Description in Dialogue

Science Fiction and Fantasy Work Shop Assignment

World Description in Dialogue

“Where are we going?” I looked out at a grey wall blurred by the speed of the bug-like car were in.

“Grass,” said Owl.

“You’ll like Grass,” said his sister Hawk. “It has grasses of all sorts as far as you can see: purple, black, red, pink, gold, yellow, white, blue, dark green, and pale green. I like the tall purple grasses best. It’s fun to play hide ‘n seek in a large patch of purple grass. Though the golden grass that you can pick and braid into all sorts of things is very nice too.”

“I like all the soft green grass,” said Owl, “It’s so nice to lay on, and it sings to you when you put your ear on top of it.”

“You have to let the grass taste you,” piped up little Titi, from where she sat in front of us beside her brother Tut.

“She means that you can’t walk on the grass or in the grass,” said Hawk, “until the grass knows you.”

“You put your hand on it,” said Titi, “an then the grass bites you an if it thinks you’re a friend, it don’t bite no more.”

“You can put your foot in the grass too,” said Owl. “Any body part will work.”

“The grass just wants to know what you are,” said Hawk. “There is always someone guarding the entrance to stop you from walking into the grass without waiting for the test.”

“There’s not only grasses in Grass,” said Tut, the last word coming out in a falsetto squeak. “There’s trees along the river and by the lakes. That’s where the farms and the towns are.”

“Does no one live in the grassy areas of this place you call Grass?” I asked.

“Only the dead go into the grass,” said Tut.