This a piece I'm doing for a newspaper/magazine (I cannot remember) I'm just posting it here so I can share it with those interested. Jesus is my number one fan. Hallelujah.
I narrowed my eyes as I stepped out from behind the curtain and onto the stage, my trembling fingers caressed the back of my hand as I chewed on the inside of my bottom lip as if it were toffee. The stage lights shone onto my face, making my pale skin illuminate like a light bulb and my pupils to shrink to the size of a pencil dot. I listened to the hush murmurs of my fellow actors and actresses as they whispered backstage, most likely something about me. I tried to crack a smile at the audience as I made my way to my place on stage, which resulted in an ugly cringe that I'm sure made at least a few children uneasy. I bowed my head and folded my hands, resting them against my belt buckle as I had been instructed several times before.
The audience must not have arrived yet, the seats were empty all the way from front to back. I pondered for a moment. Why were we getting lined up to perform in front of an empty theatre? I brushed it off as simply letting my mind wonder to much, and focused back onto the floor of the stage. I listened carefully to the whispers backstage, this time it was chatter among the adults of our group, they were all men. Men in dark cotton suits, their voices sounded quite more stern than I remembered, they sounded more angry and urgent. Maybe a member of the cast was missing? I scanned up the row of actors and actresses, examining each face carefully. Everyone was here. I slumped my shoulders slightly, adjusting my posture. We must've been standing there for almost twenty minutes. Actors aren't paid to stand around. I felt like falling asleep but each time I nodded off I jerked my head up again, blinking repetitively.
About 15 minutes later I began to hear the clinking of metal and what sounded like marbles rolling through a metal tube of some sort. I figured it was some strange prop I hadn't been informed about. Just then, I heard footsteps trailing across the stage. Finally, I thought to myself. I cocked my head slightly to get a glimpse of the men, who approached me slowly. One man carried about a dozen strips of black cloth in his left hand, those must be the blindfolds. We were playing prisoners aboard a pirate ship for the first scene, which was really great because I absolutely love pirates. I used to watch them on the television before I was recruited to perform, they don't have television sets at Drama camp so I haven't been able to tune in.
"Children, turn and face the wall." said the director, he sounded much more monotone than usual, it was almost like he was another man. I did as he commanded and faced the back wall, I could feel the heat from the front of the theatre hit the back of my body. I felt good, unlike any feeling I had ever felt before.
The first scene played out, which included the dialogue between the two pirates, which were older men. They argued over what to do with the prisoners until the captain had enough and executed them with a pistol. The pistol was a prop and only made a small, suppressed noise. As the executed, we'd fall down like dead people and lay there until the next scene, after that we'd come back as zombies to fight off the pirates. It seemed a little ridiculous to me, but I wasn't going to judge an artist's work.
I listened to the captain go down the row of prisoners and the sound of the prop pistol go off, followed by the thump of a prisoner hitting the floor. I was excited to crumble down onto the floor like a pile of ashes, like I had rehearsed so many times before. Finally, he got to me. I felt the chilly barrel of the pistol press to the back of my skull, it felt like a slobbery, wet puppy kiss in some way. My heart grew warm as I thought of my own puppy, Jasper. I hope he makes it the play, he loves pirates too. I heard the captain whisper a prayer in German. I wondered why he was praying for me, but I suppose he was just trying to stay in character. This was my moment, I was about to act out my first role in theatre, I let my eyelids flutter closed beneath my blindfold and my muscles relaxed as I prepared to toss myself of the floor. He pulled the trigger and