Welcome back to the daily prompts. The fourth for the week.
Swamp Glass Theatre: use these three words
‘An unusual name for a theatre,’ I said, cocking an eyebrow at my young guide.
We were in one of those American towns which get lost in the middle of the desert. The type which spread themselves wide because space is what they have, and not much else. This one boasted a gas station, where earlier I’d spotted a fancy pink convertible filling up. A leggy blonde was being chatted up by a kid who looked like he might be a fellow Brit, a gap year traveller.
There was a straggle of verandahed stores along a Main Street as wide as the M4, but with room for a cricket match between the slow-moving pickups and dust-covered sedans.
And the theatre, with the unusual name: Swamp Glass Theatre.
My guide shrugged. ‘It’s been called that since the town was built, and there’s all kinda stories about the name.’
‘Tell me one.’ I gestured toward the shimmering haze at the end of the street where the desert appeared like a painting on a wall. ‘After all, I suspect not too many swamps around these parts.’
My guide laughed. ‘The tale which most people like, and which might even be true, is that the first theatre owner, hailed from Florida.’ He grinned. ‘Gotta few swamps down that way.’
‘And?’ I prompted. ‘is that it?’
‘And, he was an old coot, hailed on one side from an Indian great great granny, he claimed.’
‘Uh huh.’
‘The women in his family had a gift – they could turn swamp water into glass.’ My guide’s mahogany eyes took on a dreamy gaze. ‘On hot southern nights, they’d go into the swamp, cast their charms, create a glassy stage and watch the insects dance to the singing of the cicadas.’
I glanced at the theatre. Next to me my guide stood straight, staring at the building as if she might eat it. She murmured unintelligible words, her long brown fingers wove the hot, dry air.
Mist rose from the dried out wooden boards and the faint chirruping of cicadas surrounded us. Inside, I knew, a glass stage reflected a ballet of spiders and bugs …
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Find Cheryl’s flash fiction and short stories, including audio versions of some, here!
‘I’ve got tickets to see the The Swamp’ Molly screams excitedly as she thunders downstairs to tell her Dad.
‘I’ve actually brought them!’ She shouts jumping up and down.
‘I’m so pumped’ she continues.
‘Dad, Dad, are you listening, I’ve got tickets!’
‘Wait, What, slowly, slowly’ Dad asks calmly.
‘Tickets, Dad, I’ve got The Swamp tickets. They are playing at the Glass theatre this weekend’
Dad tries to look excited but in all honestly he’s never heard of the band.
Kids these days have no music taste and bands come and go like buses he thinks.
‘Oh, Molly, this is such great news’ he manages to reply, with a joyful tone.
He then looks at Mollys band T-shirt, with cutoff sleeves and a frayed hem, The Swamp he notices.
Maybe he had heard some of their indie music blasting out of Molly’s room.
It’s not music as he’s known it but nevertheless Molly enjoyed it, and being the only person in his life her happiness was all that mattered.
The weekend soon arrived and the anticipation built up too.
Molly and her best friend, Beth were upstairs in Molly’s room getting ready for their big night out.
Music blasting, as the girls were singing along to all The Swamp songs. Mixing up the lyrics and laughing at each other.
Once their hair was styled and make up applied, thick black eyeliner, extra long lashes and red lipstick was on.
The girls put on their matching band T-shirts with black jeans before heading downstairs to find Dad waiting on the sofa for them
‘Girls, you look amazing’ he told them.
Dad drove them to the other side of the town, as he approaches the Glass Theatre he could see crowds of happy teenagers, security guards and merchandise stalls.
‘Molly’ he said ‘I’ll drop you of in the lay-by and I’ll pick you both up there at 11pm, have the best time. Remember to call me if you need to’
‘Yeah, yeah’ molly sighs
‘I’m serious’ Dad replies
‘I know, Dad. Thank you’
The girls hurry out of the car and happily walk arm in arm towards the security guard for a bag check, once cleared they head inside.
Molly and Beth head towards the front of the stage
As The Swamp arrive everyone goes wild, Molly and Beth are screaming and cheering.
The band begins to play, the girls jump, sing and dance the night away. Their favourite band in the whole world was in their hometown.
‘The Swamp is the best band ever’ Molly tells her Dad in the car on the way home.
‘They really are’ Beth agrees.
Ha ha! Captures the girls’ excitement and lovely old Dad too.