The Movies

I nervously waited for the lights in the theater to come back on while at the same time wishing they never would. I wanted to stay close to Jim, but also couldn’t stay in the dark much longer. I had hated the dark for as long as I could remember, but couldn’t remember why until today. I had been left once by my mother in the mall near our house when they were closing. I hadn’t realized at the time she had been drunk and hadn’t realized her ‘Coke’ was mostly vodka. I had wondered why she couldn’t walk straight, but I had thought it was just her heels. 

I wondered why she kept giggling, but I thought she was just excited to be out of the house.  I remembered how irate my father was when I was finally found sitting at a table in the food court of the mall. Being seven, I had no idea how much time had passed, but I did know my mother was the one who had left me. Deserted me. I had to make sure Jim wasn’t going to abandon me as well because my father was no longer around to save me. I had to save myself or let myself go. I looked at Jim out of the corner of my eye and started to plan. I had to get myself deep into his heart so I would never be alone again and I think I knew exactly what to do.