JESSICA MCDOUGALD - DING-DONG-DITCH

Jessica McDougald is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing for the Entertainment Industry which she intends to utilize to become a Video Game Writer. Mrs. McDougald is currently working towards obtaining her first published work and is most well known for a Fallout 4 video game tutorial video on YouTube for which she has gained a multitude of followers and over 22,000views. She answers the questions of her followers almost daily to guide them through the gaming world. She is currently working on establishing her presence in the writing industry.

Ding​ ​Dong​ ​Ditch 
​

Mary​ ​hears​ ​the​ ​all​ ​too​ ​familiar ​ ​ cadence ​ of​    ​ her​     ​doorbell.​      ​ “I​ ​ swear​      ​ ​if ​ it’s​ ​ ​those ding-dong-ditchers​ ​again​ ​I’m​ ​gonna​ lose​     ​ ​it.”​ ​She​ pulls​ ​​open​ ​the​ ​large​ ​mahogany​ ​door​ ​quickly with​ ​a​ ​scowl ​ on​     ​ her​    ​ face.​  ​ “Get​​ ​away ​​from ​ ​my​ ​door!”​ ​To​ ​her​ ​surprise​ ​she​ doesn’t​​ ​find​ ​fleeing pre-teens. ​ She​     ​ sees​   ​ no-one.​        ​                             Instead,​ ​laying ​ ​on      ​ ​her    ​ door​  ​ mat​   ​  she​    ​  ​finds ​a​​  ​small,  ​  ​strange        ​  ​black ​  ​box.  Hardly​ ​the​ ​size​ ​of​ ​a​ ​novel,​ ​the​ ​box​ ​doesn’t​ ​appear​ ​particularly​ ​special.​ No​      ​ return​ ​ ​address.       ​ Affixed​       to​ ​the​ ​top​ ​is​ ​a​ ​plain​ ​white​ ​address​ ​label​ ​with​ ​only​ ​her​ name​ ​ and​ ​ information.​  ​ There​ ​  ​are    ​ no​     markings​ ​from​ ​shipping,​ ​nothing​ ​to​ ​indicate​ ​what​ ​it​ ​is,​ ​who​ ​sent​ ​it​ ​or​ ​who ​ delivered​​ ​it.​ ​She​ ​leans down ​ to​ ​ grab​   ​ ​the​ ​box​ ​but​ ​stops​ ​abruptly.
 
            She​ ​begins​ ​to​ ​wonder​ ​if​ ​she​ ​should​ ​I​ ​open​ ​the​ ​mysterious​ ​box​ ​or​ ​call​ ​the​ ​bomb​ ​squad.​ ​Her eyes​ ​narrow​ ​and​ ​she​ ​groans.​ ​“I​ ​bet​ ​it’s​ ​full​ ​of​ ​poo​ ​from​ ​those​ ​damn​ ​neighbor​ ​kids.”​ ​Grabbing​ the​ box ​ she​ ​ ​finds​ ​that​ ​it’s​ ​much​ ​lighter​ ​than ​ ​expected.​ ​It ​feels​  ​​empty.​ “What​ ​ ​the…”​ ​she ​​trails​ off​ ​​as she ​ lifts​       ​ the​ ​ top​    ​ off​    ​ ​the    ​  box​   ​ ​and   ​ sees   ​ ​ ​nothing        ​  ​but​  ​a ​ ​black ​ ​void.  
 
              It​ ​seems​ ​endless​ ​in​ ​nature.​ ​No​ ​bottom,​ ​no​ ​sides,​ ​just​ ​black.​ ​“Never​ ​in​ ​my​ ​life​ ​have ​ I​ ​ seen​ anything ​ like​  ​ this.”​ ​ She​   ​ furrows​        ​​her    ​  ​brow ​  ​as     ​ ​she ​ timidly​   ​sticks​ ​​her​ ​hand​ ​in​ ​the​ ​box​ ​to​ ​investigate. She​ ​feels​ ​nothing.​ ​She​ ​can​ ​stick​ ​in​ ​her​ ​arm​ ​all​ ​the​ ​way​ ​up​ ​to​ ​the​ ​elbow.
 
         ‘What​ ​the​ ​hell?​ ​What’s​ ​happening?​ ​What​ ​is​ ​this?’,​ ​she​ ​thinks.​ ​But​ ​what​ ​comes​ out​ ​ of​ ​ her​  mouth​ ​is,​ ​“​C'est​ quoi​  ​ ​ça?​ ​Que​ se​ ​passe-t-il?​ ​ Qu'est-ce​ ​que​ ​c​ ​est?”  
‘Wait,​ ​what​ ​did​ ​I​ ​just​ ​say?​ ​What​ ​language​ ​was​ ​that?’ 
 
            Out​ ​of​ ​shock​ ​she​ ​puts​ the​      ​ box​   ​ on​     ​          her​ ​ side​        ​ table​  ​ and​   ​ ​        places ​ ​the  ​lid​ ​ ​over   ​  ​the    ​  ​top    ​  ​of     ​ ​the    strange​ ​box. ​ ​She​ ​stares​ ​wide​ ​eyed, ​scared​​ ​to ​ speak​          ​ or​ ​ move.​           ​Maybe​         ​ ​she    ​ was​   ​ simply​         ​ imagining​ things. ​ The​   ​ ringing​        ​ ​of​ ​the​ ​doorbell​ ​disrupts​   her​ ​ ​as​ ​she      ​ ​dwells ​over​ ​ the​    ​  decision​       ​ to​ ​ reopen​     ​ ​the ​lid​ and ​ peek​ ​ inside.​         ​ She​   ​ turns,​ ​         her​​  ​actions    ​hurried​         ​ and​   ​         nervous.​ ​       ​She​  ​bumps ​ ​the    ​  ​small ​  ​table  ​  knocking​ the ​ box​    ​ to​ ​ the​         ​ floor​   ​where​          ​ the​     ​​lid    ​ pops​  ​ off.​ ​ Hearing​      ​​the    ​  ​giggles        ​  of​ ​ ​neighborhood     ​  ​children       ​ as​     ​  they​  flee,​ ​her​ ​footsteps​ ​become ​ ​hurried.​ She​  ​ ​opens​ ​the​ ​door​ ​and​ ​yells,​ ​“​Alejarse​ ​de​ ​mi ​​puerta!” 
 
           Startled​ ​at​ ​yet​ ​another​ ​foreign​ ​language​ ​emerging​ ​from​ ​her​ ​lips,​ ​she​ ​forgets​ ​about​ ​the hoodlums​ and​ ​ slams​ ​ ​the​ ​door ​shut.​​ ​She​ ​leans​ ​against​ its​​ dark​​ ​cool​ ​wood​ ​to​ ​collect​ ​herself. ​ ​‘That was ​ Spanish.​        ​ Why​  ​ would​         ​ I​ ​      be​​  speaking​   ​ Spanish?’​     ​  Mary​  ​​was   ​  ​a ​ ​Spanish    ​ ​instructor       ​  ​before         ​ ​she    retired.​ ‘But​   ​ before?​        ​ Was​  ​ ​        that.. ​French?​​ I’ve​​ ​only​ ​heard ​​the ​​language​ a​​  little​    ​ on​     ​ television.​    ​ How​ could​ ​this​ ​happen?​ How​      ​ ​could ​ ​I​ ​suddenly​ ​start​ ​speaking ​​different​ ​languages?’
 
         She​ ​slides​ ​down​ ​to​ ​sit​ ​on​ ​the​ ​floor.​ ​Either​ ​something​ ​odd​ ​is​ ​happening​ ​or​ ​she’s​ ​losing​ ​her mind. ​ Laying​ ​ in​ ​ front​       ​ of​     ​ her​    ​ ​is ​ the​         ​ box.​  ​ The​    ​empty​ ​​void.​ ​The​ ​unexpected​ and​​ ​unknown.​ ​‘That’s it! ​ Every​   ​ time​  ​ the​    ​ lid​    ​  ​is​  replaced​   ​ and​   ​ ​then ​ opened​  ​again​​ ​I​ ​speak​ a​​ ​different​ ​language.’​ She​​ ​stands to ​ clean​      ​ ​up​ ​the​ ​foyer.​ ​‘Is​ ​that​ ​even​ ​possible?’ ​​She ​​collects​ ​the​ ​box​ ​and​ ​lid.​ ​‘Maybe​ ​I’m hallucinating.’ 
 
        ‘What​ ​am​ ​I​ ​going​ ​to​ ​do,​ ​call​ ​the​ ​police?​ ​They’ll​ ​have​ to​ ​ find​ ​ an​ ​  ​interpreter…​ then​​ ​they’ll call ​ the​         ​ psych​ ​ ward.​ ​ Who’s​   going​ ​ to​ ​ believe​      ​ my​   ​story?  ​I​​  ​ opened  ​​a ​ damn​       ​box​ ​​and​ started​ ​​speaking a ​ different​ ​ language.​     ​ Yeah,​ ​ sure​   ​ you​   ​ did​   ​ lady.​   ​ Now​ ​ come​  ​        ​with  ​us​         ​  and   ​ ​ we’ll​ ​ give​ ​you​ ​​a ​nice​ ​​warm coat ​ that​       ​ lets​   ​ you​ ​ ​hug   ​ yourself!’​      
 
               Frantically ​ she​ ​ begins​ ​ to​ ​ ​open​ ​and​ ​close​ the​ Iid.​ Each​​ ​time​ ​yelling, ​​‘Test!’​ ​and ​​hoping ​ to​ hear ​ her​        ​ native​          ​ dialect.​        ​ After​ ​  an​     ​ hour​  ​ ​of     ​  failed​ ​ attempts,​      ​ she​    ​ ​slumps ​  ​to ​ the​         ​ ​floor  ​  ​defeated.     ​ At​    ​  this​   point​ ​she​ ​has ​ no​      ​ clue​   ​ ​what​ language​​ ​she ​​is​ speaking​​ ​and ​​no​ idea​​ ​which​ ​one​ ​could​ be​  ​ next.​ ​ Her​   own​ ​tongue​ ​is​ ​betraying​ ​her.​ ​Her​ ​mind​ ​is ​ playing​ ​ tricks​ ​ on​     ​  her!​   ​ ​Maybe         ​​all      ​  of     ​ ​ ​this   ​ is​​  just​ ​a​​  ​dream?     ‘Please​ ​don’t​ ​let​ ​this​ ​be​ ​real.’ 
 
                Tired​ ​and​ ​devastated​ ​she​ ​stands​ ​up.​ ​She​ ​trudges​ ​to​ her​ ​  plush​ ​ blue​ ​ recliner​   ​ and​ ​ drops​    the​ box ​ in​ ​ her​     ​ lap.​   ​ ​Closing        ​  her​    ​ eyes,​ ​  ​she    ​  decides​        ​ ​on     ​ a​  ​     ​much​  ​needed ​  ​nap. ​ When​    ​  ​she    ​ ​wakes         ​  she’s​ scared ​ ​to​ ​speak. ​ ​‘What​ ​if​ ​I’m ​ still​ ​  speaking​      ​ a ​​ ​random​ ​language?​ ​How​ ​many​ ​languages ​​are​ ​there in ​ the​     ​ world?​   Will​  ​ I​ ​ ever​   ​​speak ​  ​my    ​ own​    ​ language​     again?’ 
 
               With ​ so​ ​ many​ ​ unanswered​ ​ questions​     ​​she ​ decides​ ​ ​to ​    take​​  ​action. ​  ‘Here​ ​ goes​ ​ ​nothing.’    She​   shuts​ her​  eyes,​ ​ gingerly​   ​places ​ her​   hand​ ​​on​ the​​ ​lid ​​and ​​opens​ ​the​ box.​​ ​She​ ​places​ ​her​ ​free​ hand​   inside.​ ​What​ ​she​ ​finds​ ​is​ ​more​ ​shocking​ ​and​ ​disturbing​ ​than​ ​her​ ​previous​ ​ordeal. 
 
          Inside​ ​is​ ​a​ ​book​ ​titled​ ​‘Languages​ ​of​ ​the​ ​World’.​ ​It​ ​holds​ ​lessons ​ ​for​ French,​​ ​Spanish, Creole ​ and​ ​ any​   ​ other​ ​ ​other​ ​language​  one   ​​ ​could ​​imagine.​ ​She​ ​giggles​ ​to​ ​herself​ ​as ​​she​ ​realizes how ​ silly​      ​ she​ ​ must​  ​ look​   ​ right​ ​ now.​   Sitting​     in​ ​ ​    her  ​favorite​   ​ ​        recliner​  ​scared         ​ ​of​ a​ ​​box ​and​ ​thinking​ that ​ when​  ​ she​    ​ opened​        ​ the​    ​ lid,​    ​  she​    ​ would​         ​ speak​  ​random​ ​​languages.​ ​Her​ ​smile​ broadens.​​ ​‘How silly!’
 
         What​ ​comes​ ​out​ ​of​ ​her​ ​mouth...​ ​“Koliko​ ​glup!”​ ​Her​ ​eyes​ ​grow​ ​as​ ​large​ ​as​ ​a​ ​silver​ ​dollar and ​ her​ ​ smile​   ​ quickly​     fades.​