Flash Fiction story idea #1..

.. 655 words


Gwen opens the door, Blake exits. She slams the door on his heels. She opens the door and shouts “The next girl you date, do them a favor and tell them you're still attached to your mother's umbilical chord”! She slams the door and I enter saying: “You or him this time”? ”STOP”! The director. I keep my body in place, but turn my head to face her. “Script says you enter downstage left. OK! Slam the door and enter”! I quickly walk to my correct entrance mark. The door slams and I enter saying: “You or him this time”? I pull out the chair to sit down, Gwen turns into the chair. “STOP! You pull the chair AFTER she crosses in front of you! Say your line and begin”! I say my line, she crosses, I pull the chair and sit down. Gwen turns and speaks her lines to ..air and “STOP”!
“ I'm supposed to sit after her lines”.
“WE are getting the hang of this”!
I stand. Gwen says her lines. I sit. I say my lines on cue, and in character.
I pick up a cup of 'tea' and act aloof. Aloof? I stretch out my legs, nod at Gwen and drink my tea. Cue: knock at the door. Gwen turns quickly, starts to cross to the door and trips over my legs and lands across my chest.
“STOP”!! I know the answer, but I decide to wait for the expert analysis.
“You decided to trip her...why”? Ah ha, it's one of those 'I'm screwed no matter what I say' questions. I help Gwen up. If her looks could kill!
“Well”? The director wants an answer so she can hurt me!
Here goes: “You know I didn't mean to. I was acting 'Aloof'”.
“I'll give you the aloof part. Cross one leg over the other”! I manage to make it to the end of the act without any more “STOPS”!
I'm not on stage again until the final scene. Backstage there are stools and metal folding chairs that some Baptist church tossed out and ended up here. These are reserved for the actors while waiting for their cues. I don't feel like sitting. I stroll over to the Stage Manager, his name is Mick. He is frenetically talking into his headset and looking at the script that is covered in his and the director's notes. When this show opens, its the Stage Manger that's in charge. The director becomes audience. I walk over beside him. He doesn't notice.
“ Beer's on me after we finish” I whisper.
“Bring up beer number three” he says into his headset. A pause, then from the light control booth we all hear: “What the hell do you mean 'beer number three”?
Mick freezes, then turns to me. Hell pours from his face!
Then: “STOP”!!
I'm turning five shades of shit-faced.
Then I quickly whisper to Mick “I'm just going to crawl under the trash dumpster out back”.
Mick starts ad-libbing through his headset an apology.
Again I have to remind myself – I really enjoy acting. I'm on again in three more pages. I decide to go wait at the prop table.
On my way over there the stage hands have moved the door for act three onto the aisle. I try to go around or through it, but then suddenly I hear my cue! I quickly turn and knock the door frame to the side. It hits the floor with a resounding crash of “You are so up shit creek without a paddle”! I hear my cue again and just jump onto the stage, evidently thru a painted bookcase.
I say my lines. Walk over to Gwen and kiss her..wet and long (my ad-lib).
The director starts to yell “STOP”! I turn to her and bow, exiting stage right all the while yelling “MacBeth”!
Curtain.