Let's see how many review and hits I can milk out of this...this is my latest assessment this term, and its only the draft stage. I may possibly update with the final copy, if i think its better than this (cause this is actually 200 words over the limit)

Review, maybe? It would help with my final copy.

Dill's Epilogue

It was winter. There was a love/hate relationship between winter and Dill.

On one hand, it was a time for celebrating the year's end, but it also meant Dill was away from the people he loved most. Of course he loved his mother to death but he would gladly switch his "father" for another any day.

But Dill's real love was for the people of Maycomb, who showed him kindness all throughout his days there.

Dill was now 18, a young man. His step-father, however, didn't think so.

"Your mum and I are goin' for a weekend away to Montgomery. I've ordered a nanny to come babysit ya'. How's that sound son?" he asked Dill, as if talking to a 10 year old.

"Dad, I'm 18 now. I don't need a babysitter!" Dill complained.

"Charles Baker Harris, you aint' old enough to live in this house alone! By God, a true man would accept that he needs someone to look after him. I don't believe for one second that you're responsible enough to be by yourself. Remember when you ran off? Your mother and I were worried sick. I don't want that happenin' again!" Dill knew he was beaten.


"No buts, Charles," his step-father interrupted. "The nanny arrives in two hours. You got that time to do what you want 'round here, 'kay? Your mum and I are leavin' now. Be a good boy."

"Bye honey!" his mother yelled affectionately from a different room.

"Bye mum!" Dill replied. His parents gathered at the doorway, smiled and waved to him, and walked outside. As soon as he heard the car leave the drive-way, Dill grabbed his scarf and rushed out the door. He needed time to cool off from his father's arrogance and authoritarianism.

He always fought with his step-father. They were two very different people. Only his mother could settle things between them as she was the only thing they had in common. He wanted his real father back, back from when he was little and his parents cared about him, not now where every second week or weekend is a holiday for them and not him too.

Outside, it was snowing in the street. The street kind of reminded Dill of the main street in Maycomb, and Maycomb reminded him of Jem and Scout. His two best friends in the world.

'And Boo Radley, mustn't forget 'bout him. Scout told me she'd seen the guy, but I don't believe her one bit. Said he'd been in her house and he saved her from getting' killed. I could save her, I'm a tough guy, I'll show Boo Radley whose fiancée he's messin' with,' he thought angrily as he meandered into hadn't forgotten his engagement to Scout back when they were kids.

Unfortunately, there would be no wedding; Dill's serious side had told him that a while ago.

Dill strolled into a diner and ordered some hot chocolate to go. Even he wasn't old enough for coffee or tea. The taste bothered him.

As Dill thought of all the wonderful times he'd had with the two troublemakers from Maycomb County, he slowly realised that their time was soon coming to an end. Jem had gone to Montgomery to start playing for a football team there. Scout was still in Maycomb, finishing up her last school years, but in one more year, Dill would be off to college in Jackson City.

Dill's mind was as playful as ever and he was going to become a famous writer of romance and action novels. He told this to Scout last summer and she giggled; she had never gotten tired of his imagination.

"In fact," he contemplated, "if it weren't for Maycomb, I wouldn't be where I am now.'

"Your hot chocolate, sir?" sneered a voice from behind. Dill turned around and saw a woman in the waitresses' uniform stare down at him, holding the steaming drink. Dill looked into her eyes and suddenly recoiled.

"Well I'm sorry if this uniform offends you but it's the only way I can make enough money to put food on my table! I'll have you know I'm head waitress of this diner, it took me ages to get out of that stinkin' Maycomb, and I c'n kick you out of -"

"Oh, no, sorry! It wasn't like that," Dill tried to explain.

"Well then what is it?" she asked, her voice sounding impatient.

"It's just that… do you know Mayella Ewell by any chance?"

"You're talkin' to her."

"Thought so."

"Hey you're that bratty kid who was friends with Atticus' mutts. Dill Harris, that's it. I can't believe how annoying-"

"Actually," Dill interrupted, "I gotta' thank you Mayella Ewell." It seemed to Dill that she still bore a slight grudge.

"Huh?" was all Mayella could manage.

"When Tom Robinson's case was on, it taught me a lot of new things about society, and about people like you."

Dill remembered well, it was when he had cried because of the prosecutor and Dolphus Raymond had told him not to worry about these things as it was just his job, and explained the social attitudes of then to him.

"And Scout n' Jem were the first true friends I had and they taught me how to get along with people. If I hadn't met 'em, I'd be cooped up in my house just like ol' Boo Radley, not knowing enough to be sociable in this day and age. So thank you once again, Mayella. I hope life turns out good for you."

With that, Dill took a swig of hot chocolate, bowed, and left the diner leaving Mayella dumbfounded. She smiled a little and went back to work.

He had felt better after that confession, and the look on Mayella's face was priceless.

The clock in the diner had said he had one hour to go before the nanny came, but Dill wasn't upset anymore. He was going to spend this last moment of freedom in the beautiful winter morning before spending the rest of winter in his own "Radley" house, until summer came. It would be then that he would possibly spend his last time in the beautiful town of Maycomb, where he had learned how to become a man among society.

Right now, Dill was in love with winter.