The Stage

A short story I wrote for a contest with 2 rules; 1) the story had to begin with "The poor b*****d never saw it coming." and 2) the story had to be exactly 500 words.

“The poor b*****d never saw it coming.”  Alex could barely get those last words out before the entire theatre erupted with applause.  The curtains closed in front of him, allowing for a brief moment of elusive relief before they opened again to reveal a standing ovation.  He stepped forward, bowed to the audience, and couldn’t help but marvel at this moment he had dreamed of for so long.  

 

Three days ago, as preparations for the show were nearing an end; Alex’s availability for opening night was still in question.  A terrible bout of food poisoning had ravaged his body for days, leaving him weak and unable to practice his lines without becoming dangerously light headed.  He lay alone in his bed, barely able to string two thoughts together, but determined to make it onto that stage.  “I’ve waited too long for this,” he thought to himself as he staggered out of bed.  “I’m not giving up now.”

 

Four days prior, he and several other members of the cast, enjoyed a celebratory meal as a way of congratulating each other on how well the show was shaping up.  They confiscated a section in the back of the diner, just blocks from the theatre, and ordered enough food and booze to last them for days.  Stories of their previous successes and failures filled the dimly lit room and Alex couldn’t help but reminisce about his days at Juilliard, spent chasing a dream he had been told to forget.  The past quickly filled his mind, distracting him from his undercooked meal.

 

Five years ago, Alex entered a building that would change his life.  It was the Juilliard School, perhaps the most famous and respected conservatory for the arts in the country.  It took several years and numerous attempts before he was formally admitted to the school.  Disagreements between his parents about the direction Alex’ life was taking turned to arguments and eventually led to their divorce.  While he felt responsible for their separation, he never let self pity overtake him, instead devoting himself to proving his mother was right for supporting his dream.  Throughout his years at Juilliard, Alex endured criticism and disappointment, the likes of which he had never felt.  When the struggles started to get to him and leaving seemed like the only option, he’d sit alone in his room remembering back to the day he first discovered his dream.

 

Six years prior to stepping foot inside the Juilliard School, Alex stepped into the lobby of the Winter Garden Theatre with his mother to see a show.  He had reluctantly agreed to accompany her since his father had refused, but from the moment the curtains went up, he was mesmerized.  The lights and sounds drew him in but it was the acting, the incredibly brilliant acting, which touched something deep inside of him.  He didn’t know it as the curtains closed and the audience exploded in unified applause, but his life had just begun.  The poor b*****d never saw it coming.

Author's Note

Very first attempt at a short story contest.