Popcorn Feature Creature by Essel Pratt

As the closing credits faded to black, the drive in’s dirt lot darkened under the moonless sky. The few cars that remained during the second half of the double feature rocked from side to side as the couples inside worked toward their own climax behind steamy windows. Silent screams muffled behind the glass until, one by one, the shaking stopped and engines roared. Dust and debris filled empty lot, signaling the end of the drive in’s glory days.

Old Man Danby peered out upon the empty lot, waiting for the dust to settle. He shook his head at the pot marked with mud-filled tire tracks and littered with paper wrappers and discarded popcorn. Each and every night, for twenty years, he was the last to stay behind and clean up after the uncaring patrons, gathering the paper refuse into large industrial bags and collecting the popcorn scatterings into a plastic barrel.

Sorrow filled his heart as he walked the lot one last time. The drive in was his home away from home; his place to hide away from life’s troubles and escape into the imagination of the movie producers’ minds. He could recite the lines of every movie from memory, at least most of them, and appreciated the intricacies of even the worst B-rated flops that shined upon the big screen during discount weekends. His life was ending, at least in its manifested form, as the drive in closed for the last time.

He didn’t have the clean the dirt packed parking lot after the last show, but he felt it was his duty to do so. He wandered the lot in a calculated path clearing each quadrant, leaving nothing left to mar the empty façade. The silence in the air was deafening, echoing his random sobs into the night, lost in nothingness with no one to hear.

After emptying the garbage into the large dumpster near the concession stand, Old Man Danby conducted a nightly ritual of sacrificing the barrel of discarded popcorn into a pile at the rear of the towering screen. Under his breath he cursed the waste of food, muttering about third world countries that wished for scraps food to fill their bellies, while adding to the years’ worth of popcorn that collected at his feet. Waste was his one pet peeve that infuriated him to no end.

“God damn kids,” he muttered as he dumped the last bit of popcorn onto the pile. “A third of my life I’ve cleaned up after them and all I have to show is the pile of popcorn. I’d sell my soul to the Devil herself to avenge the spirits of the corn fields that so readily supplied their kernels.”

A single burst of lightning shot from the sky, rocketing into the mound of popcorn, shooting fingers of electricity into Old Man Danby’s wrinkled flesh; followed by a booming burst of thunder that shook the ground beneath his feet. His body stiffened, he collapsed into the burning pile of popcorn, his skin bubbling like the salted butter that covered each piece of popped corn, until his remains were cremated to nothing but dust, intermixing with the horrendous burning smell of the puffed corn. As if saying his final goodbye, a gust of wind lifted the ashes into the air, scattering them within the fields that surrounded the drive in’s out lot.

***

As the sun gradually set upon the cloudless sky, a lazy breeze meandered upon wild corn stalks that flanked all sides of the revitalized drive in theater’s exterior. Near the back, towering over the plethora of cars lined up in rows, the large screen displayed a countdown to signal the start of the triple feature. On the agenda were two classic films, Creature from the Dark Abyss and The Devil Never Knocks, followed by the premier of Nightmare in the Camp: Part 2.

Children played upon the swings and slides at the base of the big screen as their parents lined up for buckets of popcorn and sugary drinks. Teenage boys flirted with the girls, the girls flirted with the boys, some of the boys flirted with boys as some of the girls flirted with other girls. Those that were lucky enough to have already found the crush of their lives spent time planning how they would make their best move toward the end of the night, hoping for a lock of their lips or a quick feel of forbidden flesh.

Nearly twenty years after it closed, life was renewed within the heart of the drive in; Old Man Danby would have been proud. The new owners, capitalizing on the resurgent of nostalgia, outfitted the drive in with the latest technology. The oversized screen and state of the art projectors were calibrated to provide the clearest picture in the region, the digital surround sound gave clarity to the film score that accentuated the film with eerie detail, and the touch screen ordering pads made trips to the concession stand a thing of the past. Luxury was the key focus; no need to leave the car unless nature called.

As the minutes counted down to show time, a baritone voice echoed over the loud speaker. “Ladies and gentlemen, our first film will begin in only ten minutes. Please find your way back to your vehicle and enjoy the opening credits. As soon as the sun disappears behind the corn and darkness envelopes the sky, we will begin the show.”

“Hey Jennie,” said Mike, a dark haired teen wearing a letter jacket.

“What’s up, Mike?” asked Jen, his beautiful blonde girlfriend.

“The movie is starting; we’d better get back to the car before Steve and Lisa,” said Mike. “Before they take the front seat.”

“Won’t the back seat be better?” she said grabbing his hand with a devious smile and guiding him back toward the car.”

***

“Nice of you two to arrive,” said Steve as he jumped into the back seat with Lisa; a crooked smile on his freckled face.

“We saved you guys the front so you can see better,” said Lisa before placing a kiss onto Steve’s lips.

“I hope your braces get stuck together,” said Mike as he opened the door for Jennie.

Mike ran over to the driver’s side and jumped in his seat, glancing a furrowed brow back to Steve and Lisa, their slurping kisses nearly causing him to gag. He tried to avert his attention to Jennie, grasping her hand within his while leaning over to plant a kiss upon her rosy cheek. However, his eyes met the rearview mirror just as Steve’s hand reached into Lisa’s shirt. Instead of kissing his girl, he pulled away and crossed his arms as he slumped in his seat. Frustrated, he turned up the volume of the movie and waited patiently as the movie began to start.

***

The night illuminated as the first preview exploded onto the screen; an action thriller with a horror twist starring Brice Gillis and Jane Lee Curts. Mike perked up as the trailer climaxed, revitalizing his anticipation for the first feature to begin. He reached his hand over to and rubbed Jennie’s leg, while the next two trailers played above, and shuffled in his seat to get comfortable. He wanted to scoot closer to Jennie’s side, but the center console made that a bit awkward, so he made do with intertwining his fingers with hers. Just her touch made the rest of the world fade from his mind.

Immediately after the previews, the screen glowed white as dancing hot dogs and soda cups welcomed everyone to the drive in. Their contagious song bellowed through the air as the soft breeze started to whip through the air, sending bits of corn stalk sailing through the air smashing into windshields. Steve laughed as Jennie jumped in the front seat, startled. Mike and Lisa joined in as Jennie playfully smacked Mike on the arm. The movie hadn’t even started and the scared were already beginning.

The wind became more fierce as the animated food continued their song and dance. “Soda, hot dogs, food for all your taste! If you love to snack at all, don’t let it go to waste! If you want a salty treat, get right on the horn! Never fret, we won’t forget to make some buttery popcorn!”

The animated finale filled the screen with a creepy popcorn box with a sinister smile, spilling his kernels all over the other foods, drowning them in his buttery children. It was a strange and creepy finale to a typically jubilant concession commercial.

A couple kids in the car next to Mike and gang laughed, making jokes about the popcorn creature spilling his seed. Mike wanted to laugh as well, but held it in so he would appear more mature for Jennie. Hoping to take his mind off the joke, he reached back and smacked Steve in the arm.

“Hey, you guys want some popcorn?” he asked.

“Sure man, extra butter,” replied Steve.

“Oh, do they have kettle corn?” asked Lisa.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” said Steve, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping. “What the fuck is that?”

Jennie screamed as Mike turned back toward the screen. In the back seat Lisa also screamed, dropping her soda in her lap as she reached to lock the door, while grabbing onto Steve and pulling him close. Mike saw it unfold in the rearview mirror and couldn’t help but think it was more awkward than their sloppy kiss.

Mike tried to focus on the object everyone was screaming about, but couldn’t focus on it. The screen went dark just before it collapsed to the ground, barely missing the cars in the front row. The moonless sky left little light to see the large object ahead. Car engines roared as their drivers turned the ignition and tried to speed off, kicking up clouds of dust in their wake, only to find themselves in a chaotic traffic jam where they wedged among each other, making it near impossible to leave unless the attempted to do so on foot. Car horns blasted and tempers flared as obscenities mingled with the screams of women and children. It was like a scene from one of the movies they were there to watch; only it was happening in real life.

“What the hell is going on out there?” said Mike as he opened his car door to get a better view.

Debris sailed through the air, nearly missing Mike as he walked toward the front of the car. He shielded his eyes with his left hand as he braced himself against the hood with his right hand. All he could see were the mass of cars and a mass of people zig zagging in between where they could, each of their faces flushed with fear.

Mike grabbed a nearby guy by the shoulder. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“Let go man, some sort of monster out there! Get out while can,” the man said, pushing Mike away.

Steve exited the back seat and ran to Mike’s side. “Dude, we need to get the hell out of here before that thing gets closer!”

“What thing…,” Mike’s words were cut off as a small SUV crashed atop a car two spots away.

“Holy shit,” yelled Steve. “There was a family in there.”

“We need to help them,” said Mike running toward the smashed cars.

Steve ran after him, jumping over the car parked next to theirs. His feet slipped as he hit the ground, falling into a puddle of warm sticky liquid. “Damn, I think the transmission is leaking, got the stuff all over me. I hope it isn’t flammable.”

“That isn’t transmission fluid, man,” said Mike. “I think that’s blood. No one in there survived. We need to get out of here, now.”

Steve didn’t respond as he hopped back over the sedan to get back to the girls. Mike was right on his heels, yelling at the Jennie and Lisa to get out of the car and run. More cars soared overhead, piling up near the entrance, blocking the only way out, trapping everyone inside.

“We can run through the corn,” yelled Jennie.

“I’ve seen that movie,” yelled Lisa. “I’m not going anywhere near the corn fields.”

“Me neither,” said Steve. “But, that fucking monster is destroying everything. We need to do something.”

Mike looked around, searching for a way out, finally seeing the monster responsible for the chaos. The beast towered high above him, its entire body formed from popped corn kernels, sopped with butter and glistening with salt crystals. The beast’s powerful arms and legs were the size of tree trunks and its massive torso large than a luxury SUV. Mike’s knees shook and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He wanted to run, he wanted to scream, but his mind blanked as he stood motionless.

Steve grabbed Mike’s shoulder, “Dude, we have to get out of here. Come on!”

“Do you see that?” said Mike, his words shaky.

“How can I not see it?” asked Steve. “It’s a twenty foot tall popcorn monster. Now, let’s not dwell on what that fucking thing is and focus on getting the hell out of here.”

“Get out?” said Jennie. “Where are we supposed to go? There is no way out.”

“What about the concession stand?” asked Lisa. “There has to be a basement or some sort of shelter we can hide in until help arrives.”

“She’s right, it looks like our only chance at hiding from the buttery beast,” said Mike. “Steve, I’ll go first and you follow behind, the girls will be between us in single file. We need to stay low so it doesn’t see us.”

The four crouched down and weaved between the cars, taking the long route as far from the popcorn monster as possible, hoping they wouldn’t draw attention to themselves. They didn’t bother being too quiet, the air was ripe with noise as people screamed for help and salvation. However, they kept a watchful eye on the beast, ready to maneuver their way into another direction if it got to close.

As they neared the concession stand, it seemed salvation was near. Lisa ran ahead to get inside where it was safe. “We’re safe, we’re safe,” she yelled. “Hurry, let’s get inside.”

Lisa was relieved to find the door unlocked as she hurried inside, not waiting for the others as they tried to catch up. Steve tried to run ahead but Mike pulled him back, shoving him down onto the ground between two older model cars.

“Slow down, the popcorn beast is right there,” he said in a hushed tone, pointing to the north end of the lot. “We are safe here until he moves on, then we’ll go in.”

“But Lisa’s alone in there,” he said, anxious to get inside and hold her in his arms.

“You won’t do her any good if you’re dead,” said Mike. “We’ll wait it out here, she’ll be okay in there.”

Time seemed to stand still as the popcorn monster wreaked havoc on the drive in. He corralled a few people in between a Humvee and a pick-up truck, each huddling together hoping for a miracle to save them from their doom.

Towering above the group of five men and women, the popcorn beast opened his mouth and vomited gallons of steamy melted butter onto his prisoners. Their screams of agony faded as the boiling butter melted their flesh down to muscle and bone, cooking them in their own juices. The stench of scorched flesh filled the air. A group of younger teens that were hiding behind a small compact car nearby screamed and ran toward the concession stand, seeking refuge inside and out of sight of the beast. They found the same door that Lisa entered through, but the popcorn beast saw them as well. He lifted the Humvee above his head and hurled it toward the concrete building, smashing the side wall to dust. He followed his assault with the pickup truck, one of the poor victims melted to its side.

The bed of the truck, stocked with a couple large gasoline barrels, followed a similar trajectory of the Humvee, smashing into the roof, exploding into a fiery blaze, killing everyone inside, including Lisa.

“No!” yelled Steve, jumping to his feet.

Mike pulled him back to the ground as Jennie huddled in the fetal position, muttering to herself words that could not be recognized. Mike tried to calm both of them down, but neither was in the right mind to focus on anything but the confused thoughts in their heads.

“Come on guys,” he said. “We have to move before that thing finds us. He’s already taken out nearly everyone here. Look, there are bodies everywhere, scattered among the cars and garbage. Hell, the only thing not strewn about is bits of popcorn. Instead, we have their daddy here trying to consume all of us.”

He held Steve and Jennie close to him, hoping to calm them enough to bring them back to their senses and get them coherent enough to get out of there. He knew they were out of time, but he couldn’t rush it, not in their uneasy condition.

Jennie’s sobs were amplified between the cars. Mike hoped they wouldn’t draw attention to them, but he held her closer to his chest, hoping her cries would be muffled in the fabric of his letter jacket. Just to be safe, he pulled Steve in close as well. The air became suddenly silent around them; quite uncomforting.

The winds lessened as well, almost to the point that it was prior to the attack. Mike tried to look around, but his vision was limited and he could only see as far as his peripheral allowed. Once again, the hairs in the back of his neck stood on end and chills rushed down his spine; he wanted to run, but knew he had to be brave for his friends.

Not wanting to wait longer, Mike shook his friends, “Com on guys, we have to go. We need to be brave and get out of here before that thing gets us.”

Both looked at Mike, nodding their heads in agreement, preparing to make their escape. Mike tried grasped each by the shoulder and looked them in the eye, making sure they were ready to make their next move. Each nodded to him, signaling they were okay, just as the car they leaned against flipped flung through the air, landing about ten feet away. All three fell to the dusty ground, finding themselves staring eye to eye with the popcorn beast.

Steve jumped to his feet, in a fighting stance with his fists out front, ready to take on the popcorn monster despite the odds. The monster, unconcerned at the threat Steve posed, raised his massive arm into the air and swooped it down, slapping Steve toward the concession stand where the flames still licked the sky. His body lost in the conflagrations.

Jennie screamed; her voice hoarse from all the cries that bellowed from her lungs. Mike grabbed her and tried to crawl away, but the popcorn beast was right atop them; escape was futile. Knowing the end was near, Jennie looked into Mike’s eyes and whispered softly, “just hold me. As long as I’m with you, everything will be okay.”

Mike held her tight, unwilling to let go, regardless of what hellish torture the popcorn beast was ready to dish out. With Jennie’s face buried into his chest once again, Mike stared bravely into the popcorn beast’s eyes, letting it know that he was not going to perish without facing his enemy down.

The popcorn beast’s eyes were the color of buttery yellow kernels, shining against the remaining car headlights, its ominous glow foreboding and grim. The creature opened his mouth wide, a gurgling sound emanating from within its gut, as it readied itself to let loose a vomitus spray of salted butter bile.

Mike held Jennie closer, adjusting his body over hers, hoping to take the brunt of the attack and shield her from fatal harm. He knew the chances were slim, but had to try his best. He said goodbye, softly, and placed his lips upon hers, gently kissing her one last time before their demise. “We’ll be together again soon, I swear to you.”

A violent war cry roared from near distance. Mike, shocked, looked up just in time to see Steve running toward them, his body aflame. His pace was steady and swift, although his body weak from the heat, as he ran toward the popcorn beast. He took the popcorn beast by surprise as he jump onto its leg, grasping it as tightly as possible with his remaining strength, sending his flames upward, igniting the popcorn in an instant.

The popcorn beast roared, standing straight as the buttery bile dribbled down its chest. The flames consumed the beast as it stumbled backward, retreating into toward the surrounding cornfields, making its way to the area behind where the large movie screen once stood. The beast tripped over the many scattered cars, its body succumbing to the flames. As it neared the edge of the lot, the creature collapsed, spreading its flames to the stalks of corn. As the popcorn beast perished, the corn field came to life with dancing infernos pirouetting in the still air. The sky lit up with an eerie glow, leaving a single path left untouched at the entrance of the drive in.

Mike grabbed Jennie by the arm and lifter her to her feet. He made sure she was steady before ushering her toward the entrance, looking her in the eyes to let her know they would be okay.

“Let’s go,” he said. “This isn’t the time to mourn our loss; it’s a time to celebrate our lives. We’ll come back later to grieve, when the time is right.”

Hand in hand they walked toward the entrance, their shadows stretched into the center of the chaos as they approached the ticket booth, neither looking back as they continued down the path towards home.