The following is something I orignially posted on my Flickr account...it is a true story of something that happened to me this past summer. I know what really happened next, but i'd like to challenge you to finish the story in a more imaginative way than "then we left" Happy Writing-John
Finish The Story
A Day at the Theater
The gravity of my situation had not occurred to me until I found myself squinting through the pitch blackness that lay before me. The air was different in here, only moments earlier when I stood outside it was a hot summer day, and now as I stood trying in vein to peer through the darkness that was ahead of me it was at least ten, if not fifteen degrees cooler. I knew two things for sure: one, there was nothing directly in front of me and I could safely take my next step, and two, it was a bad decision to wear sandals this morning. Suddenly the thought occurred to me, I have a camera, with a flash! I could use the camera to illuminate my way. Sure it would be a little strobe light-ish, but it beat the heck out of not seeing anything. I held my breath and prepared to take my first step into the darkness ahead of me. As I stepped through the doorway a quick WHOOSH of air blasted me from the darkened room, as if someone had just opened a door on the far side of the building creating a draft, but I was here alone…or was I? The unmistakable musty smell of decay filled my nostrils as it never had before, even seconds ago. I quickly took a step back and pondered my first step into the dark chamber more cautiously.
“Hello…” I called out into the darkness. No response came back. The air felt almost heavy as if it were somehow pressing against me. I noticed for the first time that I was breathing harder. I thought I could here movement from inside the darkness. I was still for a moment standing, listening for something, anything to confirm my suspicion until I heard movement behind me.
“John is everything okay?” a familiar voice from behind me called. It was Hayden, a seventh grader from our church youth group. We were supposed to be cleaning the alley way outside, picking up litter for the upcoming Daniel Boone Days festival. Instead, while waiting for Jake, another student, to return with more garbage bags to fill, an open doorway to an abandoned theater caught my attention. I peered inside to see a set of concrete steps leading to a vast darkness. The stairs were only partially obstructed, by the door that the crumbling doorway used to hold. Always looking for my next great photo opportunity I callously ventured through the doorway and up the only partially blocked steps. Now I stood before the vastness of the uncertainty ahead of me, my mind railing, trying to figure out my next move.
“John what’s up there?” Hayden again asked from the bottom of the steps.
“Uh, nothing…” I responded, not sure of what to say. Don’t worry Hayden just listening for ghosts or a crazy homeless guy. Somehow I thought that nothing would be the best answer.
Then, as if activated by a switch the atmosphere from inside the empty theater changed, it had eased, becoming somehow more normal feeling. As Hayden began ascending the stairs behind me I quickly snapped four photos of the inside of the theater.
Finish The Story...
