, fighting adults. Especially on the weekends when the alcohol apparently runs free!!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Fandango December 10, 2022 / 11:05 am

      Fortunately, I don’t have any neighbors like that.

      Liked by 2 people

  6. Ron. December 10, 2022 / 8:15 am

    Soon-to-be-Ex-neighbors, eh?

    Liked by 2 people

  7. pensitivity101 December 10, 2022 / 9:44 am

    Oh yeah! I’ll load. We had neighbours who went on holiday for 6 months and rented their house out to people like this. It was dreadful and we had to get the authorities involved. We moved and had to declare any disputes, but we could honestly say we had no disputes with our neighbours.

    Liked by 2 people

  8. Gr8BigFun December 10, 2022 / 4:00 pm

    Such an ‘American’ solution to a neighbourhood problem, Fandango! 🤣

    Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango December 10, 2022 / 8:29 pm

      When in doubt, fetch the shotgun!

      Like

  9. cagedunn December 10, 2022 / 4:28 pm

    Fairy’s nuts.

    aka Fair Enough, for those who don’t know this slang. And I’ll assume salt pellets …

    Liked by 1 person

  11. jilldennison December 10, 2022 / 9:43 pm

    An altogether too chilling scenario these days. Sigh. Good story, though … I really thought she was going into the house to call the cops!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Fandango December 10, 2022 / 10:09 pm

      That was my original ending, but then I thought it was (1) too predictable and (2) too mundane.

      Liked by 2 people

      • jilldennison December 11, 2022 / 8:36 pm

        Yeah, you’re right … your ending was a jaw-dropper, which is always a good thing when writing fiction!

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Nope, Not Pam December 10, 2022 / 10:56 pm

    Wow, no messing with her

    Liked by 1 person

  14. leigha66 January 11, 2023 / 9:23 pm

    Loud and hot tempered… not sure I would want either one as a neighbor. Good write!

    Liked by 1 person

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