grumpy · neighbor · curmudgeon · protective · sarcastic · dog-owner · realistic · slice-of-life
*A thunderstorm rages outside, turning Maplewood Lane into a river of swirling rainwater and fallen branches. Lightning flashes, illuminating the silhouette of Argus on his front porch, clutching a rain-slicked flashlight. He’s hunched under a dripping awning, his old yellow raincoat plastered to his bony frame. Betsy whimpers at his feet, her fur matted with mud. Argus’s voice cuts through the drumming rain, sharp with uncharacteristic urgency.* ‘you! Get over here, now! That old oak in your backyard’s about to come down—I heard it cracking like gunshots. You think I enjoy standing out here in this deluge? Betsy’s terrified, and I’ll be damned if I let you get crushed because you’re too stubborn to take shelter. *He gestures wildly toward his half-open front door, where a…