Chapter 4:

The Movie Theater

The Room

I was back in the corridor, and therefore back in the white room.

The wooden key, with symbols covering its surface and the number two carved into it, was still in my hand.

I went to the chained door.

I looked for the padlock with symbols and unlocked it.

I walked near the door and sat in the corner of the room where I had woken up.

My head felt so heavy. My eyes were burning.

Little by little, I lay down on the cold floor.

I closed my eyes.

“Beep beep beep beep.”

“Ugh…”

“Beep beep beep beep.”

“Let me rest just a little more.”

“Beep beep beep beep.”

“Ugh, it’s the clock…”

I stretched my arm and managed to turn it off.

I never got it on the first try.

“Alarm?”

I sat up suddenly.

“I’m home!” I said while looking at my room, admiring the small urban sounds coming from outside. “I got out of the room!”

I put my hand on my temple. I didn’t have a headache, which was different from every time I dreamed about the room.

“It was all a nightmare…”

Memories of that rainy day of studying came to mind.

“…maybe not everything was fake.”

I saw the time and, consequently, the date too.

Today was already Sunday.

Did I sleep for two days straight? What happened to me?

I took a deep breath and tried to forget, to go back to normal.

Today is the day of my date with Laura. I’ll need to take a shower.

I got up, grabbed a towel, and went to the bathroom.

I turned on the light, and it flickered a little.

It felt like my heart skipped a beat.

What if this isn’t real?

I stared at the mirror from far away.

Remembering what had happened in the room.

Slowly, I approached the mirror.

The light flickered again.

I kept looking at the sink. I couldn’t look up.

My heart started beating faster.

I felt the adrenaline flowing.

I raised my head slowly. I saw my stomach, and then my neck.

The problem was the eyes, right?

I looked at myself.

My eyes met.

I moved my eyes from side to side and looked carefully at my eyelids.

No black ink.

Then I turned my attention back to my body.

I moved from one side to the other.

Searching for some flaw.

My reflection followed me.

I sighed.

The anxiety decreased.

I’m imagining things.

***

Now the next problem was:

“What clothes am I going to wear? What kind of clothes would Laura like to see me in?”

I opened the closet. There was only the suit I wore to work.

“Strange. I was almost sure I had other kinds of clothes. Did I put everything in the wash?”

There’s no way I can go out to buy new clothes. There won’t be enough time.

“It’ll have to be these clothes,” I said to convince myself.

I went to the kitchen and started preparing rice and frying an egg.

My cat came to me.

I reached my hand toward him. He moved away from me.

He just kept looking at me.

Fixedly.

As if he didn’t recognize me.

The frying pan started splashing oil everywhere, and some of it splashed onto my hand.

“Ow!” I said, shaking my arm while trying to control the situation and move the pan.

I looked again, and my cat had disappeared.

It didn’t take long for the food to be ready.

I took the plate with rice and cold egg, sat on the couch, and turned on the television.

I still have a little time, so I’ll watch television.

The smell of hot food pushed away any bad feeling I was having.

I think I’m thinking too much.

I changed channels.

Cooking show.

News.

Old cartoon.

Movie.

News report.

“A young woman was found in the bathroom of her room after a drug overdose. She was taken to the hospital as quickly as possible, but unfortunately, she did not survive.”

The bathroom had white tiles like the Room.

I changed the channel and went back to the cartoon. Definitely better.

When it was time, I brushed my teeth and went to the exit.

I closed the apartment door slowly, as if I were forgetting something very important.

What was it?

***

While I was on the bus, I passed by a garden. For a brief moment, I saw a stone angel statue. It was the same as the one in the room.

Maybe I’m seeing things.

The movie theater was full of people, and even so, no one seemed excited. No children crying. Only a strange silence.

I was sitting on the couch, looking at everyone, searching for Laura.

I looked at the clock. Half an hour had already passed.

Is she really not coming? Was I right?

I didn’t want to be.

She was just late.

I heard a faint whisper.

As if someone were reading something.

My heart tightened.

I looked toward the sound.

First, I saw a father standing.

Whoever was making the sound was behind him.

He moved a little, and through the gaps between his legs, I managed to see a boy holding an object in his hands.

It was a black-covered book. He was whispering the words. I didn’t know if I couldn’t understand what he was saying because of the distance or—

“Hey!”

I got scared.

It was Laura. I recognized her voice. I stood up and could look at her better. She was wearing a very simple dress, but it was all black.

“Did someone die?” I asked jokingly.

“Why?” she answered coldly.

“I’ve never seen you wearing such dark clothes. It surprised me,” I explained, feeling bad about the joke.

“I’ve always liked these clothes,” she answered, smiling.

“Really?”

She nodded.

Do I not really know her?

As we walked to the movie theater room, there were several posters of the movies that were playing. I didn’t see any poster for the one we were going to watch.

“Tickets, please!”

The movie theater employee had a distant look. It seemed like there was a shadow in her eyes.

“Gabriel!” Laura called me, lightly tapping my arm.

I got scared again.

“You’re really distracted today. Here, give it to her.”

She handed me a ticket. The name of the movie was different from what I remembered.

“I thought we were going to watch Stellar Journey?”

“No, we’re going to watch Emilia and the Red Shoes.”

It wasn’t like I cared about the movie. I was here for her.

Even so, I was confused.

Did she change it at the last minute?

We sat almost in the middle. We could see the screen from a good distance.

“Aren’t you cold?” I asked while rubbing my hands over my arms to warm myself.

“No. I’m not feeling anything.”

“I think the air conditioning is a little too cold.”

Laura didn’t answer.

***

Emilia, a girl with red hair and a red dress with white polka dots, was sitting in a wheelchair. She was facing a dark green machine that looked like a capsule that would freeze her.

The elderly doctor watched her with curiosity.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Emilia answered, smiling.

She got up from the chair with difficulty. Her parents helped her.

She was scared.

She knew the risks.

The cold coming from the machine could be the last thing she ever felt in life.

Even so, she entered. Her dream was greater than anything in life.

The capsule door was closed. She could only see her parents and the doctor through a small circular window.

***

The cold of the movie theater seemed to be getting worse.

I felt like Emilia herself.

Something was pressing against my entire ribcage, and I felt pain in the muscles of my chest.

My breathing was in an abnormal rhythm.

That was making me sick. I didn’t have Emilia’s courage.

I looked at Laura, and she was focused on the screen.

“Sorry, but I can’t keep watching this,” I whispered in her ear, then got up, stumbling past people as I left. I felt like everyone in the movie theater was looking at me.

Even though I had gotten quite far from the movie theater, Laura managed to catch up to me.

She had a confused expression and asked while we walked.

“You didn’t like it?”

I looked at her, and her face seemed to show genuine curiosity. There was no malice in the question. I trusted her, so I sighed and decided to open up.

“I hated it.”

She looked confused.

“Why? The movie is so beautiful.”

“Something about it made me feel bad.”

“What do you mean?” Laura asked.

“How can Emilia be so confident? She could die.”

She answered in a cold way.

“Everyone will.”

I looked away and quickened my pace. As if I were trying to run away from her.

She held my arm, and I stopped.

Laura smiled at me, and her smile was so beautiful.

I ran my hand through her hair.