Eloisa the Fifth Wheel (COMPLETED) (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

Chapter Six

All fifth wheels know the fact that at some point, they have to be alone.

It is almost like a ritual, I swear. It takes some getting used to, but eventually everything snaps into place. Trust me.

There was this afternoon. By chance, everybody felt like dating everybody (except me, apparently). Tana and Klaus were going to the bookstore to check out the latest manga. Venice and Vince were going to the seaside park. Basically, it meant that I only had myself to go to the mall with. Which was not much of a problem for me, since I did that quite often.

Anyway, my first stop was the cheesy fries stand. Their fries were not the types that were deep-fried and seasoned with cheese powder. Their fries were literally sticky with all those mozzarella. Add into the mix some chopped bacon. Yum.

With these types of delicacies, I did not understand why people opted for plain, old popcorn.

Next stop for me was the flavoured tea stand. Of course, I ordered my usual: lychee-flavoured iced tea.

Last but not the least was the theatre.

Considering that it was early Friday afternoon (we only had classes in the mornings on Fridays), the line to the counter was unusually short. I shuffled at the back, and when my turn came, I paid for one ticket for this horror movie that I wanted to check out. Before I knew it, I was inside the theatre, making rounds for the seat at the backmost area. The entire theatre was amusingly empty that I had to smile to myself.

It did not take long before several other people started filing in, though. However, out of all those people, I was certain that I was the only one who came in alone.

I would understand. People rarely watched horror movies alone. Though I personally found it more thrilling to do so.

When the movie started, a couple sat several chairs away from me.

As for me, I started munching on my fries.

God, I love that bacon and cheese.

Here was the premise of the movie: it was about lights spontaneously turning off, and all the horrors associated with it. A little psychological arc here and there. A few backstories, too. I was not fazed by any of it. However, the couple beside me, as well as the other people in the theatre, started screaming. I was alone, yet I was okay. They were with somebody, but they weren't.

Talk about irony.

However, that was not the most exciting part.

The most exciting part was the end of the film, wherein everything literally turned off. I am not even joking. The screen turned off, the faint floor lights turned off, and even the air conditioner turned off.

Everybody went berserk.

That was when I lost it.

I started laughing. I started laughing in that way that made me tear up, snort through my nose, and clutch my sides. I am not kidding.

I couldn't believe all those people were being frantic over some theatrical blackout. It was not like the movie was ever going to be real, anyway.

I was alone, yet I was laughing.

And the couple a few chairs away from me was looking at me with dumbfounded eyes.

~o~

The staff apologized for the temporary inconvenience that took place. Within ten minutes, though, the screen started from where it left off. Based from the general atmosphere of the theatre, the people were too terrified to be terrified.