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What's Your Next-Door Neighbor Story?
Submit a next-door neighbor story—one story will be transformed into the final installment of our webcomic series, Next-Door Neighbor.
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By Lorynn 11 months ago Hold the flushing, please!
I got to know our next-door neighbors through their excrement. A few months ago, the whole buildings plumbing broke. The building is comprised of four apartments, two on the bottom floor and two on the top. Mine is the bottom left, and seems to bare the brunt of each apartment malfunction, so when the plumbing broke my two bathtubs and toilets overflowed with communal urine/sewage. Our landlord was slow to … Read more »
What Goes On Over There?
Our neighbors don't say 'hi' to us or anyone. He runs. She works. They have a daughter who is special, Kayla. Are they sad, afraid, embarassed, or just above us? Maybe they judge us; hearing us yell, fight, and fuck. I never hear a sound from them. Sometimes the lights are on at 6:00 am. Sometimes the lawnmower runs early in the morning. … Read more »
My Phantom Samaritan
I joined the Navy in 1986, and was sent to a destroyer in Norfolk, Virginia. My ship was in drydock so I had to live off base, and I hastily decided to move downtown, to a mysteriously cheap, furnished one-bedroom in a renovated pre-war building. I seemed to be the only tenant; coming and going from the marble lobby with its polished brass mailboxes, I never saw a … Read more »
3213
I grew up in an old ”leafy” suburb of Washington DC. Everyone’s father was some kind of government official or lawyer. One house was different that the others.
My next door neighbor David was my best friend and his sister Mary was my sister's. They were wild and fearless. They had no grass on their “lawn”. Two vicious Rhodesian Ridgebacks patrolled the dirt back yard.
Their father was … Read more »
Creepshow
For 12 years I rented a 3 bedroom 1-story house in Granada Hills. The duplex next door was owned by an elderly lady and her daughter, who were both very nice. When the lady's health began to fail, she decided to sublet the side of the duplex that was next to us - right outside my kitchen. Her daughter stayed on in the other half. Eventually the one half got … Read more »
By Marcia64 12 months ago Hi, I'm Mark, the Creepy Neighbor
“Hi, I’m Mark, the weird, creepy neighbor, “ is how Mark introduced himself, as he pushed his way passed me into my housewarming party. He had his dog with him, a ninety-five pound Golden Doodle. He forced his way to the back porch where the kegs were, and I thought, oh well, the more the merrier. Except Mark wasn’t very merry. He managed to creep out … Read more »
The Fightin' Renters
... were a lesbian couple with a volatile relationship and a nasty nicotine habit. Their constant arguments, and constant cigarette smoke, would spill over into our apartment. “Sarah” flew off the handle during many of their loud, violent fights, and made sure everyone heard.
We’d be sitting at home any given evening, and muffled yelling would come from the other side of the wall. It would escalate, escalate, escalate, … Read more »
My Neighbor Doesn't Talk
My neighbor doesn't talk. He screams.
I live in a small town in northern France. I am an English teacher at the local university and I moved into my new apartment in August. I found the apartment through the British girl that lived here last year. She suggested I contact her landlord about living here. When I came to visit her place for the first time, I asked her if … Read more »
He is my cousin
New York City: 1990's, upper east side, 71st street and second avenue. A row of 5 story walkup buildings that contain many small studio apartments converted from bigger one bedroom apartments. In my building there were fire places in the room which forced you to place your bed on common wall between apartments. There was an electrical outlet near my be through which I could hear my neighbors every move … Read more »
By Matt_LoGuercio 1 years ago Dona Elena
I live in Mexico. My next door neighbor is Dona Elena, a more than ancient ghost-like woman who floats down our street several times a day. She is not aware of anyone or anything except trash. Clad in her long black coat and black stockings under a black dress, with 100 year old black stretched-out shoes, she picks up every piece of trash on the sidewalk and … Read more »
Jack and the "Bean" Stalk
It's Sunday night in State College and Jack is lying on a tattered leather couch next to me. It's been a long weekend for Jack, you can tell just by looking at him. His face, unshaved and pale, his white undershirt, stained and worn from three straight days of use, and as he checks his Blackberry for a glimmer of hope he lights his last Marlboro with a shaking hand. … Read more »
Seldom a Dull Moment
Joe was a bronzed and blond hunk of a guy who worked for DWP in the daytime, lifted weights and sun-tanned himself in his spare time, and tried to enforce upon his family a rigorous policy of health food for every meal, whether he was home for meals or not. Edna was a slender, pony-tailed cop who got a kick out of strolling through the San Pedro jail at … Read more »
A Neighbor Named Quincy
Quincy was a Spider Monkey that lived in a cage in the South Texas backyard of my neighbor. He was not happy in the cage. He was not happy when he was in a cage inside the neighbor's house either and one day when the woman came outside and opened the door of his cage to feed him, Quincy ran away and came over to my family's house … Read more »
Attacked by "Pickaninnys"
When I was small, maybe four, an elderly black woman lived next door to me. I spent a lot of time talking to her on the street, or over the fence, and we would always share stories and laugh. I loved talking to her, and enjoyed her company very much.
I remember her wide, gleaming smile, with sporadic holes where teeth should be, her rolled down stockings and long skirts … Read more »
El teatro Romano
Cartagena - Murcia. Miles de años contemplan estos restos arqueológicos de tan bella factura. En estas vetustas piedras se han desarrollado excelentes historias hechas teatro vivo. Miles de espectadores han aplaudido los dramas representados en el profundo escenario. Las épicas batallas entre cartagineses y romanos continúan rememorándose alrededor de estas piedras. Todo un pueblo se echa a la calle con sus vestidos de gala para representar la batalla ancestral.
I am not alone
Every day he looks out of the curtains at me. I drive in or out and there are his peering eyes, watching me. Late at night, I put the garbage out and there he is again. I go and sit in the back yard and he goes and sits in his. He is always, always watching.
At first I thought I was paranoid. He just happens to be there … Read more »
By squiggles 1 years ago Slam-bang
I sleep in the living room on my Moroccan couch (ahem – futon). Next to the wall. Well, of course, next to the wall. Where else do you put a bed?
Dead asleep. 3 A.M.
“WTF!”
More thuds on the wall. The floor shakes again.
“Oh, shit – Do I call the cops?”
“No! Of course not. What the hell time is it?”
“It sounds like … Read more »
take that
The husband left his wife, 2 year old son and 3 month old daughter, suddenly, in the middle of the night. Poof, he is just gone. Wife has to find a job, doesn't speak English very well, is struggling to pay mortgage that is in her sister's name. She puts the house on the market, asking more than the market value is at this time, trying to cover loans made … Read more »
Bottles in the bushes
There are vodka bottles hidden under the bushes. Under ALL of the bushes. There's a gallon jug of vodka under every single shrub on the property.
I figure, it's deer-deterrent. I mean, when I caught him pissing on the fence, he said it was deer-deterrent. And when there was a strange smell coming from the back lot, it was deer-deterrent. And when there were suddenly little bits of tinfoil … Read more »
Have a Next-Door Neighbor Story?
As part of our new webcomic, Next-Door Neighbor, we thought it appropriate to have a little contest. Tell us your best true next-door neighbor story, and the winning tale will be matched with an artist and transformed into a webcomic and included as the final installment of Next-Door Neighbor.
About Next-Door Neighbor
No matter how close or how far, we all live next to someone, and we all have a Next-Door Neighbor story. With that in mind, editor Dean Haspiel asked some of his favorite storytellers and cartoonists to create their favorite NDN stories so we could share them with you.
The Fine Print & Contest Rules
By submitting an entry, you are granting SMITH the right to reprint or republish that entry online or in print, as well as make any necessary edits. See SMITH's terms of service for complete details.
This contest ends September 1, 2008. Prizes are not redeemable for cash and must be accepted as awarded. Winners are decided at the discretion of SMITH judges and all decisions are final. SMITH reserves the right to change the contest rules. Enter as often as you want. SMITH reserves the right to reprint or republish all entries.