Filling in Dialogue Exercise- Made with Ally Cantalini

“Er… Excuse me sir…” Leonard’s reading was interrupted by a hesitant lisping voice.

“Ah… Hello?” his own voice bounced back to him from the seemingly empty room.

“Yes, hi. Um, down here.”

Peering over the side of his bed, Leonard spotted a bespectacled translucent face hovering beneath the bed frame. 

“What can I do for you?” Leonard put down his book and slowly folded his hands stiffly over his silk robe. The ghost drifted up towards his ceiling, still unable to make eye contact. He was wearing a worn sweater vest that was coming unraveled at the edges. 

“I’m sorry. This is my first time….” a sweat broke out over Leonard’s forehead before his cool calculating mind took the necessary leap to cool his heated cheeks. He was about to experience a haunting. 

“Oh… ok. You can start if you must.” his spine straightened to match his purposely level voice. He clenched his hands tighter to prevent them from stroking his finely manicured moustache.

“All right then. Ahem,” the ghost grabbed the window pane with his nail bitten fingers and began shaking them with all the force of his gangly body.

“WOOOOOOO HOOOOOO OOOOOOOHHH MOOOOOOO-“ he clapped his hands over his mouth.

“Oops, I’m sorry - that was a cow,” he floated down to the floor and began shuffling against the fine oak.

Leonard pursed his shallow lips, eyes wandering down to the economics book that had held his attention for far longer. “It’s ok, that was very nice. I am thoroughly shaken.” 

“Thanks man!” the ghost said, unable to sense the unenthusiasm in Leonard’s voice. He settled into the armchair next to the bed, pulling out a bag of peanuts and beginning to munch, crinkling the cellophane at irregular intervals.