the next day, me and the triplets went to watch one of matt's favorite movies, coraline, in 3d at the movie theater. i got done with work early; i had to ask my boss to let me go, though he's not an easy let-off. matt picked me up, and i was in the back with nick, with chris and matt in the front. we got to the theater about ten minutes later.

matt parked the car, and we all piled out, eager to get inside. the theater wasn't too crowded, but there was a buzz in the air with people milling about, grabbing popcorn, and chatting in anticipation. we headed straight to the concession stand, where matt insisted on buying snacks for everyone.

we got a ton of candy and popcorn and headed to our seats in the theater room. the place was almost full of people, and i was thankful that we got our seats when we did, even more thankful that they were really good ones.

we settled down into our seats and waited for the movie to start.

as the lights dimmed and the previews began, matt was leaning forward in his seat, already completely absorbed, while nick was busy juggling a tub of popcorn and a box of candy. chris, on the other hand, seemed a bit on edge, his eyes darting around the theater as if he was looking for something—or someone.

the opening scenes of coraline were just as captivating as i remembered, and the 3d effects made everything come alive on the screen. matt was clearly loving it, and i could tell this was one of those moments he'd talk about for days.

but just as coraline was about to step through the small door into the other world, something strange happened. the screen flickered once, twice, and then suddenly went completely black. the theater was plunged into darkness, and a murmur of confusion spread through the crowd.

i heard nick's voice in the darkness, 'did they just cut the power?'

suddenly, the emergency lights flickered on, casting a dim, eerie glow over the room. a voice crackled through the speakers, 'attention, guests. we're experiencing an unexpected technical issue. please remain seated while we investigate.'

matt let out a frustrated sigh and slumped back in his seat. 'of course, this happens now,' he muttered under his breath.

without warning, chris stood up, his expression a mix of concern and determination. 'i'm going to check it out,' he said, not waiting for a response before slipping down the row and heading toward the exit.

something about the way he left made me uneasy. i found myself standing up too, telling nick and matt i'd be right back, and then followed chris out of the theater.

the lobby was strangely quiet, with most of the staff occupied with whatever technical issue was happening. i caught sight of chris near the back entrance of the theater, talking to someone—a tall man in a dark coat, his back turned to me.

chris looked tense, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. the man said something to him that i couldn't quite hear, and chris shook his head, glancing around as if to make sure no one else was watching.

i stepped closer, trying to make out what they were saying. the man noticed me first, his eyes narrowing as he met my gaze. chris immediately tensed up, and the man quickly turned and walked away, disappearing into a staff-only door.

chris turned to me, his expression tight. 'what are you doing here?' he asked, his voice sharper than i expected.

'i was just checking on you,' i replied, caught off guard by his tone. 'who was that guy?'

'just... someone from the theater staff,' chris said quickly, but i could tell he was lying. 'nothing to worry about. we should get back inside before the movie starts again.'

i wanted to press him further, but something about his demeanor made me hold back. i nodded, though my mind was racing with questions. as we both headed back to the theater, i couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong.

the rest of the movie played without interruption, but i was too distracted to enjoy it. chris was unusually quiet for the rest of the night, and every now and then, i caught him glancing over his shoulder, as if expecting that mysterious man to reappear.

whatever had just happened, i was certain of one thing—it wasn't over.

[A/N]

I am currently in my own hotel room right now and for some reason this actually fits the mood of a actually author so I decided to write. Thank you so much for reading! we are almost to 100 reads! I hope we get there! I love you all so much! MWAH!