The Busybody

            It was a calm Saturday morning, and 9 year old Alan Staves sat quietly on the staircase reading a book on Australian animals when the doorbell rang.  Alan looked up from his book and brushed a lock of brown hair away from his eyes.

            Alan pressed his pale, freckled face against the staircase railing as his mother opened the door for Mrs. McFlugen.  Mrs. McFlugen was such a busybody.  She always talked about other people and only liked spreading rumors and gossip.  He heard his mother sigh under her breath when the round old woman walked through the door and into the living room.  Alan was getting tired of reading so he sat and listened.

            “Good morning, Amy.” said Mrs. McFlugen to Alan’s mother.

            “Good morning, Mrs. McFlugen.” His mother replied.  “Would you care for some iced tea?”

            “No thanks, dear, I can’t stay long.  I just wanted to ask a question.  Do you know the new neighbors that just moved in next to my house?”

            “I really haven’t had a chance to go meet them.  I have been meaning to.”

            “Well… I can’t help but notice that there is a strange metal object in their back yard, and I can’t figure out what it is.  It’s quite an odd thing, and I am concerned that it may be connected to some sort of shady activity.”

            Alan listened carefully.  He wondered what could be in Mrs. McFlugen’s neighbor’s back yard.  Since he was quite curious, he thought he might go take a look.  He started heading toward the door of the house.  Even though Mrs. McFlugen had said she had to leave soon, she kept chatting away.

            “Oh, my, I almost forgot!” Mrs. McFlugen exclaimed.  “Have you seen the new TV that Pete and Jane just got?  I don’t know how they can afford such things on his salary.  She must be-“

            Alan didn’t hear much more because he was already out the door.  Just as he was halfway down the front porch steps, he heard the door open again.  His mother was standing there.

            “Don’t be long, Alan.  Come back soon.” His mother said.

            “Ok, mom.” He quickly replied as he continued on his way.

            Mrs. McFlugen’s house was not very far away, so he got there quickly.  He saw the large house where the new neighbors lived.  They had a large fence around their back yard, though, so he couldn’t see anything there.  He walked in between the two houses, trying to find a place where he could catch a glimpse into the yard.

            There was a door through the fence in the back.  He tried to open it, but it was locked from the inside.  Alan just couldn’t stand not knowing what kind of weird thing was in the yard.  He tried to figure out a way to see in.  Then, he looked up to Mrs. McFlugen’s second floor balcony.

           On the balcony, there was a telescope!  This is how Mrs. McFlugen was able to see into the neighbor’s yard so well.  He knew it was wrong to go on other people’s balconies, but Alan was just so curious, he couldn’t stand it.  When he saw a ladder against Mrs. McFlugen’s shed, he couldn’t resist.  He got the ladder and put it up to the balcony.

            Alan carefully climbed the ladder onto the balcony and excitedly looked through the telescope.  He could see the neighbor’s back yard very clearly from here.  He also saw what Mrs. McFlugen was talking about.

            In the yard was a large metal thing that looked kind of like a very small space ship!  It was so small that it looked like a big toy.  It had lights all over it, but none of them were on.  It had a small door in it which was too small for even a cat to fit through.

            Suddenly, Alan heard a sound.  It was the sound of Mrs. McFlugen’s car pulling into her driveway!  He ran over to the ladder and grabbed for it quickly so he could climb down.  The problem was that he was in such a hurry that he knocked the ladder over.  It fell to the ground with a loud CLANG!

            “Who’s on my property?!” yelled Mrs. McFlugen.

            Alan was stuck with no way to get down.  He heard Mrs. McFlugen coming around the side of the house as fast as she could.  Now, Mrs. McFlugen could not move very fast, but she would be there soon.  He looked around quickly.  He looked for any other way to get down.

            He seemed to be stuck with nowhere to go!