Dying In The Cinema

"I was diagnosed with cancer 'bout a year or two ago, yep, I'm dyin'. I'm only 17 years old, which is too young in my opinion, and probably too young in yours too. There's a whole lot I wanna do, but I won't be able to 'cause I'll be dead, like really dead. Name's Richard, just plain ol' Richard. It don't mean much 'cause there's a lot of Richards out there, but I won't be around to see any other Richards grow old. Them doctors said they did all they could, but now they can't help me no more. I thought that magic chemical stuff would do the trick, but this ain't no Disney world. Now I look like a balloon 'cause I ain't got no hair. No girl's gonna wanna kiss a guy who looks like a pale, pasty balloon. I mean, I wouldn't wanna kiss no girl who looks like pale pasty balloon, so I reckon it's only fair."

"My family's all upset 'bout it, but I think they care more than I do. To be honest, I see a silver lining in all of this. I won't have to go through that dumb 9 to 5 grind that most folks do. I won't have to suffer through no bad breakups or nothin'. I get to see Jesus real soon, and why would I ever say no to that? I mean, the man used to walk on water! I don't know if he still can, but I know he used to."

"You might be wonderin' what a dyin' man like me would do with all his time. You might be thinkin' I'd do somethin' crazy like bungee jumpin' or skydivin', but that ain't me. What I really wanna do is watch as many movies as I can. And wouldn't ya know it, there's this event comin' up where they're gonna play a bunch of movies at the theater. How could I say no to an experience like that?"

"Luckily, I was able to snag some tickets already. They sold out real fast, but I reckon God wanted me to have a bit of happiness before he sends me to the red dungeon fire. Who knows what's waitin' for me there, but at least I got to see some great movies before I go."

"Movies have been my life, my one true love. The movie theater, it's like a sacred place where magic happens. You get to escape into a world where anything is possible. You don't gotta be stuck in your own crappy life, you get to be in someone else's. And you relate to characters that give you hope, ya know? Movies can have a huge impact on people, and they definitely had one on me. The only thing that makes me upset is that I'm gonna die and I won't be able to experience all the new cinematic experiences that will come after I'm gone. That just depresses the hell outta me."

"My dream was to make my own movies one day, but that ain't gonna happen now 'cause I'm gonna be dead. Maybe my spirit will end up in cotton candy land or that red dungeon fire. Or if I'm lucky, I'll just end up in the ground."

1 week later

"So tonight's the night. The night I get to experience the greatest thing ever, maybe the last great thing in my life. It's the night I get to escape one last time before I kick the bucket for real."

"So here we go."

"As I walk into the theater, I head straight for the concession stand to grab me some popcorn and a drink. I never understood how folks can go to the movies without gettin' popcorn and a drink. Havin' 'em just adds to the whole experience. It makes the movie even better."

"After grabbin' my popcorn and drink, I went on a hunt for the perfect seat. Took me a while 'cause the cinema was already packed with folks. But finally, I found it—a seat up on the top, right smack in the middle. I was already buzzin' with excitement, diggin' into my popcorn and soak in' the atmosphere around me. It was a room full of people who shared the same deep love for the movies."

"As the movies started rollin', I began to get lost, ya know? Right before the movies play, when the lights dim and the theater goes dead quiet. That moment when you feel yourself gettin' whisked away to another world, that's my absolute favorite part. It's the feeling that keeps me comin' back for more, that addictive sensation that makes me crave the movies."

"I gobbled down my popcorn and slurped up that sugary fizzy juice real fast, like halfway through the first movie. Can't help myself, ya know? Popcorn and that sweet bubbly drink, they make a perfect combo."

“I made a few trips to the bathroom every now and then, but I always hurried back. I was too caught up in these different worlds on the screen. In that moment, I wasn't no dyin' soul anymore. I was just a fella gettin' lost in a world where dreams come true. I had forgotten all about my cancer. It was like it didn't even exist."

"I was just like all them others, someone with a passion for the movies."

"I ain't never cried and laughed so much in a single night. It was pure joy, like reachin' the peak of happiness. But as the final movie was about to start, I felt this sharp pain shootin' through my head. I started feelin' real uneasy and uncomfortable... so I got up from my seat... and then, I just collapsed."

"Well, ya can probably guess where it all led to. I ended up dyin' right there in the cinema. But truth be told, I ain't complainin'. If I had to go, I'd choose that place over any other. My love for movies was stronger than my own life, and I like to believe that I was put on this earth to witness all that beauty. That's why I reckon I died so young. Maybe we all reach our end once we find the beauty in everythin'.”

"So if life's givin' ya a hard time, kickin' you in the butt, I got just one piece of advice for ya—go see a movie."

THE END