Sunday 23 June 2013

Come on , baby, light my fire

Image by Stanley Kubrick for Look Magazine, 1949

Mag 174

Thanks to Tess for this prompt. Go here to read others’ offerings.

Sara was bored. She’d only agreed to come to the hop to keep her friend company. Now her friend had got off with a boy she’d been keen on for some time and Sara was left kicking her heels. She would have gone home but her friend was relying on her for a lift. A lad strolled over to her, hands in pockets, very casual. She wasn’t instantly impressed but maybe things were looking up.

He said, ‘Come on, baby, light my fire.’

‘Do you mean you’d like a light for your cigarette?’

‘Yeah.’

Flick, flick, flick, flick.

‘You got fuel in that thing?’

‘Of course I have. Oh, look there you are – it’s working.’

‘Turn the flame down, can’t you? You nearly ‘ad me eyebrows there.’

‘Complaints, complaints.’

‘Keep it steady, gel.’

‘I’m doing my best.’

‘Can’t get me fag near the flame.’

‘You could take your hands out of your pockets.’

‘Yeah, yeah, yeah.’

‘It’s alight now.’

‘About time, too. See ya.’

Sara turned away, sighing. He wasn’t a prepossessing lad but he would have helped her pass the time until she was required to drive her friend home. Really, these village hops were a total waste of time.

Years later, fifteen or sixteen maybe, Sara was reminded of this conversation when she heard The Doors sing, ‘Light my fire’, and remembered the uncouth youth with the slovenly manners. Maybe he had become a musician, a songwriter. She’d never seen him after that night, not that she’d wanted to, of course.

The days of village hops were far behind her, thank goodness, and she’d managed to give up smoking, so no-one would ever again ask her for a light.






25 comments:

  1. Good title and picture.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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  2. Leaving with The Doors in my head...

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  3. Oh, yeah ... The Doors ... Break on through to the other side. Funny, and interesting, how there are so many ways of seeing that photo.

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  4. Terrific scene. Thank you. (love The Doors!)

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  5. Hi Janice - sounds reminiscent of youth .. thankfully I never smoked .. but I too love The Doors - great scenario .. cheers Hilary

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  6. Great story. I'm imagining now that the boy grew up to be lead singer for The Doors.

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  7. Love your take on this...though I was a little disappointed she didn't take out his eyebrows. Still, it had a happy ending.

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  8. Channeling Jim Morrison and The Doors ~~~ oh yes.

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  9. Now she has to light other fires which is far more romantic then a cigarette :) !

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  10. I love this! The Doors are one of many on my list of favorites and I like how you portray that she's bored, just being a friend waiting on a friend. It's funny how she thinks back though when that song came out and how she gave up smoking. The ending almost had a hidden sadness to it, 'nobody would ask her for a light again'.

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  11. Now the song is stuck in my head!

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  12. Ha - the old days. Today I know no one personally who smokes.

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  13. And fortunately the lad was in her past not her present

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  14. Ah, if only it was always so! Fine write.

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  15. This was an interesting scene. The best thing is she gave up smoking. :-)

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  16. Maybe she was the Twentieth Century Fox.

    ;)

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  17. I loved this. Doors swing both ways in her future.

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  18. I’m surprised she didn’t tell him to boil his head.

    You are too kind.

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  19. I envy those who can write wonderful flash fiction. Great job.

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  20. I love how your use of the slang of the day just flows naturally
    and I love the twist of who the lad turned out to be

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  21. Good story! I'm always amazed by how much social interaction seemed to have been dominated by cigarettes 50-60 years ago. Thank goodness most of us have gotten wiser.

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  22. I can't seem to decide if she is smart or just plain unromantic!

    Thanks fr coming by to my blog n fr your comments. I have been so irregular of late it’s encouraging to know you still read what I come up with.
    Will be back to catch up....soon, I hope ! ;)

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  23. Great take on the photo prompt. And now that song will be with me all day long!

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