Theater Two

I can't imagine all the people that you know
And the places that you go
when the lights are turned down low
And I don't understand
All the things you've seen
But I'm slipping in between
You and your big... dreams
it's always you and my big dreams…

It was the first day of her new job and already she was stuck doing the jobs everyone else hated. Silver City Multiplex, the only movie theater in Eva's small town of Paris, Ontario, was the town's central hub on Friday nights, everyone was there, and Eva was stuck scraping their gum off the bottom of the plastic seats. As if it wasn't humiliating enough that all the pretty, popular girls from her school were there with their equally pretty, popular boyfriends, laughing at her, she was dressed like a candy striper, using a putty scraper on her hands and knees in someone's long spilt and dried coke.

"I don't care about those bitches anyway…" Eva grumbled to herself. In reality, Eva was a bit of a loner, she was shy and introverted, preferring to read a book that to dish the latest gossip. That had landed her the label of "freak" at her high school. Popular girls, specifically their ringleader Carla, had spread the word to avoid Eva like the plague and the entire school listened like the good sheep that they were. Eva though high school was only like that in the movies. Now she was a senior and counting the days till finals, and freedom from the institution that had crushed her self esteem for four years.

"Hey, Eva?" someone called. She sat up to see Peter, her supervisor standing in the door way. Peter was a short and very nervous man. He had neatly trimmed black hair and dark eyes; Eva didn't think he owned anything but suits. He was always nice to her, but he said he had to maintain "theater seniority", thus, Eva being the newest employee was given the jobs not even the janitor would do. "I have another job for you to do." Groaning inwardly, she gathered her gloves, scraper and big gulp cup filled with gum and fallowed Peter out into the concession area of the Multiplex. Instantly someone screeched with laughter and they both turned sharply to see a group of girls from Eva's school, pointing at her and laughing. Amongst them was Carla, laughing the loudest. If there ever was a Diva it was Carla. Her father was rich, and Carla got attention for it. She strutted down the hall like she was royalty, with a band of lackeys always nipping at her heels. Sometimes Eva felt sorry for her, because all her friends were using her for her money. However, that money did get her things, like the lead in every school musical and somehow her name magically added to the honor roll. Humiliated, Eva looked back to Peter, who was staring at the gum, obviously embarrassed for her.

"Right," he said stiffly, "I need you to mop up theater two." That was it? Just mop up? That wasn't so bad.

"Ooooo, Theater two. Be careful, you might never come out again." That obnoxious statement came from Wayne Ferrara, who was leaning against the wall nearby, casually holding a mop. Eva fixed him with a look that should have withered but he just returned with the fakest smile he could produce.

"What is so bad about theater two?" She said turning back to Peter, or the empty space where Peter had been standing a second ago. "Hey!" Eva shouted when she saw him slink away to the office. What was all that about? What could possibly be so bad about theater two? Wayne chuckled as he came to stand next to her, offering the mop. He had moved to Paris just last year from Toronto, a much bigger city. He was 19, a year older than herself and hadn't attended her high school. She found that underneath all their bickering, he wasn't being cruel like Carla; instead it was like a game they played. His brother Jamie however, was Carla's new boyfriend and was as bad as the rest.

"That's where the ghost lives." He said matter-of-factly, looking at the marquee above theater two's doors instead of at her. She stole a sidelong glance at his face and saw he was trying not to laugh. It was unusual for most people to see him so jovial, at work he was always very serious, accept with Eva. It was her one satisfaction to see the girls from her school fawn over him and he in turn ignore them. She had to admit under all his sarcasm he was quite handsome. His pale face was pointed and serious but Eva knew that when provoked from him a real smile could grace his lips and bright patches of color could flush his cheeks. His azure eyes were often stormy and intense, but when he laughed a tinge of green would creep into them and light them up.

"Oh really?" she said sarcastically. "And this ghost you speak of, how do you know he's in there?"

"Oh, there's been talk ever since I started here. You've only just started, so you wouldn't have heard the stories."

"What are the stories?" she asked incredulously.

"They say, 5 years ago, a teenaged boy died while they were renovating the theater. He was working up on some unsafe scaffolding and fell to his death. But they never found his body." Wayne was completely serious now; still gazing at the marquee like it would reveal to him the mysteries of the universe. Eva began to feel an unsettling prickling run up her spine. She remembered vaguely hearing about that when she was in eighth grade. "Ever since then weird stuff happens in theater two, where he died. None of the employees will go in there anymore, they're all too scared."

"Even you?" she teased. But Wayne was no longer in a teasing mood. He gravely handed her the mop and retreated to the supplied closet. Eva swallowed thickly and looked back at the doors. Then up at the Marquee. The Exorcist, it read in bold capitol letters.

"It figures…" She muttered before pushing one of the doors open and seeing nothing but blackness beyond.