Movie Night

After far too long, finally our favorite weekend ritual was back up and running—the local movie theater. During the pandemic while the public was snuggling up on the couch and watching their favorite movies while sheltering in place, the movie theater in town was revamped. New look, new carpets, new snack bar, and (finally) new reclining seats. Needless to say Jake and I couldn’t be more pumped to get there for the midnight showing of “Galaxy Trooper”.

We got to the theater at 11:30 PM sharp, we already had our tickets on our phone so we had time to pick all the different snacks we wanted and watch the previews. As we took our seats, row H seats 15 and 16, I couldn’t believe how many people came out for the first showing since the place had been reopened. Every seat was taken. Of course at this time of night this was the only theater in use, which was a little bit of an eerie idea to me, but the energy of the crowd was electric so I didn’t mind.

The screen lit up to a roar of applause, cheers and whistles. I smiled and squeezed Jake’s hand, his face lit up by the glow of the big screen. About an hour into the movie a big action sequence began. Lots of strobing lights and loud noises. Then with a bang, the theater went black. I was shocked and jumped. We waited, breathlessly. When the screen came back to life, which of our beloved space warriors would be gone forever? But a minute passed, and then another. “What’s happening?” I whispered to Jake. He just shook his head in the dark. The room became loud with whispers, then the hum of a generator filled the remaining space and flickering dimmed and yellowish fluorescent lights followed. The whispers became full voices which turned swiftly to yelling as soon as two fresh faced theater employees hurried in several minutes later. People yelling about wanting their money back mostly of course. Some asking what exactly was going on. After all there wasn’t a cloud in the sky when we walked in, what would have knocked the power out? They didn’t seem to have answers but the young man with spiraled curly hair and braces yelled over the crowed in a deep voice, “We apologize for the inconvenience but we will be unable to finish the showing at this time. Free movie vouchers will be provided at the front desk.” The teens hurried out with a mob of angry moviegoers at their backs. The rest of the theater was dark, and the lobby normally teaming with lights from all angles was pitch black. People were shining lights from their cell phones to see in front of them. “How weird none of the lights from the parking lot or even across the street are on. That’s why it’s so dark in here” Jake said as we approached the crowd rushing the front desk. “Why would that be weird?” I asked “Wouldn’t the power be out all over this street?” Jake who worked for the electrical company leaned in an explained, “Yeah you would think so but they’re on two different grids so the lights should be on over there.”

I looked around at the mayhem that started to ensue and I was uneasy. Too much was going on lately, something bad was always happening on the news and this seemed like the perfect situation for it. “Jake I don’t like this, forget the voucher let’s just get out of here before someone does something stupid.” He fully agreed and we made our way to the exit. Outside it was dark. And quiet. It would almost have been peaceful if not for the lack of reasoning behind the outage. “Maybe a transformer blew or something.” Jake mumbled as he fumbled for his keys. He put them in the ignition and...nothing. “What the hell?” He tried again and then again and still nothing. “You gotta be kidding me. I really need to replace this piece of shit. I guess we’re calling an Uber” he said in a huff. “No service” I said as I glanced at my phone. “Hmm none on mine either” he replied. We glanced up seeming to notice at the same time others trying to start their cars in the parking lot and being unsuccessful. My stomach churned. Jake shot me a cold, frightened look. “Okay what the hell is going on.”

We both got out of the car, another couple two cars away got out as well. The blonde girl spoke first “This is like some horror movie shit, this is it. This is the end.” She seemed sure of it. Her boyfriend chimed in “Okay okay Dee, relax. You guys having car troubles too?” I shot him a stoic look, “Yeah along with everyone else in the lot.” The scene of the lot devolved into the same chaos as the front desk inside, only now everyone was really panicked. “Check your phones, do you guys have service?” I said as I gestured towards the iPhone in his hand. They both looked down simultaneously, then at each other and back at us, “No.” Dee started to shake, her eyes welled up. I reached for her arm, “Listen I’m sure this can all be explained, why don’t we just start walking down the road a little bit and see what’s going on.”

While most of the lot was still scrambling, we left on foot and started down the main road. I could already see that up ahead there were no lights. Not at the McDonald’s, not at the apartment complex across the street, and not at the intersection straight ahead. “Oh damn this is widespread” Jake said trying to keep his voice low and calm while checking his phone repeatedly, “I should definitely be getting some sort of call about this.” I became more concerned by the passing second. “There hasn’t been one car since we started walking” I said to no one in particular. The whole group glanced over the street and kept pushing forward. We’d all acknowledged, at least to ourselves, that something was very wrong. Dee’s boyfriend suggested we knock on doors in the apartment complex, maybe they had seen or heard something before everything went out or in the very least had some cell service. At this point it was a reasonable idea since it would be difficult to make it home on foot.

The complex was darker somehow and completely silent. We each knocked on a different door. More silence. “It’s the middle of the night, they probably don’t even know anything happened” Jake sighed. “Look!” Dee shouted while jumping and pointing to what appeared to be someone peering out their window, then shutting the curtains. We ran and banged on the door yelling a cacophony of frantic ‘hello’s and ‘please open up’s. We got no answer. We decided to keep trekking in the direction of home hoping something would give on the way, Dee and her boyfriend decided the same and we parted ways at the lifeless intersection.

We must have walked close to 5 miles with no car and no lights in sight. No other people for that matter. It was just us in the dark. After a long time of silence a sudden high pitch tone filled the air, like that ring tone the teachers couldn’t hear in school, only sharper and much louder. I held my ears, Jake followed. It wouldn’t let up. Jake fell to the ground. I vomited uncontrollably, Jake’s ears began to bleed and he went unconscious. My vision began to blur as I slowly made my way to the ground reaching out for Jake. Suddenly the sky lit up like right before the demolition wave of a nuclear blast. Just then I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be some sort of circular aircraft, one I didn’t recognize.

I’m writing this in hopes to recall the events of that night as I can’t recall much else. That’s the last thing I remember before I ended up here. Where “here” is I’m not sure. I am in a room alone. There are no windows or any items to identify where I could be. I don’t know how long I have been here as I have had no contact with other people. I thought I heard talking at one point but it was indistinct, so I’m not sure. I can feel and hear a gentle rumbling, a hum almost like being on a plane. I won’t dare write down what my mind keeps telling me has happened. That’s all I know for now.