Rell and The Rose

Ch. 37, A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Bastien

"That. Was..." Rell shook her head, staring in wonder at the blank screen. "INCREDIBLE. Amazing." She turned to me, eyes wide, "I don't even have words! Are there really galaxies like that?"

"Well, this takes place a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." I winked, trying to pretend I didn't notice the way she smiled at me. "It's just a story. Like a play, but recorded."

"But how?"

"Well, they use cameras... and then film.... It takes bunches of people, all those names you saw in the credits..." I trailed off, feeling like an idiot.

But Rell just shook her head. "That wasn't like any play I've ever seen. That was amazing! Can we watch it again?" She turned back to the screen and though part of me wanted nothing more than to watch movies with her all day, I also knew at some point they would kick us out.

"Shouldn't we see what Poxel is up to?" I dropped my voice. Even though the theatre was empty, the lights were up, and I guess the theatre staff would be in soon to start cleaning.

"Right. Of course."

She closed her eyes, and I had a moment to look at her without her knowing.

She opened her eyes, and the carefree Rell disappeared as she turned to me. "Poxel think he found something," she said quietly. "But he needs our help to get into the basement."

Then she jumped up, starting down the aisle, and I had only a moment to mutter, "Of course it had to be the basement", before racing down the theatre steps after her.

She made her way down the hallways purposefully, and I followed. There was a swinging door that read Staff Only, and after a glance in each direction, Rell pushed inside.

I really hoped Poxel knew what he was doing.

I followed Rell back into a dingy corridor, and past what looked like some sort of storage room. At the end of the hallway was a door with a small window set into it. Just behind it was a door that led to the back of the movie theatre.

I recoiled when I noticed there was also an enormous rat sitting between the doors.

"Poxel," Rell whispered, and leaned over to pick up the rat. I cringed. He could be any animal and he chose to be a rat?

Rell turned back to me. "He says there's something magical down there."

I shaded my hands and looked down the dark, creepy staircase. "Okay," I said, "Here's the thing. If I'd taken you to a horror movie, you would have learned that the number one rule to surviving the human realm is never, ever go down into a dark, creepy basement."

"What's a horror movie?" Rell said, already starting down the staircase. "Maybe we can see that next!"

"Yah sure," I muttered, "Unless we're already in one."

Poxel narrowed his two tiny beady eyes at me, like he was trying to send me some sort of message. "Don't look at me like that," I said. "This was your idea, not mine."

I recoiled as he scurried around me and down into the basement. I took a final look outside, and the daylight, before I sighed and followed them into the creepy, dark basement.