Previous Challenge Entry (EDITOR'S CHOICE)
Topic: Outlandish( 05/19/11)
TITLE:
Reference Point | Writing Challenge By Allison Egley 05/26/11 |
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9th Place
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<b>Costumes:</b> The girl, Lucy, should wear jeans and a t-shirt... typical clothing for a young girl or teenager. For the books, the costumes could be as elaborate as cardboard boxes made to look like open books or as simple as t-shirts that say "Dictionary," "Thesaurus," and "D Encyclopedia."
<b>Equipment:</b> Computer and computer table, printer, kitchen table (optional), paper, backpack
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<b>Encyclopedia:</b> Man, have I got a crick in my spine.
<b>Dictionary:</b> Yeah, at least you've been taken off the shelf more than once in the past year. I thought I was going to be stuck there forever, right between <i>Decisions Points</i> by George W. Bush and <i>My Life</i> by Bill Clinton. Why did I have to get stuck between them? They're always yelling at each other. Some mumbo-jumbo about politics.
<b>Thesaurus:</b> You know what's wrong with these kids today? They're too impatient. Restless. Anxious.
<b>Dictionary:</b> Yes. Do you know what word they added to me?
<b>Encyclopedia:</b> What?
<b>Dictionary:</b> Google.
<b>Encyclopedia:</b> Well, that doesn't seem that bad. I've had an entry for that for years.
<b>Dictionary:</b> Not googol the number, Encyclopedia. Google. G-O-O-G-L-E. As in "To use the search engine Google to obtain information."
<b>Thesaurus:</b> Why, that's outlandish. Preposterous. Crazy.
<b>Encyclopedia:</b> You know what they added to my entry about dog breeds? They added "labradoodle" as a dog breed. Why, when I was a wee booklet, we called 'em all mutts, plain and simple. None of this crossbreed stuff.
<b>Dictionary:</b> You know the problem with kids today? They want instant gratification. They want things spoon-fed to them. If they can't <b>*ahem*</b> pardon the term, Google it in under 30 seconds they don't want anything to do with it.
<b>Encyclopedia:</b> You've got that right, my friend. I miss the good ol' days when kids <i>had</i> to use us to get information. None of this newfangled computer stuff. Why, I once met a set of encyclopedias who were used all the time. The kids in that family would read them... for <i>fun.</i> One of them said he was always hearing the kids yell out "Hey, where's the D encyclopedia?" I miss those days.
<b>Thesaurus:</b> Ah, how I love to reminisce. Remember. Reflect.
<b>Dictionary:</b> Boy, I'm not used to staying open this long. I'm getting tired. I want to go back to the shelf, even if I do have to listen to George and Bill battle it out.
<b>Encyclopedia:</b> At least you get entertainment. This is the best entertainment I've had in years. I sit between "C" and "E" and they're used so seldom that they just sleep all the time.
<b>Thesaurus:</b> Seldom. Rarely. Occasionally.
<b>Dictionary:</b> That's enough, Thesaurus
<b>Thesaurus:</b> But I have to do it. It's something I enjoy. Adore. Fancy.
<b>Dictionary:</b> Fancy. Now there's a word you don't hear much anymore; at least not in that context. Now it's just "You new car is fancy."
<b>Thesaurus:</b> Fancy. Elaborate. Lavish.
<b>Encyclopedia:</b> Thesaurus, now <i>you're</i> the one who's being outlandish.
<b>Thesaurus:</b> I can't help it. Resistance is futile. Pointless. Useless.
<i>The girl gets up from the computer, grabs her paper from the printer, and walks towards the table/books.</i>
<b>Encyclopedia:</b> Hey, look. Lucy is coming back. Maybe she found something that computer doesn't know.
<i>As Dictionary says the next line, Lucy puts her paper in the backpack, then walks off stage.</i>
<b>Dictionary:</b> Nope. She's walking right past us and putting her paper in her backpack. And now she's going to bed. Well, it might be a long night, friends. I guess I'd better get to sleep too.
<b>Thesaurus:</b> Sleep. Rest. Slumb....
<b>Dictionary and Encyclopedia (interrupting):</b> Good <i>night</i>, Thesaurus.
<b>Thesaurus (Sheepishly):</b> Good night.
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