The Prompt You Say! - 17. Prompt 149 - Monster Movies

Barry climbed into his old Volkswagen Beetle and drove down to the movie house. He was excited and wanted to be there on time tonight. The Mystery Movie House was having a midnight showing of two horror films, Zombie Steals the Crown and Sheeples. They were bad “b” movies that barely got any time in the theaters when they were first released, but they had become cult classics.

“Holy shit!” Barry swerved to miss a deer as it came bounding out of the forest only to stop and look at him, frozen in his headlights. The damn thing only moved as he tried to get around it slamming itself into the side of his car. Luckily the car moved quickly and Barry wasn’t about to stop out on a country road with no street lights. Granted it was a clear night with a beautiful starry sky, but if there was damage to his car he wanted to be able to see it clearly.

Barry was still shaking when he pulled into the parking lot. It was brightly lit and he parked under one of the lights that were farthest away from other cars so he could survey the damage done. Content to find a slight impact mark on his car door, one that he knew could be easily fixed; Barry breathed a sigh of relief.

There was only a small line waiting to get in and Barry hurriedly took his spot in line.

“God damn, it’s cold!” The man in front of him shoved his hands dramatically into his pockets as he turned to the small brunette beside him.

“Oh stop complaining, Arthur. It is October. You didn’t expect it to be in the eighties at night did you? I mean give it a break.”

Barry tried hard to hide his smile as he listened to the couple before him complain. He thought it was fine out tonight, as long as you were wearing some sort of jacket. He noted that Arthur and his date had worn jackets as well.

“Well excuse me. I didn’t realize how cold it would be waiting in this line. Besides, I really didn’t expect you to pick out horror movies to come to. I thought we would be going to the multiplex to see that new romantic comedy.”

The woman sighed and looked at the billboard for a moment.

“How many times have I told you that I love the older films? Good or bad, they have character and, oh yeah, people could act,” she said pausing as she smiled sweetly at him, “even if it was over acting. Some of the actors today can’t even smile. They are so wooden.” She put her hands on her hips as she looked over at Arthur. “Art, are you even listening to me?”

“Yes Mandy, the whole damn place is. Can you keep it down?”

Mandy sighed. She adjusted her coat and moved forward as the line disappeared inside the theater.

“Why do I bother?”

Barry tried hard not to laugh and a moment later watched as they vanished inside the warmth of the theater lobby.

“How many?”

“Just one ticket please.”

Barry handed over his cash and like a little boy at Christmas took his ticket happily over to the door to be ripped. He entered the warmth of the lobby and immediately was assaulted by the delicious aroma of fresh popped pop corn. He opened his coat and began to head toward the inner doors when he spotted the table.

“Care to buy a raffle?”

Barry turned to see a little old lady with three bundles wrapped in cellophane. There was a sign on the table saying the funds from the raffle went to the local homeless shelter. It was well known that the Mystery Movie House often donated one night a week to various causes. Barry glanced and seen one was movie tickets and candy, one was blanket, and the last raffle of the night was a bottle of champagne. Barry figured five dollars wouldn’t kill him so he took one.

The first movie was just as Barry remembered. It scared him in spots and made him laugh like a fiend in others. There was a ten minute pause between films so the audience could go to the bathroom and grab food from the concession stand.

“That was awful.”

Barry turned as he heard a familiar voice. Coming toward him was Arthur and Mandy, and Arthur was the one being loud this time.

“Would you please keep it down, Art?”

“Let’s go. It is late and Sheeples can’t be any better!”

“Look, if you want to go home, go. I’ll grab a cab. I’ve been waiting all month for these films. I told you I was coming and you wanted to make it a date.”

Mandy looked pissed and she happy when Arthur passed her the coat he was carrying.

“You really plan to stay?”

Mandy nodded.

“Mandy you are nuts.”

Arthur slid his coat on and headed out the door.

“Excuse me everyone!”

Barry turned to find the older woman he had bought the raffle from standing in the middle of the lobby.

There were maybe twenty people roaming around the lobby. The turnout hadn’t been great but Barry was happy to see the films on the big screen and didn’t care. In fact, he considered the low turnout a bonus because he got to enjoy the movie without having someone sit nearly in his lap.

“Is there anyone else who wants to make a purchase of a raffle ticket before I do the drawing?”

A few people wandered over and the woman managed to make some extra money. Barry checked his wallet but he only had two bucks left after having bought his ticket. He hoped the woman managed to get a nice profit to hand over for the items she was raffling.

The woman put the pile of raffles into a large popcorn bag and shook them up. Barry was worried she would topple over from the force she put into shaking the bag.

“First up,” the woman dragged the small bag of the movie tickets and candy forward. “Excuse me; Miss, would you help me out?”

Mandy turned and then walked over to the table.

“Thank you. I know you didn’t buy a ticket so would you mind pulling the first winner for me?”

Mandy blushed, reached in and pulled out a ticket.

“Would you read the winner’s name please?”

Mandy looked at the ticket she held. She took a breath and then read the name out to everyone.

“Orea Primrose.”

A younger woman had done her make up to look like the Sheeples. She looked ghostly white, but her eyes were bright as she came rushing up.

“I won? Oh thank you.” She timidly took the cellophane package from the woman and smiled again. “Then I can come see the shows next month when you screen the Muppet movies.”

She smiled and rushed back to her friends who laughed as she giggled at her prize.

The old woman held out the bag and Mandy drew another name.

“Ronald Creak.”

A big wall of man wandered up as the old woman gathered up the blanket.

“Now, Miss Otis, why don’t you keep the blanket and use it at your next raffle. I don’t need it, honest.”

The older woman smiled widely.

“You sure Ron? You won it.”

Ron put his hand over hers and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Use it to raise some more money for your charities.”

Miss Otis blushed and put the blanket down. She picked back up the bag of raffles and had Mandy draw the last name.

“Barry Nitchman.”

Barry blinked. He’d won. He walked up and Miss Otis passed him the bottle.

“Um, you keep it. I don’t drink.”

Miss Otis laughed.

“Tell you what then, why don’t you tell Randy at the counter to pour you out a soda instead. Thank you much, Mr. Nitchman.”

Mandy walked over as Barry tried to slip away.

“That was nice of you.”

“I really don’t drink. Champagne would have been wasted.”

Mandy laughed and headed back into the theater. Barry walked over and got his soda from Randy then headed back in to catch the second film. It had been a long night and he couldn’t wait to see what else might happen.