2D x Reader - Somefink In The Air

Chapter 21

"Well, it's dark..." You told Whale, gazing around the unlit and spacious room. A huge white screen loomed to your left, and to the right, an army of chairs swarmed you. A tidal wave of these red plush seats rose up around you, leering at you, making you feel small. Whale had hopped up and sat on one of them, but due to his size and fluffiness the entire lower half of his body just kept sliding off it. You watched him scramble comically for a second before you moved forward, through the aisle between the seats and the screen, looking for Stu. 

Just then you pulled disgusted face, feeling yourself step into something crunchy and sticky. Looking down, you saw your suspicions were correct - spilled popcorn. Though honestly, you didn't need to see it to know. The texture was obvious, and the buttery scent that clouded the room was unmistakable.

"...But it's not cramped." You said finally.

Whale struggled with everything he had to stay on the seat longer, but eventually ended up sliding completely off it and landing on the floor. Something piqued his interest, and he buried his head beneath the chair, wagging his tail. 

"Stuart?!" You called urgently, figuring it wouldn't hurt to try.
  Stuart?! Your own voice was flung back in your face like a boomerang.
  Stuart?! The echo rang a final time before it faded, proving your point. Not cramped.

Sighing, you headed back to door marked 'exit', scuffing your shoes free of the popcorn as you walked. The scraping noises this made sounded far louder than you'd expected, they resonated around the room just as your voice had done. Whale's head popped back up, his gaze following you. 

"You better not be eating something." You called as hands groped along the wall in the dark, searching for the exit door's wide handlebar. You found it, and pushed it open, throwing light across the stained floor. Whale then bounced away from the seat he was sat nearby and followed your stretched shadow, which had been cast as a result of the infiltrating light. He joined your silhouette in the doorway, and the two of you left the cinema.

You'd been at this for a while now. 

No luck.

"Thank you for letting me search in there." You placed a hand on the counter of the box office, and leaned forward so your voice would be heard through the barrier. The posh little man who sat behind the glass nodded at you.
"You're quite welcome, dear."

You hung your head, realizing you had no idea where to look next. Kong Studios had so many rooms it was surreal, you felt quite like Alice, lost in wonderland.
You stared at your hand, sliding it up and down the shelf of the box office, dusting it free of sawdust and small fragments of debris. You imagined all the tickets and money that were exchanged here, once upon a time. 

This place has seen better days, you thought. What left it so worn?

"Actually, Mr," You began, tapping your fingers along the chipping wood.

"I have a question. About these studios. You've been here a while, haven't you? So whats with- oh." 

When you finally moved your gaze from your hand and looked back up into the glass, the little man had gone.

You looked down at Whale in shock, pointing at the glass. "Did- I- Wasn't he-"

The lights overhead flickered, as they always had done, but this time it caused chills to sweep across your skin.

You looked at Whale worriedly, and grew even more concerned to see he was stood still. He didn't move a muscle.

"Whale? Whats wrong boy?"

His ear twitched, and suddenly he took off, running away from the office and swerving left around the corner. 

"What on earth? Whale, wait!" You shouted, breaking into a sprint and chasing after him. He was headed for the exit of the cinema block, which consisted of narrow corridors, a few screening rooms and a box office. The corridors you and Whale navigated were painted a garishly bright colour, just like the one that lead to the kitchen. It was neon yellow this time. You were sensing a theme here.