Love Charms (35 page)

"Have
some," he said.  "On the house."

"I
can't," I said.  "I can't eat a lot.  I don't get hungry much
now."

"I
know," he said.  "Just a piece?  It's good."

He
moved the bucket closer to me and I reached my hand in and took a piece.  Just
one, one tiny piece, and I put it in my mouth.  Butter and popcorn melted in my
mouth almost immediately, warm and delicious.  I let it linger on my tongue,
enjoying the taste and the feel of it, then I swallowed.  A light trail of
buttered heat slipped down my throat and smoldered in my stomach.

"You
see?" he asked.  He ate a piece, too.  Just one.  Afterwards he opened the
popcorn machine again and tossed the rest of the popcorn back in.  "I
don't want to waste it."

"It's
warm," I said.

He
nodded and grinned.  "Yup.  I'm Jonathan, by the way.  Or Jonny.  Whatever
you prefer."

"You
eat popcorn?" I asked.

He
looked at me funny, wrinkling his nose.  "What do you mean?"

"You..." 
I paused, unsure.  "You don't eat people?"

"Oh!" 
He smiled; he had a nice, friendly smile.  "Nope.  I know what you mean,
though.  How about you?"

"I
don't usually eat popcorn but I don't eat anyone, either.  I wouldn't, I mean. 
I know some do... some of us."

"Zombies,"
he said, nodding and agreeing.  "Yup."

"We're
not!"

He
blinked.  "Huh?"

"We're
not dead," I said.  Excited; I was excited.  "Here, hold out your
hand.  I'll show you."

He
held out his hand, both hands, and I placed his fingers on his wrist, helping
him feel his pulse.  We waited, or I waited while he did.  Nothing for awhile,
not much.  Cold skin touching cold skin.  And then his eyes flickered up,
curious, glancing at me.

"Huh!"

"See?"
I said.  "We're not dead because we have a pulse."

"Weird. 
I kind of liked the zombie idea.  Not that I want to be one, but it sounds
interesting, right?  They could make a movie like this, maybe.  Jonny the
Zombie Movie Usher and..."  He held his hand out as if introducing me to
an audience.  "Sorry, I don't know your name?"

"Sadie,"
I said.  "I'm Sadie."

"Nice
to meet you.  So what brings you here?  To be honest, no one comes up here. 
I'm kind of by myself.  I keep the place clean, though, you know?  Just in
case.  I guess it worked out."

"I'm
waiting for someone," I said.  "How does the popcorn machine still
work?"

"The
old manager used to freak out about what would happen if we lost power.  He
said no one cared about the movies so much, but everyone would still want
popcorn.  He set up some thing where we could use a car battery to keep this
thing running just in case.  Or... not a car battery exactly.  I forget what he
called it.  Deep cycle something or other.  I don't know.  I just know it runs
and there's spare stuff in the back if it runs out of power.  Pretty handy,
really."

"And
you just eat popcorn?" I asked.

"Yup. 
Just popcorn.  Probably not the healthiest, but we're not doing so great
health-wise right now, are we?"

I
shook my head and laughed.  "I guess not."

"So...
you're waiting for someone?  How's that work?"

I
was waiting for someone?  Oh!

"I
need to go," I said.  Scrambling for the door, practically running to it,
I tried to rush outside.  I couldn't rush, though, couldn't go fast.  I almost
tripped and fell on the lobby rug, but I paused and stopped myself.  Regaining
my balance, I moved slower this time, careful, deliberate steps towards the
front door.

"Where
are you going?" Jonathan asked.

"I
told you I'm waiting for someone."

Outside,
the screaming grew louder.  I could hear it from inside the lobby as I stood
near the glass door.  My hands pressed against the door handle and I lay my
cheek against the cool glass, watching and waiting.  Louder, closer, just a few
screams now, but they were adamant and intent.

On
the horizon, hovering in front of me and looking like it was dipping into the
cityscape below, the sun began to set.  Late afternoon turning into early
evening and the sky grew darker and mottled, a mix of purples, oranges, reds,
blues, and yellows.  A faint hint of stars and moonlight peeked out from high
above, but not too much, nothing showing too soon.

A
man, Evan, sprinted up the hill and towards the theatre.  He glanced around. 
Looking for me, I thought.  I was inside, though.  Would he come inside or
should I go out?  Behind him, hobbling quickly, faster than most, two of the
others followed him.  They chased after Evan, pained expressions on their
faces, but fighting through the agony with absolute determination.

"Jonny!"
I yelled, my throat dry, voice harsh.  "Jonathan!  Do you have a key for
this door?  Is it sturdy?"

"Yup,"
he said, leisurely.  "Sturdy enough, I guess.  I don't know.  I've never
seen it break at any rate."

I
hoped that meant something and wasn't just some wry joke, but I didn't really
understand this man so well.  Maybe he was just a boy, too.  I wasn't sure, but
he looked a bit younger than me.  Not too young, but young enough.  Before we
became like this, I thought he might have looked athletic and fit, but right
now he was thin and waifish.

Jonathan
meandered over, joining me.  Looking out the other door of the double door
entrance, he spotted Evan, too.  The chasers behind him pumped their arms and
ran, almost looking regular.  Almost catching up to Evan, almost close enough
to grab him.

Too
close.

I
pounded on the glass doors, catching Evan's attention.  Sharp reflexes spun him
my way and he dashed for the entrance.

"Jonny,"
I said.  "The keys."

He
handed the key to me as easy as that.

I
held it in my hand, staring at it.  I expected him to understand, thought he
would lock the door for me.  Not right now, no, but once Evan bolted inside. 
Except he didn't.  He gave the key to me and smiled, then stepped away to the
side.

Evan
looked slower than I remembered.  Not too slow, but the bag dangling over his
shoulder was definitely slowing him down.  He needed to drop it, I thought.  He
should throw it at them, trip up the others, and then escape to freedom.  Why
did he seem so attached to that bag?  What was in it?  Was it worth it?  No,
nothing could be.  Nothing, and yet he clung to it fiercely, looking like the
thought of dropping it never crossed his mind.

Evan
shoved open the outer doors and ran inside.  There was still another set of
doors and a slight foyer between us, and he dashed through those, too.  The
others jammed past the slowly closing outer doors and started to make their way
for the second, inner pair.

For
us, towards Evan, to me.  I held the key in my hands, shaking, worried and feeling
so intense and strong.  I had the means to save us, the one way to guarantee
they didn't make it inside this door, but I didn't know if I could lock it fast
enough.

Evan
slammed the door shut and I tried to stick the key in the lock.  One of the others
banged his entire body against the door, jarring my hand.  The door bounced,
shaking, but Evan held it closed for now.  Jonny had left us; I didn't know
where he went.

My
fingers slipped and I nearly dropped the keys.  The second chaser outside
joined the first and they both pounded against the door, whamming loud,
smacking the heavy glass.  The glass doors were strong, though.  They shouldn't
break with just two of them there.

With
shaky hands, I tried to lock the door again.  The doors rattled and shook and
the others outside stared at me, ravenous.  I was competition to them, someone
stopping them from catching Evan.  I wanted him for myself, they probably
thought, refused to share him.  We could come up with a compromise if I just
let them in, they probably thought, except I wouldn't do that.

Slavering
on the windows, drool and spittle splashing against the glass, they demanded
entry with their pounds and grunts.

Evan
touched the back of my hand.  Not much, just a light, gentle touch, but it was
enough.  I slid the key into the lock and he heaved against the door, keeping
it fully shut, then I turned the key and...

Click.

The
door locked.  The others outside stared at me, eyes narrowed, angry.  Evan
moved a half step away from the door, acting careful just in case.  The others
renewed their assault and slammed against the door harder now, but with the
thick bolt of the lock keeping the door shut tight, they had no chance of
getting inside.

Evan
placed the duffel bag off to the side then collapsed into a plush red couch in
the nearby open movie theatre lounge.

"Oh
my God," he said.  "I think that might've been a terrible idea. 
Those guys can
run
.  I didn't expect that."

I
rushed to the counter, grabbing my forgotten bag of gummy worms, and offered
them to Evan.  "Here," I said.

He
grinned and ripped open the bag, then dunked his hand in and shoved a fistful
of the soft candy into his mouth.  "You want one?" he asked, holding
one out to me.

I
laughed.  "No thanks."  He looked so funny laying there on the couch
with a bunch of sour, sticky worms dangling across his lips and chin.

"If
they stay for too long, I can turn on the emergency sprinklers.  That should
clear them away."

Evan
stared at me, idly chewing on the candy.  He stared, listened, stared, then bolted
upright.  Turning towards the voice of the person who just spoke, he spotted
Jonny standing off to the side.  Slurping the candy worms into his mouth and
chewing fast, he swallowed them down.

Jonny
the movie usher, self-proclaimed zombie, one of us and nothing like Evan.  Evan
jumped to his feet, stomped over towards Jonathan, and looked him in the eye.

"Who
are you?" Evan asked.

"Man,
you need to calm down," Jonny said.  "I know you almost died, but
still."

Evan
stared at him, emotionless, unblinking.

"Um,
Evan?" I said.  "This is Jonny.  He works here.  Or he used to? 
Maybe he still does."

Jonny
nodded.  "No one really comes to the movies anymore and I don't get paid,
but it's not a bad place."

"You're
one of them," Evan said.  "Are you alright?"

"I
guess so?"

Evan
stared at him for a moment longer.  He looked over his shoulder at me and I
shrugged.  Turning back, lips pursed, he waited for a couple seconds longer,
then extended his hand.  "Well, I'm Evan.  Nice to meet you, Jonny."

Jonny
grinned and went to shake Evan's hand, but when the two of them touched, the
movie usher gasped.  His body became ridged, like a shot of lightning had
struck through his core.  Evan jumped back, releasing their shaking hands.

"Whoops,
um.  Yeah.  Sorry there, bud."  Evan scratched the side of his head,
frowning.

Jonny
stood there, looking drugged.  "Whoa."

"Popcorn
is nice," I said.  "But Evan is nicer.  And he's mine.  Don't go
getting any ideas, Jonny."

I
swaggered over to Evan, trying to act seductive.  I wanted to be pretty, to be
alluring, but I knew it might not work.  It might not, but if it didn't, Evan
showed no signs of thinking that.  He smirked and took the last step towards
me.  His hand scooped me up, holding me by the hip, and he pressed in for a
kiss.

I
kissed him, willingly and glad.  My lips burned, fierce, glazed with sweetness
and hot cinnamon from his touch.  And a hint of sugary sour flavor, nice and
tart.  Evan put his hands behind me, under my rear, and picked me up, plunging
me into the kiss.  I jumped onto him and wrapped my legs around his waist,
giddy.

Behind
us, Jonny cleared his throat.  "Uh, hey, you two?"

Evan
spun to the side, still holding me, so we could both look at Jonny.

"So
this is who you were waiting for?" Jonny asked.

I
nodded, biting my lower lip.  "Mhm."

"Can
we borrow a theatre?" Evan asked.  "Sadie and I are on a date.  I
wanted to bring her to the movies."

"I
mean, you can..." Jonny said, trailing off.  "The only thing that
works is the popcorn machine, though."

Evan
glanced over the counter to the machine popping popcorn kernels.  His eyes
widened, apparently not having noticed it actually worked before now.

"Can
we get some popcorn?" Evan asked.

"I
don't want to ruin your date," Jonny said, "but none of the
projectors work, alright?  You can have some  popcorn and you're both welcome
to stay here and do whatever, but..."

"Jonny,
right?"

"Yeah?"

"Come
here a second.  I've got something to show you.  Maybe you can help me out with
it."