Movie Night

A small horror story...

It’s after midnight when Cassie locks the front doors behind the last few stragglers of the late night movie. In the front of the movie theater she begins methodically sweeping the debris of candy and popcorn, dropping empty cups into garbage bags as she goes. ‘People can be such slobs,’ she thinks disgusted, grateful it’s an old one room theater with only a small balcony, lobby and bathroom in need of cleaning. Her co-worker went home sick, so she’s stuck by herself. Bent under a seat to get a box of chocolate, the catchy sound of “Let’s All Go to the Lobby” gets her attention. ‘Somebody lost a cell phone,’ she decides. Scanning the seats she spots a shape at the back of the theater in the balcony’s shadow.

“Hello?” Cassie calls out tentatively, pulling a small flashlight from her pocket, walking closer. She could’ve sworn the seats were empty when she came through earlier. “I’m sorry, Sir, we’re closed.”

Caught in the beam of light is a man slumped in the seat. Head tipped forward his slit throat spills down the front of his shirt seasoning the red splattered tub of popcorn in his lap with a coppery tang. A squealing shriek rips from her throat as the flashlight falls from numb trembling fingers. Cassie’s heart falters, thumping away at a staggering beat. ‘Run!’ her mind screams in panic. ‘Now!’

Racing into the lobby she grabs her cell phone and keys from behind the candy counter. Crossing to the door she fumbles with the deadbolt twisting with all her might. Grunting, the metal refusing to budge, her hand flies free as one of her fingernails rips off. Biting back a scream, exposed nerves on fire, she clutches the injury. ‘Screw it,’ Cassie decides taking deep ragged breaths, ‘I’m breaking the glass.’

Unhooking the velvet ropes used to corral patrons she picks up a gleaming golden pole, wielding it like a bat as she swings at the door. THRACK! The force vibrates up her arms, turning muscle to jell-o, but the glass doesn’t crack. Rearing back for another swing the lights give a loud humming BRRZZZTCRICK and explode. Dropping, Cassie covers her head as a shower of glass rains on her. Plunged into darkness she lifts the pole, tightening her grip for another go at the door. A flicker of movement in the glass catches her eye. Someone is behind her. With a shrill banshee shriek she whips around swinging, the pole connecting with something solid and meaty.

A body crashes in the darkness and Cassie runs, racing up the stairs to the balcony. She can barricade herself in the projection room. Tripping, stumbling, heart thundering in her ears, she smacks into the rail of the balcony teetering dangerously. Pulling herself upright Cassie fumbles in the darkness, banging into seats, groping for the door. Movement echoes up from below with the sound of humming. Heart seized in panic, gasping, suffocating, she chokes on air. Somebody’s coming! Desperately she rips out her cell phone using the dim light to find the projection booth. Slipping inside she turns the lock dragging shelves, chairs, and anything that moves in front of the door. The Humming grows louder as footsteps come from the balcony. Jumping away from the door, Cassie crouches, praying they won’t get her.

Someone starts singing.

“Let’s all.”

The floor creaks.

“Go to the.”

Shoes shuffle.

“Lobby.”

The doorknob jingles.

Biting her arm to muffle a scream, Cassie listens to the door rattle. Blood rushing in her ears, fighting back tears, she wishes the person would go away.

Silence.

Heart fluttering a staccato her eyes fly to the projection window. It’s too small to fit through, she knows, but her throat closes tight at the scraping tap of nails on the window frame. A velvety chuckle fills the darkness as footsteps drift towards the stairs. Standing, cramped legs aching, Cassie steps back, starting to call the police. Hitting into something hard and warm two vice like arms close around her. The cell phone clatters to the floor. Body frozen in fear, mind screaming to struggle, Cassie feels lips press against her ear.

“Let’s all go to the lobby.” 

Cheesy

This is a sweet little moment I wrote on a bus after visiting my friend, inspired by a comment she made. It has the same leads as "Swim" and "Dark" and the male lead in "Shore".

Loud music and laughter pour down from a third story apartment. Tempting aromas of baking deliciousness waft up from a basement kitchen. And two people sit on a patio on a small hill overlooking the street. She’s a pale beauty with a dark bob. He’s a bright-eyed youth with golden spikes. Silent observers watching the people below as the last fading rays of sunlight peek through the window eyes of buildings. A gawky teenager with a swirling twist of orange hair offers his tiny soft-smiling sweetheart a necklace, hearts in his eyes as she blushingly accepts.

“Would you look at that,” the golden boy says, blue eyes watching the couple from behind black shades.

The beauty shifts, face passive as an eyebrow quirks.

“Hector won’t like it,” she replies after a moment, crimson eyes flicking to a dark figure atop a penthouse roof across the way.

“For sure,” the boy agrees, shaking his head in wonder. “I know Kazuya normally needs a clue, but it’s kinda impressive the way he’s totally oblivious to the death glare Hector’s giving him.”

She gives a non-committal hum as they watch the teen fumble with the clasp behind his beloved.

“So, is that the way it is? You like a girl you buy her jewelry?”

“It depends on the people. They prefer teasing flirtation,” she says, pointing to a raven-haired beauty sauntering into her house with an intentional sway of her hips casting a sly smile back to her honey, his pink face matching his hair. “While they show affection with oranges.”

He follows the elegant line of her hand to a muscular man and his orange-haired mate.

“I gotcha. What about you? What do you prefer?”

Tilting her head she sees a blue eye watching her from behind the sunglasses and shrugs saying, “I’ve never been in love.”

“I’m a cheesy kind of guy myself,” he chirps, grinning wide. “All the classic things that never go out of style, like candy and flowers. I am all for candy and flowers.”

“I see.”

“Of course, my way is a little different from the norm,” he tells her, reaching into one of the pockets sewn into his red cape. “I prefer candy flowers.”

He holds out a green stemmed sugar pink blossom made entirely of hard candy, glowing when she reluctantly plucks it from his fingers.

“This is just until I figure out what you like,” he promises.

She watches as he bounces down the hill towards the apartment building across the street, twirling the candy flower in her fingers.

“I might like cheesy.”

Sidestep

This story came about from one small scene within that made me laugh and it grew from there. The male lead  can also be found in "Utterly Unexpected" and two of the supporting characters have a small scene in "A Beautiful Life."

People had been disappearing for weeks, but no one thought anything of it. For a town full of heroic people, the small population was fairly oblivious to the world outside the city limits; usually do to the constant barrage of attacks and misadventures. It wasn’t until sweet little Yuki was kidnapped and her bighearted oaf of a boyfriend returned in a craze that anyone bothered to take notice.

“We were coming out of the ice cream shop when this creepy old man with these buggy eyes and wild mad scientist hair came up to us and started hitting on Yuki! I told him to back off ‘cause she’s my girl but he didn’t even look at me,” a jabbering Kazuya explained, wildly throwing his arms around. “Just as I’m about to grab him, the little skeezoid throws this stuff on me. I was spitting it out ‘cause it got in my mouth when all these cats started showing up and attacking me! I love cats because their cute an’ fluffy an’ sound like little motors but not when dozens of them are clawing all over my face and body trying to eat me.”

A choking snort of laughter escaped the dark haired woman next to him as she pressed a hand to her mouth. Green eyes met her blue with a slight headshake of warning, looking pointedly at the short figure standing behind Kazuya with a tangible feeling of malice.

“Kazuya, by chance, did he throw catnip on you?” a slightly older man with red hair asked.

“That’s it!” the orange haired youth screeched. “All those cats were attracted to the catnip. There’s not a feline alive who hates me.”

Patience snapping the murderous figure whirled Kazuya around, grabbed the front of his shirt, and shook the taller man, snarling, “What happened to Yuki, you worthless waste of space?”

“The guy took her,” he yelped, teeth rattling in his head.

“Why didn’t you protect her?” the shorter man hissed, hands itching to rise a few inches and strangle the life out of the dimwit.

“I was trying to get the cats off without hurting them!”

“That’s enough Hector,” the redhead interjected, putting a hand on his furious friend’s shoulder. “The important thing right now is rescuing Yuki.”

“Fine,” Hector bit off, dropping Kazuya.

“Can you find her?” the green-eyed Autumn asked.

Silence as Hector closed his eyes searching for Yuki’s aura. It was a closely guarded secret, kept even from Yuki, that Hector was her brother. In order to keep an eye on his beloved little sister he’d found a way to locate her so he could watch over her from time to time.

Red eyes snapped open.

“I’ve found her,” he said already on the move, “the fool didn’t even bother to hide his location.”

A short time later Hector and the dark haired woman, Julie, slipped in a back window of a rundown house. Split into two groups for a faster search, the four people silently snuck through the building leaving an earnest and unaware Kazuya to storm the front door in a flurry of love proclamations and screams for “the bug-eyed skeezoid weirdo to come out and fight like a man!”

So far they’d found nothing but cats. Dozens of cats. In every room they entered. Bedroom after bedroom with a bed, closet, dresser and piteously mewing cats in all colors and sizes.

A terrible feeling crawling up her spine Julie asked Hector, “Do you think these are the missing people?”

“Hn,” he grunted, “I don’t care.”

“But what if Yuki’s a cat?”

Hector paused, glaring at her over his shoulder.

“Then it better be reversible,” he said ominously, “for his sake.”

“This is a waste of time,” Hector announced ten minutes later as they entered a bedroom just like the others, this one surprisingly lacking cats. The loud hollers of Kazuya had died down and there was still no sign of Yuki.

“What do you propose?” Julie asked, checking the closet for people or secret compartments.

“We find the man responsible and make him talk,” he hissed darkly, hand clenched in a fist.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Thunderous footsteps echoed down the hall as a mad yowl filled the air. Had they been discovered? Sharing a glance the two took on fighting stances, Hector crouched slightly before Julie, prepared for the worst as the door crashed open.

Suddenly Hector dodged to the right, Julie automatically tracked his movement, looking for danger. She realized, too late, as her head whipped around that their attacker was barreling towards her in a big orange blur. Wheezing in surprised pain as a cannonball weight slammed into her chest, Julie rocked back, tipping as her hands clamped around her thrashing attacker.

‘Is that fur?’ she thought just before stars exploded behind her eyes.

Hector blinked, slightly widened eyes showing surprise as his friend crumpled gracelessly to the ground after cracking her head on the dresser. Moving to the door he hesitated, looked back at the helpless girl, and scowled. All that mattered was finding Yuki, and yet…Closing the door with a snarl he stomped back to Julie, fully intending to slap her awake.

The orange attacker gave a pathetic meow, unable to get free from the unconscious girl’s grip. Reaching down Hector grabbed the cat by the scruff of its neck, yanking it up with a death glare. Human or not the fuzzball cause of this unwanted delay was going up in flames. The cat purred in happiness followed by a tiny mew, as an unbelieving Hector met very familiar eyes. Dark satisfaction spread through his veins as Hector gave a low chuckle, and the orange cat trembled.

“Urgh. I’m dead,” Julie groaned, her skull throbbing. Cracking open her eyes she saw Hector standing next to the door smirking. “And in hell.”

“You only wish you were that lucky,” he goaded, wicked satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. “A cat knocked you out.”

“I was knocked out by a dresser!” Julie hissed through grit teeth as another wave of pain radiated through her head. “Besides, if you hadn’t dodged it never would have hit me. Though, at your height it probably would’ve gotten you in the face.”

“If I didn’t move Kazuya would be dead,” he snarled, resting a hand on the sword at his hip. “Would you prefer him in sixty or seventy pieces?”

“Oh, blah, blah, blah. You’re super fast and I’m not,” Julie huffed carefully standing up. “Y’know I may have gotten hit by the cat but you ran from it.”

Hector’s eyes widened in surprised outrage before narrowing into furious slits, “I never ran.”

“You sure hightailed it out of the way when you saw the cat coming.”

“I sidestepped. Something any third rate amateur should have been able to do.”

“You jerk! If you hadn’t distracted me I would have been fine.”

“You should have been aware of your surroundings.”

“How was I supposed to know a cat of all things would be able to hit like a linebacker?” Julie snarled, before she paused, looking at Hector in confusion. “Wait. Did you say Kazuya?”

Irritation melted into a smug expression as Hector arched an eyebrow. “Displaying your amazing observational skills once again,” he mocked, enjoying her embarrassed annoyance.

“Because I’m sure you realized it was Kazuya the moment he came through the door,” Julie grumbled looking around. “What did you do with him?”

Crimson eyes glowed in unholy pleasure as they flicked down before locking on suspicious blue. Lowering her eyes, Julie bit back a surprised laugh. Kazuya, now a large orange cannonball of a tabby, was wedged under Hector’s boot, the ends of his singed fur still smoking. Large terrified brown eyes met hers, silently begging for rescue.

Julie considered him with half-lidded eyes, head tilting as she gave Kazuya Cat a lopsided smile.

“You gave me a concussion, so I’m not really inclined to stop Hector,” she announced with little sympathy. “All things considered, be happy he didn’t kill you.”

“The idiot did manage to do something right,” Hector said, carefully pulling aside his cloak to reveal a white, crimson eyed, kitten curled safely in his arm.

Eyes rounding in surprise, Julie stepped closer, leaning down to inspect a familiar red ribbon tied around the kitten’s neck. “Hello Yuki.”

“Now that we have what we came for, let’s finish this,” Hector suggested, eager to find the man responsible for harming his sister.

Julie nodded in agreement and they turned to leave. Freed from the pressure of Hector’s foot, Kazuya Cat’s long wheeze of gratitude turned into a sharp yowl of panic as the door burst in a shower of wood. Curled around Yuki for protection Hector jumped back, stumbled, and barely avoided a fall. Eyes widened in furious surprise locked on the howling orange tabby clinging to his foot.

“Get off me you fool,” he snarled, swinging his foot towards the wall as a shower of dust fell over him.

Standing in the doorway was by far one of the ugliest men Julie had ever had the misfortune of seeing. And she spent the majority of her time fighting creatures from the deepest darkest pits of the abyss. His bug eyes roved in different directions, independent of each other, as he chanted with a mouth full of brown rotted teeth, and the putrid stench rolling off of him suffocated the room. Lowering the arm she’d thrown in front of her face when the door exploded, Julie heard her companion growl, the sound drawing their attacker’s attention. Not wasting time she crossed the room in two steps, reared back, and sucker punched the crazed man. He fell back in a daze and she followed with a hard right cross, smiling in grim satisfaction as his jaw gave way with an ominous crack!

 Leaving the unconscious man she entered the bedroom looking for her friends. There was Kazuya Cat helping the little Yuki kitten out of the tangled pool of Hector’s cloak on the floor. But where was Hector? The cloak twitched, followed by a furious hiss.

“No way,” Julie murmured crouching down to lift the fabric. Glaring at her from underneath the cloth was a black, crimson eyed kitten with a familiar white star pattern on its fur. Biting her lip to keep back a chuckle, Julie couldn’t quiet hide her amusement as she asked, “Hector?”

A low rumbling growl emerged from deep in the kitten’s throat, his entire body vibrating with rage. Alarmed, Julie leaned back as Kitten Hector pounced, watching in wide-eyed wonder as the ferocious feline mauled the larger Kazuya Cat. Reaching over she scooped up the fretting Yuki, absentmindedly scratching behind the other girl’s ears as orange fur began to fly. Tipping her head to the side Julie scoffed, "Sidestep, huh?”

Hours later everyone was back to normal and returned to their rightful places, the creepy Catman turned over to the proper otherworld authorities.

“How did you manage to convince him to tell you how to reverse the spell?” Autumn asked her red-haired boyfriend.

“We merely had a conversation about what would be in his best interest,” he calmly replied, smiling politely at his friends as they shared a universal feeling of ominous foreboding.

As the conversation carried on Julie slipped closer to Hector, drawing his attention with a tap on the shoulder as she leaned in.

“Listen here kitty-cat,” she said softly, ignoring the dark look he gave her. “I think our problems today weren’t so much our fault, as Kazuya’s, and the only reasonable thing to do now is get revenge. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Hector replied with a malevolent smirk.

“Oh, Kazuyaaaa!” Julie sang as they moved towards the bruised teen.

“Hey guys, what’s uuuaaaagh!”

A Wish For My Future Child

A silly little thing that popped into my head while brushing my teeth. =)



A good heart
A strong mind
A sound body
A kind soul
And...
A sharp tongue

Shore

This was written as, I believe, a thirty second challenge. He's also found in "Dark" and "Swim". It's very short.

It was many years ago that his world had first been destroyed and an innocent child had taken up the call for justice. In reality what he wanted was revenge. Nine years old, a long life ahead of him, Zanther witnessed the slaughter of his entire village. Including his family. That little golden boy was drowned to death in the depths of this lake. Minutes later the same boy, who would never be the same again, returned to life in a call of lightning that split the sky. Now, on the anniversary of his death and rebirth, he stood along the shore, fumed at the waves, and cursed that siren with every beat of his heart.