We stumble over a movie theater.

After hours of walking, you find yourselves inside a movie theater. You’ve seen a few of these in person, but this one seemed different. It wasn’t supposed to be empty. Everything was established for food, posters, and people, but there wasn’t any of that. It was just you and Delila. She whimpered. “I hate this place.”

“You’re familiar with it?”

“Everything has been familiar,” she covered her face and sobbed. “Why is that?”

“Let’s poke around. Get our minds busy,” You watch Delila with concern, feeling your stomach fill with pity. She reminds you to have Flora somehow, and sharing the same name as your last love interest makes her sorrow sting a little more than it should.

You pass several theater movies with nothing happening inside. They’re dark, and all the rows of seats aren’t even outlined. Perhaps it’s the darkness, but you feel like every chair is occupied, and the entire room stares at you. Delilah shuffles closer and peers into the abyss with you. “Another empty room,” she sighs.

“Yeah,” you agree, gently pushing her back to the exit. You started to race, and for some reason, you were sure someone, or something, would make itself known there. Delilah doesn’t question you when you close the door behind you, making you wonder if she felt something similar. “There’s a fire exit at the end of the hall.”

“I see that,” she follows your gaze. The hallway was more prolonged than you thought was normal, but not ever being at an actual movie theater, you weren’t sure how long these corridors were supposed to be. “We should skip these other rooms and just go there.”

“You’re probably right.”

She smirks. “I try to be.”

At the end of the hall, you press your weight against the door and step into the next room. To your dismay, it’s the same room you started. You screw your eyes up and frown. “Shit.”

Delila seems a little more delighted than you. “I woke up here, so that must mean we’re close to getting out, right?”

You didn’t want to break Delila’s enthusiasm by telling her you wandered this one room for at least an hour before finding that suburban street. On the other hand, since you didn’t recognize this door, you thought maybe you had missed something. “I woke up here, too.”

Another hour ensues of endless walking. The hallways change on occasion, but the noises remain the same. Eventually, you end up in another room that mimics a segment of a house—an empty kitchen with no food or stools and a living room with just a couch. Delila goes to the sofa and lies down. “Let’s take a break,” she removes her shoes and massages them.

“If you insist,” you spy on her slightly, pleased to see a change of scenery. You hadn’t gawked at her nearly as much as you might have if you had run into her outside of this situation. She was, in a word, an extremely attractive individual. You lean against the wall, clearing your mind of all sexual content. “How are you holding up?”

“Better now that I’m alone,” she smiles weakly, hiding the discomfort of being alone with you. She covers herself with her arms and looks away. “I wish I wasn’t dressed like a whore, though.”

You laugh slightly. “I— I could strip down to my underwear so you’re not alone.”

Delila laughs, her eyes finding yours again. “That would be silly, sir. What if we find someone else? What would they think?”

“If we find anyone else here, we…” the idea seemed foreign. Finding someone else sounds like it could be a good thing but also a terrible thing. “We should be careful if we find anyone else. Especially if they’re alone. I have a feeling this place could turn anyone crazy.”

Her smile washes away. “I agree,” she holds the knife in her hands and twists the handle as she examines it.

You’re about to offer some small talk when you hear someone shouting from somewhere inside the halls you just left. Delila perked, and you felt your whole body tense. The newcomer was shouting if anyone else was there.

“Eso es conveniente,” Delila murmurs before regarding you, noticing how tense you’ve become after hearing the voice. “What’s the matter?”

Something told you that WAS NOT human. The more you listened to it, the more sure you became that whatever it was shouting wasn’t human.

“We should hide,” you rush over to Delila and grab her.

“OK??” She stands up awkwardly while reaching for her sneakers. She’s warm as she presses against you. “I’m trusting you here…”

You feel the metal of the blade pressing flat against your waist. The voice is getting closer.