Mop Water
Mop Water
When Clair Anderson saw closing written next to her name on the theater schedule it felt like a fresh batch of heated oil was running down her throat puddling at the bottom of her stomach. Begging to trade would be useless. No one wanted to baby the new recruit. Everyone eventually had to close by themselves, and it was only one night.
Every thing was fine. Rush at five, fill the warmer at six, wipe counters at seven, restock at eight, sweep at nine, last show at ten, clean popper at eleven, and finally mop at twelve. Clair found it easy enough until the task of dumping the mop water neared the top of her list.
Leaning against the pale pink concessions counter Clair's eyes wondered over the waxed titled floor. The yellow mop bucket stared back with its dirtied plastic and sudsy brown water. All Clair had to do was dump the oily contents in a drain down the hall and then she could leave. Each squeak of the bucket’s tiny cheap plastic wheals brought Clair closer and closer to the carpeted theater hallway.
She peered into the dimly lit area reminding Clair she was alone. Was it really worth it? Her mother would be agitated if she walked out ,but could she blame her? It was only a year a go Clair could safely leave her room without the fear of her father being around every corner.
Pausing a moment from her heavy march Clair took a deep breath. "He is long gone. It's just a stupid hallway", She said.
Thick musty air reeking of cheap cleaning solutions wafted around the dark theater entrances. Shadows hung lazily around the alcoves shrouding the corners in darkness. Only a small path right in the center was lit with the flickering hall lights.
Three posters and four theaters sat between her and the mop closet.
Stealing herself Clair walked on. Each step burrowed the prickling needles of fear deeper into her gut making her pause again. Clair knew this was ridiculous. She needed to calm down and move on. To distract her mind she looked to the posters between the theater entrances.
The first was her favorite movie at the moment, Pushing Poppies. A farm house sat in the middle of a field of the red flowers while the lead actress, Yachi Smith, ran through them dawned in a summer dress. The plot was a simple romance between two childhood friends. It always brought a smile to Clair's face. Her favorite scene was Yachi having the poppies braided into her blonde hair that framed her pale skin by Hunk, her romantic interest. Mentally Clair pictured the scene feeling some ease from her thoughts or at least until Hunk's face was replaced by another man's. Her Father's. His poisonous promises dripping from his lips into her ears ate away the idealistic scene.
"Just go Clair", she said finding the memories tightening their hold one her ,"He is not here."
Only two posters and three theaters to go Clair reminded herself.
The next poster was Star Dazed Paladins. An attempt at a Sci-Fi coming of age movie. Personally Clair didn't find it to be her favorite movie, but the picture of actor Kugar Kogane looking up a the galaxy on the poster always struck her. His hopeful gaze brought her back to a time of late night conversations with old friends, filled with 'What ifs' that would only be smudged away by his hand.
He was in prison not here she reminded herself again shifting her concentration away from the posters and back to her task. Clair's heart speed painfully with each step trying to escape the pangs of fear the grew around her core.
Only one more poster between her and the closet.
The Den was the latest found footage horror disaster. While Clair's coworkers were excited for it she found it to only drag out uncomfortable memories. The girl on the poster had a sack stained with a mix of vile yellow vomit and brown crusted blood. Clair's own breathing hitched feeling the familiar constriction on her own throat. Each breath scratching through in some struggle against the must air. Clair you are in a movie theater hallway, not in his basement she thought trying to ground herself back into reality.
The cool metal of the door handle stilled the whirling emotions in her head. Relief began to bleed through the haze unwinding her mess of a stomach. When she noticed the door sitting slightly ajar her mind was numb with dread. She wondered if someone had forgotten to make sure it had latched last time they used it? A simple and logical mistake, but yet Clair found it to be another fake lie only meant for comfort.
"He is not here", she said repeating the words like some sort of mantra, "You're in a movie theater. Just open the door so you can go home."
Closing her eyes to drown out the riveting fear she tugged the heavy wooden door open. Freezing Clair waited eventually peaking into the room she found it the same as before. The mold streaked walls, dirt caked corners, and grudge encrusted drain greeted her. Relief again began to bleed through her body until a soft chuckle that was too close for comfort caught her attention.
End