Paranoia

When a person dies, where do they go? Does everything go black and that’s the end of it ...Or is it something more than what we as people can comprehend? Like reliving our lives over and over again until we learn our lesson… Or something of that nature. For the longest time I was one of those people who thought ghosts were just a hoax or a prank to get people scared during Halloween (the WORST time of the year!) but… The moment I turned 16 this “Oh I don't get scared” persona I put up changed and I… became a whole new person, something I never thought would be possible.

“Lauren, would you hurry up?” Sierra, my best friend at the time, yelled at me “We are going to miss the movie!”

“Yeah, yeah I'm coming!” I say dragging my feet. The movie we were going to see was a knock-off movie of some popular ghost movie; apparently, it's haunted and everybody in the school was raving about it. Some even say that it’s such a knockoff that whoever sees it receives a visit from the ghost herself! Clearly, this was a huge joke. The movie posters don’t even look like her or relate to the story. It has a really good rating on rotten tomatoes though, so prepare to get spooked I guess.

“Couldn’t we just drive to the movie theater? Why are we walking again?” I complain again “Will you stop with the smart remarks?” Sierra snaps back at me “Tis’ the season to be spooky!” “Yeah, let’s just get this over with..” I say with a sigh. I guess there’s no getting out of this. I would rather just take a nap at this point.

We arrive at the movie theater with both joy and dread; More dread on my end but to each their own. My feet felt like they are going to fall off with the amount of walking we did. To me, that's the most horrific thing about tonight so far! This movie can jump off a cliff for all I care. But alas, we walk into the crowded theater, get our tickets, take our seats, and prepare for what we are about to watch.

“Ar-aren’t you afraid of getting followed by whatever haunts this movie?” Sierra randomly spits out while practically shaking in her boots. “...no, no I am not. Only a fool would truly believe that a movie could come to life, follow you home, and kill you in your sleep.” I say bluntly say as Sierra rolls her eyes at me “You calling me a fool?” “I’m not just calling you a fool, I’m calling you a fool and a coward; in a best friend kind of way of course!” At this point, I’m just trying to be honest without hurting Sierra’s feelings. She's the type of girl to cry if you showed her a picture of a puppy, so I know saying that would make her upset, I just don't want to lie to her either. Unfortunately, she didn't take that too well. The lights darken, the previews play, and the movie starts with a horrible title screen tagged with horrible transitions.

“Paranoia 2, Ghost edition!” Oh, cry me a river! This looks like a 5-year-old put this together and called it a movie. I watch the entire movie with Sierra next to me but by the time the movie is said and done, I look around and realize that my best friend is no longer next to me like she was when the movie started. “Oh great, she probably got butthurt and ran into the bathroom or something.” I think to myself as I get up to go find her until I realize something: nobody else is in the theater either “I guess everybody is either really not into scary movies and left mid-movie or I’m tripping out!” I slowly get out of my seat, popcorn in hand, and walk towards the back door. As I get close to the door, it slams right into my face. “Okay, rude!” I try to open the door again but it won't budge. “Fine! I guess I’ll go through the emergency exit.” I speed walk to the emergency exit to only realize that the emergency exit is locked tight as well. “That's just odd, why would an emergency exit be locked?” I try to open it with all my might but the door won’t budge either. “Okay Sierra, very funny! You pranked me you all can come on out!” I shouted to the crowd of empty chairs, but nothing happens. No laughing, no “I gotcha back for sassing me!” Nothing. Just dead silence in a dark theater with a sick feeling in my stomach like something bad is going to happen. I sigh once again “I get it, I've been very rude lately but I just don't want to lie to you is all, you can cut the crap and let me out now. The joke is over! Hello! Is anybody listening?” I run to the main exit and bang on that door. “No? I'm crazy? Okay, cool.” After what felt like an eternity of yelling and screaming at doors that won't open (or care for what it seems), the movie screen turns to static. “Is this what happens after a movie turns off?” I think to myself. this isn't “The Ring” or “The Grudge” so I'm not too sure what’s happening. There is no way that the paranoia movie is doing this on its own… right? I feel my blood pressure spiking up as I drop my popcorn and run all around the theater. I need to get out of this place before I lose my mind! I search all in between the seats for Sierra or anybody really, but nobody is there. I'm all alone “This has to be some sick joke!” I keep thinking to myself. I run all over the theater in panic and hope that I find somebody at this point.

“You know” I turn towards you, breaking the 4th wall. “She has some real guts begging me to see this movie then ditching and locking me in! When I see her again, she's so getting an earful from me!” I turn back to the static screen and hear faint voices “....Lauren…” The voices say That sounds like it’s coming from...behind me? I turn around again to the back of the theater and find nothing but empty seats. “Hm, I am officially going insane!” I think to myself “LAUREN!” I hear and before I turn around and say “What the fiddlesticks?!” A large mass comes around my waist and drags me out from where I'm standing as I scream in horror. “HELP! SOMEBODY, ANYBODY HEL-” My mouth feels muffled, my breath shortens and I can't see anything but my own fears, and what I’m assuming is hell when I hear “Lauren? Laren wake up!” I spring up.

I'm ...in bed? But how? I was in the movie theater one second ago. “Come on! We are going to be late for the movie! I hear it's absolutely haunted!” I’ve heard this before… but this time, I'm in bed? How could this be? “Yeah...Uhm, one second!” I look around my bedroom and realize that it must have been a bad dream. I get up, put on some clothes for the day, and jaggedly put on some makeup before I hear again “Lauren! If you don't hurry up we are going to miss it!” “Let me guess, we’re walking to the theater?” I say, in an experiment to what my dream was about. She walks into my room and says curiously “Yeah, how'd you know?” I look towards you, breaking the fourth wall again; “I had a gut feeling.” I turn back to Sierra and put on my jacket “Whatever girly, you ready or not?” “Yeah, I'm ready!” I turn back to shut my door and then I see it. A black mass in the inner corner of my room with only a gross-looking eye inside the darkness looking back at me. Properly terrified, I slam the door on that thing.

That's how my life has been ever since. A repeating cycle of seeing that movie and the black mass with a single arm and eye hanging around me. I used to say that ghosts aren't real, but now I believe I am a toy of one.

END.