When The Lights Turn Off

I have been meaning to see ‘The Batman’ for a while now, and today I finally got the chance. And to my luck, all the seats were already booked so I got the last one. The wait time left for the movie was 30 minutes, so I decided to look around the theater. I walked into a mini arcade and saw children playing. I remember wanting to play in arcades when I was younger, but my mother wouldn't let me because she claimed it was for boys only. There was one other adult in the arcade. A man. He appeared tall, with dark hair, and a mysterious look. So, I approached him out of curiosity. “Hey, are you going to see a movie here, or have you already?”, I asked. He looked up at me, his eyes darting straight into mine giving me a stern look. “Yeah, I’m going to see ‘The Batman’,'' he grinned. “Oh! Me too.”, my eyes lit up. “The new movies are always packed so I waited a while but to my surprise, it was still packed. “Well, perhaps it isn't.”, he chuckled and walked away. 

“Well, that was kind of rude”, I thought to myself. But then again I am a stranger, and he probably didn't want to talk to me in the first place. I checked the time, and it was time for the movie to start. I guess he could’ve known that and just had a good sense of time. As I walked into the theater, it was pretty silent… like really silent. And when I looked into the room, there was only one person present. Did he buy all of the seats? 

“Hey, you!”, I yelled in a whisper-like tone. “I didn't catch your name.”, I said with a curious look. “It’s James. And I’m guessing you’re some random woman who likes bothering strangers.”, he chuckled. “And I see you’re a man, who has no manners.”, I scoffed. “Shh. The movie is beginning. Be a quiet woman.” The lights began to dim, and his face faded into the darkness of the room.

“Who does that guy think he is?! Does he think he can just be openly rude as if I did something to offend him?”I rolled my eyes in annoyance. 10 minutes into the movie, the screen went blank and the audio was no longer working. The lights were off, and I scoffed in shock. “Are you kidding me? I waited a long time to see this movie and now this happens.” Suddenly I felt as if I could feel someone staring in my direction. “Are you always this feisty?”James asked me. “Oh, now you want to talk to me? I don’t want to engage in a conversation with someone who is full of themselves”.

A man then walked into the movie room, and the lights came back up. “Hey, are you all alright?”, he asked. “Yes.”, me and James answered at the same time. I rolled my eyes, annoyed that we said yes at the time. “We seem to be having a problem in the back. But the problem should be fixed soon. You are welcome to stay and we will refund the both of you.”, the man smiled, looking like he was waiting for some kind of approval. “That’s ok.”, I said, smiling back at the man. Relieved, the man walked out and the lights turned off again. “Are you kidding me?!” “Like I asked. Are you always this feisty?”, he asked, proceeding to try and have a conservation with me. “No, only when I'm stuck in a dark room with a man by the name of James”. He laughed and I could hear him making his way over to me. I could finally catch a glimpse of his face this time. “Hi, I’m James. Can we start over”, he said with what appeared to be a smile. “I’m River. I guess if we’re going to wait for the movie to come back on, we may as well talk.” “Good.”, he said, showcasing the satisfaction with my answer in his tone. “So… are you the one who bought out all of these seats?”, I asked. “No, I actually didn't. When I bought my ticket. I saw that all the other seats were bought except for two. I was surprised like you, that so many people were still trying to see the movie, and the lady at the register informed me that someone had previously bought all the other seats. Weird huh?” “Yeah, I guess. Why would someone do that?” “Maybe, they just get annoyed being around too many people.” “Hmm. I guess but that doesn't make too much sense either.” He shrugged, unsure of another explanation to give me. “Not to snoop, but is there a reason you're here alone?” “I’m a pretty closed off person. I'm sure you've noticed that already. I enjoy my own company, so I prefer to be by myself.” “That makes sense.”, I gestured. “And why are you here alone, River?”, putting emphasis on my name. “I just really wanted to see The Batman.” “Good point. You know… you are one stunning woman.” 

I immediately became flustered. Who was this man, and why the sudden interest in me now? And if someone else really did purchase all the other tickets, then where are they? James saw the emotions running through me all at once, so he placed his hand on my thigh, in an attempt to calm me down. “Is it ok, if I touch you there?”, he asked. “Yes.” “Are you ok?”, he looked at me with a concerned look. “Yes” “May I kiss you?” Making me even more nervous and flustered than before. “Y-yes ' He leaned in and I met him halfway, and we emerged into a passionate kiss. Why was I kissing this stranger? Let alone someone who was rude to me about an hour and a half ago. I have no idea, but this is the most rushed I have ever felt. We looked into each other's eyes. And I was stunned. If I told anybody about the events that happened today I doubt they would believe me. The lights began to dim a bit, and the movie came back on. “Are we going to-” “Shhh”, he interrupted me before I could speak again. “The movie is back on.”