This week’s photo prompt is provided by Etol Bagam. Thank you Etol!
After months of daily rehearsals, herbal teetotaling and sour patch kid interventions, another opening night had arrived!
Judith waited in the wings, stage right, as the orchestra erupted into a cacophony of dissonant notes, fine tuning in preparation for the tap tap tap of the maestro’s baton on the dais. A rustling of programs and coughs finally settled into silence as the auditorium lights dimmed and blue filtered spots illuminated the stage.
The intro swelled, Judith’s cue to take her place at center stage…
The intro swelled, Judith’s cue to take her place at center stage…
The intro swelled..as the understudy (who had anticipated this moment) shoved past Judith, who stood frozen in place, heart pounding in her ears…
The show must always go on. But this night, it would go on without her.
kat ~ 6 October 2015
(134 Words)
A short story for Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers (FFfAW) Weekly Challenge #34. Read more HERE.
like mercury colliding... 
October 7th, 2015 at 5:35 am
I wonder what made her freeze ?
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October 7th, 2015 at 6:09 am
Me too…😉. The ultimate cliffhanger forced by word limitations!
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October 7th, 2015 at 8:22 am
Well, that lets the imagination run a bit wild 😉
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October 7th, 2015 at 9:53 am
Fun, isn’t it? Imaginations are meant to be wild! 😊
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October 7th, 2015 at 9:55 am
Yes 🙂 though I do beg mine sometimes to stop all the nonsense that pops up into it at times 😉
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October 7th, 2015 at 6:23 am
Wow, you had me hooked from the very first line with the strong descriptions and voice in the piece. The repeated line was excellently jarring, which allowed us (or at least me) to also experience the feeling of being stuck / frozen. Sadly, the show must go on.
Will there be a part 2, or are you going to leave us to our own imaginations?
Either way, I absolutely love this. Brilliant!
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October 7th, 2015 at 7:29 am
It’s best I think in this short story format to leave the rest of the story to the reader. I have a few ideas though. Maybe I will consider a part two once the deadline for this challenge challenge is met 😊
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October 7th, 2015 at 11:55 am
Mmm, I agree. See what the next prompt brings out.
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October 7th, 2015 at 6:27 am
Btw, I just realized I hadn’t read your title beforehand; I’m personally glad I didn’t, because I would’ve been spoiled about the ending. ^_^ But yes, great job again! I just reread it
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October 7th, 2015 at 7:30 am
Thanks! 😊
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October 7th, 2015 at 7:36 am
So suspenseful waiting for Judith to take center stage! Stage fright must be horrible. Poor Judith but great for her understudy! Wonderful story! Thank you for participating in FFfAW challenge!
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October 7th, 2015 at 7:38 am
Thanks! I look forward to the new photo and opening line each week! 😊
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October 7th, 2015 at 7:50 am
🙂
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October 7th, 2015 at 10:12 am
ugh, poor lady!! nice story
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October 7th, 2015 at 10:14 am
Thanks Lynn. Hopefully she is able to take the stage one day. 🙂
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October 7th, 2015 at 10:16 am
I hope so……
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October 7th, 2015 at 10:21 am
😊
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October 8th, 2015 at 10:17 am
A beautifully written story, Kat. I particularly like the line ‘the orchestra erupted into a cacophony of dissonant notes’. 🙂 I wonder whether Judith will ever manage to get past her nerves…
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October 8th, 2015 at 11:32 am
Thank you…I do hope she does…:)
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October 8th, 2015 at 12:28 pm
You had me at “herbal teetotalling” — love it! But oh, poor Judith. I was completely there with her, as the intro swelled again and she was still frozen. Thank goodness for that understudy, but still, so sad.
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October 8th, 2015 at 12:34 pm
Having been a singer as a hobby on smaller stages, herbal tea and sour patch kids were a life-saver keeping the old pipes squeaky clear 🙂 I can relate to the pre-show jitters. Ended up having to take glucose tablets to keep my blood sugar from plummeting from the adrenaline rush and my knees from knocking! I truly can relate to her plight.
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October 8th, 2015 at 12:47 pm
You portrayed it very convincingly in the story! I haven’t done any acting since high school thespians but I do have to give professional presentations, and boy, I can relate too.
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October 11th, 2015 at 12:38 pm
Ahhh, and stage struck had to strike her at that moment. I have a feeling the understudy was more than thrilled at the thought of getting centre stage. It was a wonderful read.
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October 11th, 2015 at 1:16 pm
I think you are right!!! If I were continuing this story I might have to expound on the theory that the understudy may have had a hand in causing her jitters…a mysterious person in the audience perhaps?! 😉
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