Legend of Starlight Six

         Yaaay! I have a date tonight.  It's my first date with this boy. We are going to see a movie, but our local drive in carries a story of its own. I could make an excuse to go to a cinema theater. Something like this; I’m only sixteen and isn't proper to be alone... in a car... with a boy... for a couple of hours. Secretly; it's because of the legend of the “dead speaker.”

         It's a sultry summer evening. In Ohio, we relish the warmer weather. Taking advantage of this, I choose a pair of cutoff jeans, a yellow halter top and sandals. My long blonde hair (one of my best attributes) is freshly washed; it looks like corn silk falling over my shoulders. I check the mirror; make up, eyebrows tamed, and that troublesome zit is still there. I'm dressed and ready to go.

         My date wheels up the drive and parks. I'm watching him take the keys out of the ignition, climbing out of the car and gently closing it with a clunk.  He suddenly throws them in the air, and catches them as they whisk back down into his hand with a jingle... Walking up to the door, he hesitates, turns and looks at his pride and joy parked in the drive, one more time. He raises his hand standing at the door, just about to knock; suddenly I whip the door open.

          His eyes light up, “Hey, you ready to go?" 

         "Gotta come in and meet the parents first. I’ve already told them about you, but you know the drill I’m sure."

          I lead him in to the living room to make introductions.

         "Mom, dad, this is Willie. He’s in my math class at school. We eat lunch together and he also works part time for his uncle, Mr. Cherry.

          It always helps to throw a plug in there somewhere. Mr. Cherry is one of the builders my father works with.

         "Nice to meet you." Willie has his letterman voice on. He sounds like Eddie Haskell from "Leave it to Beaver."

         My dad eyes him, and shakes his hand.

         “Where are you going?” Before either one of us can answer, my dad barks a command. “She is to be in by 11:00.”

         Dad turns and walks out of the living room to continue watching his baseball game on the black and white TV in the den.

         Mom smiles, "Well now, don’t you two make a nice couple? You look so cute together. Now run along and have a good time. What movie are you going to see tonight?"

         We aren't sure and before she can place us at the altar, as we head for the door.

         We both get into his car; a 1975 yellow mustang. I love it, it's a rag top. He pulls off and we begin talking.

         “Willie, which movie do you want to see tonight"?

         "Ummm, what about….. “The Stepford Wives”

         “Yeah, I’d like to see it, the reviews are great on it.”

          “It’s got Tina Louise starring in it; I loved her in “Gilligan’s Island”

         While sitting at the red light, I turn on the radio. “Sweet” Fox on the Run is blasting out through the speakers… “You scream, everybody comes, you run away,"  Now Elvis comes on, Willie is singing and I turn my attention to touching up my lipstick and checking my pimple again... I finally look up, we're at the entrance to the drive in.

         Pulling under the archway of the theater, I notice “The Stepford Wives is playing on screen #3." That is where the legend of the “dead speaker” came from back in the sixties; there is an incident that happened in that theater space in the drive-in. The Starlight 6.

         I stutter…"N-n-not that screen, not #3."

         "Come on Valerie, you don’t really believe that old legend do you?"

         “Willie, yes I do. I don’t want to even be in the same area, inside the fence. Have you ever watched a movie on #3 screen?"

         “Yes, I have. His voice trails off. By the way he says it, it sounds like he isn't telling the truth.

         “Look, Valerie…I am willing to do anything to see this movie, even if it means going to #3. No, I haven’t honestly. The legend creeps me out. Since we are both a little scared, you could sit right beside me, I'll protect you from being snatched from the car by the bodysnatchers. "He turns to the window. “The Stepford Wives. Two tickets please," he snaps.

         Now car horns are honking behind us. I sigh heavily and with much apprehension, I bend to his will, eyes blank and staring straight ahead.

         After he pays the lady at the window, we make our way around to screen 3. Tight little alley ways made with a white wooden fence that badly needs painting. As we pull into the plot of asphalt and the never ending rows of yellow poles and square metal speakers, there aren't many spots left. I am beginning to feel uneasy. The dreaded speaker pole where the legend started was two rows back from the front all the way at the end.  There are hand drawn skulls etched into the yellow paint. You can tell no one uses that speaker pole by the way it looks; it is bent where someone obviously was trying to make a quick getaway one night. The pavement beside it has dark black spots beside it. It is cracked and looks like it hadn’t been paved in years, just that one spot. Rumor has it that even the owners don't go near it after dark, because when they tried to rewire it several years ago, it electrocuted the repair man. It didn’t kill him, but it set his arm on fire and burned it into a limp, dangly appendage.  They say he has never spoken a word since that day.  I know this to be true because he works the concession stand selling the popcorn. He holds the bag in his mouth, scoops it up with his good hand then gives it to you. He never speaks.

         Third row back from the screen, 4th pole is where we park. I can see the dreaded space that is now empty. We decide to let the top down to enjoy the air; the temperature is dropping a bit, it is getting dark. There is a gentle breeze blowing, I can hear laughter coming from the other vehicles parked around us. I hear a baby cry; oh no,I hope it goes to sleep, Willie retrieves the speaker from the pole and places it on the window and begins to fool with the knob. He tunes it in and coming from the speaker is a looped message about the concession stand goods. A man’s voice, which sounds waaaay too happy, sort of like a circus ring master talking endlessly.

         "Well at least it works.” Satisfied, he adjusts his seat and moves the mirror for a good view of the screen.

          I take off my sandals and begin to get comfortable. I draw my legs up in the seat; in a yoga position, turn, look at him and smile. “

         “So Willie, are you dating anyone regular or am I the only one that would venture out with you?"

         He laughs, “No I’m not dating anyone regular. I don’t want to. I am a free spirit.”

          "Well that makes two of us.” 

         Slowly a car rolls by, a long white Pontiac of sorts, in search of a place to park and watch the show. The place is full by now except the “dead yellow pole”.  A few minutes later I see it slowly creeping its way down aisle 2 and park beside the bent pole.

         “Oh no…..Th that car…..it’s gonna pull in to…"pointing to the car.

         The car is snug beside the skeleton pole, the motor turned off. I noticed the tag on the back. It was a Michigan tag it read IBT.

          “They are from out of town. They don’t know about the pole. Willie, you need to go tell them!"

         “It’s none of my business, besides they don’t know the legend. What they don’t know won’t hurt them right?”

         “The movie is starting, shhhhhhssssshh.” .

          While watching the story unfold on the screen with Katharine Ross and Peter Masterson, I anxiously recall the legend of the dead speaker. All the kids around town sit around at parties and talk about the legend. About how any couples on their first date just disappear and are never to be seen again. The car is found the next day and the couple missing, nowhere to be found. Of course everyone has their speculations of the couple’s demise. . Some say the speaker hypnotizes them into killing themselves… they are found behind the screen hanging from a rope. The police just keep it quiet. Others conclude the body snatchers somehow swoop down and take them, or the car swallows them up. The common theme is people go missing if they use that speaker pole to watch the movie. Something is wrong with that spot; the man at the concession stand is proof!

         At last it's intermission. The lights come on so everyone can get to the concession stand safely. Willie and I walk up to the neon lit building and get in line for popcorn and a hot dog. The guy that normally scoops up the popcorn is not here. Immediately I mention it to Willie.

          “Hey the popcorn guy that doesn’t talk isn’t here”, my eyes darting back and forth searching the back counter area for him.

          “So what?”

         “Uh Willie, you know the story, after that couple went missing from here a few years back, he is the guy that tried to repair the speaker, remember it wouldn’t work?

         “Oh yeah, right.” “Valerie what are you saying”?

         “I’m saying something is going on that I’m not real comfortable with.”

          “Valerie, he is probably taking a day off or maybe he died?"”Who knows? Just finish topping your hot dog so we can get back to the car. I don't need someone ripping the interior in my car. I left the top down.”

          I’m biting my lip, wrapping my wiener up and see a friend of mine, I wave hello, as we’re exiting the concessions area.

         At the car Willie holds my dog while I get in. The white Pontiac is still parked in the “dead speaker” spot. The next movie comes on unnoticed; we are busy doing other things. He leans over, kisses me on the cheek, picks up the necklace around my neck and plays with it. We talk about school and laugh about women being turned into robot perfect wives.

         The lights come on again, signaling time to leave. Willie starts the car, easing over the hump and past the Pontiac, its dark, I can’t see if they are still in the car. 

         “Drive in front of the car.”

         “Come on Valerie, you don’t really believe they’re gone, poof”?

         “Just do it Willie.”

         Driving past the car, lights come on inside! The windows are rolled down, I hear the woman say “Jimmy” “Let’s go!” They’re still there…. My thoughts begin questioning the legend.

          Arriving home, walking to the door, we say goodnight.  Sashaying to my room, with shag carpet that made the door difficult to shut. I undress, slide under the sheets and drifting slowly off to sleep, I say goodnight to my poster of Bruce Springsteen “The Boss”.

         I return to school Monday, forgetting about the couple and the legend. I'm more concerned about how Katharine Ross was turned into a docile and complicit playboy bunny. She had such a promising career in photography.

         I wake up the next morning with the news blaring. "Teamsters boss Hoffa still missing. Police say he was last seen in a white Pontiac, leaving a  restaurant in Bloomfield, Michigan license plate “IBT”.”





Word Count 1992