Theater 9
Brandon’s face glowed in the light of his watch. Fifteen minutes had passed the start time and… nothing. He sat alone in the darkness, waiting for the projector to shine on the big screen. He expected the previews to begin rolling, but nothing but blackness stared back at him. He stood up and looked back at the tiny glass window where he could see the movie projector. Dark.
“Uh, hello?! Anyone up there?”
Silence.
Well, this was a first. Go to a movie to review it, and no one else seems to want to watch it. Even the staff doesn’t have it ready. He hoped this wasn’t a reflection on the film; otherwise, he would have wasted his eight dollars. He decided to go out in the foyer and see if someone could go up and either get it going, or kick the ass of the attendant who fell asleep up there. He walked out of Theater 9, which was one of the smaller theaters in the back corner of the complex. He turned the corner to go back to the front and expected to see the concessions being assaulted by the prime time crowd, rushing to get their pop and popcorn before the previews began.
The stand and the people were gone. Instead was a hallway with another theater and a wall with blank movie posters to decorate. The hallway ended with similar décor and signs pointing to the theaters to the left and right. Brandon stopped, shrugged, and turned around. He must have gotten switched up on which direction the front was. He looked up and saw the same setup now in the opposite direction. He turned his head back and forth, and thought of a giant mirror, only his reflection was missing. He walked at a quick pace to the end of the hallway and turned right, only to find the same setup he had just walked from. His heart began to quicken. He ran forward this time and instead of turning right again, he turned left. In dismay, he saw the same loop he had just run from.
Through panic gasps, he cried, “Help! Can anyone hear me?!” The sound was muffled by the fabric decorative walls that lined the hallway. He collapsed against the wall, struggling to catch his breath as he felt his surroundings closing in around him. A light shone from the theater across from him. He looked up and saw it was the same theater, #9, he started in. The projector must be working now! He felt a weight release from his chest; someone else must be here. He got up and moved quickly in the theater.
When he got in, he looked up and saw the projector room was still off. He looked back at the screen, which gave off a white light as if a presentation was waiting for all attendees to arrive. Brandon felt a wave of fatigue wash over him, so he sat down in the seat and looked at the screen.
The screen produced a countdown starting from 3…2…1, then the screen turned to a light grey. The words, “Act I,” appeared in white typewriter font, then cut to black. The screen faded into a beautiful wedding ceremony in a church. While the picture was crystal clear, there was no sound. Brandon recognized the pillars. Next appeared a beautiful dark-haired woman dressed in white, holding a bouquet. In a moment, Brandon was transported back to a blissful memory. He was watching his wife, Erica, walk down the aisle on their wedding day. The camera cut to them standing hand in hand at the altar, then sealing their vows with a kiss.
The next scene was of them walking up to a movie theater, laughing with his arm around her. She now had a rather large belly bump. This scene cut a few years later, Brandon, Erica, and a blonde-haired toddler sat at the breakfast table. He read the newspaper and became excited. Erica rushed over to see what he was overjoyed about. He pointed at the paper, and she too, began to laugh and hugged him. Even baby Joey was rocking back and forth with excitement. Brandon remembered that day. He had entered a film critic competition, and the winner would receive a $2,000 prize, have their piece printed in the newspaper, and potentially get a career in media journalism. He saw his name at the bottom of the article.
The screen faded to the grey screen. The words, “Act II” appeared momentarily, then faded to black. The screen opened on his son, who looked the same age as he did today, around 10 years old. He sat watching television as his younger sister Chloe crawled around the floor nearby. The camera view panned up over the nightstand where Joey’s report card read, “A’s Honor Roll” along with a certificate and a couple of coupons for a free ice cream cone at Dairy Queen. Brandon thought to himself, he hadn’t seen how well Joey did on his grades before he left the house.
The view panned up to show the kitchen where a silent argument was taking place. Brandon and Erica were battling back and forth. While any other audience member would be left in the dark, Brandon could hear and feel every stinging remark he spoke. He remembered the slamming of the door and storming out to his car. But the scene didn’t end there. Erica sat at the dining room table, her head in her hands, and wiped the tears with her shirt sleeve. She looked up through reddened eyes, and a smile came to her face. The view turned and showed Chloe’s tottering steps toward the kitchen. She held out her hands to reassure her. Then two more steps, and she was in her mother’s arms.
Something began to grow in the back of Brandon's mind. A feeling? A sense? If the panic he had earlier was a boulder, this was like a pebble in his heart. The screen went grey again. This time, the title card read, “Act III”, then cut to black. The scene opened, showing a bustling ballpark. A giant sign was posted on the outfield fence, which read, “Welcome to Michigan High School Baseball State Championship.” The scoreboard next to the sign showed it was the bottom of the 7th. The score was tied 3-3 and two outs. The camera view turned and showed a batter walking up to the plate. Brandon saw the last name matched his, along with Joey’s favorite number, 17. The pitcher wound up and hurled the ball forward. The view slowed the pitch down to show each revolution. Joey’s bat came across the plate at the exact moment, striking the ball on the top quarter. The ball screamed out of the infield with no signs of slowing. It continued to fly through the air, forcing the outfielder to run backwards. Then in a roar of celebration, the ball cleared the fence with two feet to spare. The stands erupted. Joey jogged around the bases as his team cleared the bench and awaited his arrival at home plate. The camera turned and panned the crowd until it rested on Erica, a little older now, with a brown haired teenage girl sitting next to her. They held up signs with Joey #17. The camera panned a little further to show an empty seat next to Erica. It quickly cut to Joey and his team's celebration. As he looked through the crowd, he spotted his mom and waved. His face glanced at the empty spot, and Brandon saw his smile began to crack until a friend of his shook him back to the celebration.
The screen faded to black. Brandon could feel that ‘pebble’ begin to grow a little more and settle into his throat. The next scene showed another wedding in a church similar to Act I. The camera view crawled up the aisle until it rested on the bride and groom. They both radiated in each other’s presence. The bride had dark brown hair like his own. He could tell this was the older version of the teen at the ball game next to Erica. Chloe. It was Chloe’s wedding. She glanced over the groom's shoulder at the first row. There sat Erica, now much older. Her hair showed the beginnings of grey and white. Next to her, a broad-shouldered man in his mid-twenties sat in an expensive suit. They smiled back at her, but the view panned further to show an empty seat next to Erica. The next shot was a close-up of Chloe as her smile briefly sagged as her eyes began to well. Her groom gently squeezed her hand and mouthed something to her, which returned her smile. The scene faded to black.
The final scene appeared before Brandon. The camera view showed the inside of a hospital hallway, then tracked through an open door into a patient's room. An elderly woman, worn and tired, lay back on a bed. Chloe and Joey sat on either side of Erica and held her hands tenderly. She smiled at both of them while they returned her gaze through tear-welled eyes. She leaned her head back on the pillow, and her chest fell for the last time. The two kids got up and came together, hugged, and wept as the screen faded to black.
That pebble in Brandon’s throat had grown into a large stone. His hands held his face, as he wept bitterly. He wept for the tears he had caused and the tears that would come. He felt despair creep into his heart. An inevitable doom that he would bring on his family. But something happened to renew hope in him again. He smelled the salty aroma of buttery popcorn and the laughter of people faintly in the distance. He lifted his head and saw the screen had returned to normal, showing upcoming events. A group of teenagers walked through the door and made their way down the aisle toward him. He felt his heart and touched his face. He even gave himself a little slap. The realization had come over him. He was back. New hope surged in him as he dodged his way through people trying to get into the theater. He stepped outside and saw ‘Theater 9’. He paused for a second, then walked toward the front. The concessions filled his nostrils with so many amazing aromas. He pushed open the glass doors to the parking lot and looked at his watch. Only 20 minutes had passed since he left the house. He looked up into the night sky and breathed a fresh hope for the future, then headed home.
Fin
