Cash or Trash

‘Cash or Trash’ was quickly becoming one of the most popular shows to be hosted on the late Saturday Night block of WJTV Channel 40. The premise of the show was simple. Local teens drawn from the surrounding counties would write in and offer to showcase there talents for a jury of there peers. If the jury found there performance pleasing, they would award a check of one thousand dollars. If the crowed found there act less than pleasing.. Then they would get something very unpleasant dropped on there heads.

Susan took a deep breath as she strolled through the tunnel that connected the backstage area with the main stage area. The sound of the heels of her shoes echoing off the walls filled the air around her, as she put one foot in front of the other. Her heart was fluttering, she could feel her heart jumping right into her throat.

Slowly, she formed a small smile upon her face as she entered into the limelight. A crowd of some one hundred people, all dressed in colorful and outlandish outfits stood before her. A silent jury drawn from the best coffeehouses of Belhaven and Fondren Districts. All stood there, looking at Susan as if she was nothing more than a stray cat who happen to just wonder on stage.

“Hello there.” A voice behind her. The voice belonged to a smiling women who stood around a hand taller than her. She had long raven hair and she wore a simple, pleated plaid dress. Black dress hoes rounded out her outfit. “You must be are first guest.” She said smiling as she peered toward Susan in a manner that reminded her of a cat, looking at a mouse or a bird.

Susan nodded as she peered toward the women. She wore a green and black outfit. A green dress with black straps, complete with back dress shoes. Her shoulder length chestnut brown hair reached down to her shoulders. It had been brushed straight that morning. Looking down at the ground, she reached over and removed a strain of hair from in front of her eyes.

“Yes.” She said nodding her head toward the women as she smoothed out the wrinkles of her dress as she peered toward the gathered crowed. Quickly she cleared her throat as she looked down at the ground.

“Nice, well.” She said peering toward the crowds for a second then returning her gaze toward Susan again. “Would you mind telling me a little about yourself before we move on. Don’t need to tell me your life story like the last girl did. Just a few words.” She said taking a at ease position as she peered toward Susan, once more she reminded the girl of a cat looking at a trapped bird or mouse.

“Sure.” Susan felt her cheeks flush with color. “I’m from Vicksburg, I attend St. Katherine’s Episcopal Academy. I’ve been singing since I was twelve, when our Choir Mistress noticed me singing during a overnight camping trip. She kind of drafted me into singing in are church’s choir.” She said giggling a little.

“Oh..” The women smiled and tried sound impressed. But honestly she was finding the girl a drag. That and her accent was really starting to bother her. It was one of those ’High Southern’ accents one often reads about in books like ’Gone with the Wind’ and ’Still was the Night.” There more she thought on it, the more she hated the way those words seem to roll out of her mouth.



“So, beside being from Vicksburg and attending a super elite private school. Is there anything else you wish to tell us before we move onto your act? Because honesty girl right now, your sounding plainer vanilla ice cream.” She said folding her hands across her chest and peering toward the crowd, who chucked a little under there breaths as they peered toward the two on stage.

Susan sighed a little and folded her arms under her breast as she cocked her head toward the host of the show. Taking a deep breath she cleared her head and started to speak.

“I’m also a active member in the girl scouts. I’ve been the camp nurse a few times. I’m working on my ‘Gold Award’ right now. And I’m a candy stripper at ‘River Regional Hospital’.” She said the last part with a little bit of pride as she nodded her head.

“Joy.” The host said smiling a little as she started to circle around Susan. “So you attend a super private school, bake cookies, sing songs and change bedpans.. Man, could you not get any more boring, please tell me your going to do something nice for your act. Cause hon, if baking cookies or singing some nature song is call you got. You best just step into the ‘Chamber of Judgment’ right now and lets get this over with.” She said rolling her eyes as she peered toward Susan.

Susan blushed a little and bite down upon her tongue. Taking a deep breath she peered toward the women. She could tell she was already losing ground by the way the crowds seemed to chuckle and giggle with reach remark that poured from the mouth of the women. She was being teased, and she hated every minute of it.

“Honesty.” She said taking a deep breath. “I think, I’m going to prove you wrong. So instead of telling  you about my act, why don’t we dive right into it and let the viewers and the crowds decided.” She said as she stepped passed the women and peered into the gathered faces, she released her deep breath and did her best to calm her racing heart.

“Go ahead.” The host said smirking. “Today, Susan’s chosen to sing Nightwish’s ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’ I hope none of the fans of the band will be offended by her voice as its far from pleasant.” She gave Susan a rueful smile as she took a dozen steps back.

Susan cleared her throat and slowly started to sing, though her voice was totally unfit for the song. Her vocal cords trained since her first breath, to sing the sweet Latin Hymns of Christmas and Eastertide. Instead of sounding something edgy and hard. It sounded more like a  nun trying to sound hard core.

As the worked her way through each verse, the crowds faces twisted and with anger they pressed there thumps down upon the red button. The Metal enthusiast that haunted the record stores in High Street and Jefferson wore looks of disgust as they hammered home the big red button of doom. The young connoisseurs of music, followed the notion of there peers. Not one ounce of mercy was shown for Susan as she worked her way through the song.

“Well.” The host said taking a deep breath as she peered toward Susan. “I guess somebody needs to practice a little.” She said frowning as she her eyes fell upon Susan. Who was now standing in the center of the stage, blushing like a bride at the alter and clearly out of breath. The song had taken more wind that normally required of her.

“we’ll that was something.” The women said with a small smile as she peered toward Susan. “We’ll see if it was a good something or a bad something soon too.” She said winking toward the crowds who laughed a little as they all peered toward Susan. All of them where grinning ear to ear.

“I think I did pretty well.” Susan said blushing as she soothed out the wrinkles in her dress and started to fiddle a little with her hair. She then turned toward the audience and gave them a pleating look as her upper lip quivered.

“We’ll soon see.” She said pointing toward a chamber toward the far side of the stage. “Take a step into are ‘Chamber of Judgment’ and we’ll tally the votes and see if you get some cool ‘Cash’ or if your going to get taken out with the ‘Trash’.” She said winking toward the audience again as she watched Susan step into the chamber.

Susan could only cross herself as she stepped into the chamber and stepped into the brown circle that marked the center of the half circle shaped room. Softy under her breath she breathed a prayer as a drum roll sounded in the chamber. As the drum rolled neared its end, she took a deep breath, folded her hands in her center and closed her eyes. Seconds later the light in the room switched from normal white color to a deep, dark red color as the sound of a flushing privy sounded above her head.