needed to get him away—get us away from what was unfolding and it started with leaving the theatre. I didn’t even wait to see his reaction. I kept pulling until he lifted out of his seat and stumbled.
“I said sit down!” He was yelling now, and gave me a sharp shove. I banged into the row ahead of us, the seat jolting forward, but I didn’t have time to apologize. Quinn stood again and he was angry.
“I didn’t want to do this here in front of everyone, but you leave me no choice.”
I braced myself. I didn’t know what he’d do—whether I needed to scream for help or fight and the irony made me laugh. This was the very reason I hated being boxed in because now I was trapped in the middle of a crowd with a mad man.
Licking my lips nervously, I struggled for a way I could move and escape. Everything was unraveling and I suddenly realized other occurrences were happening around me. People were arguing, the raised voices almost louder than the movie.
“We need to leave now. It’s happening again,” I pleaded, but was interrupted by the patron in front of us.
“Listen, man, if you can’t control your woman, step aside and let me do it. You’re keeping me from watching the movie so shut up and sit down before someone gets hurt.” His fists were clenched tightly, a scowl on his face. My stomach surged in panic as I watched him focus on Quinn—the tension so thick it was almost palpable.
Quinn was the first to strike. With lightning fast reflexes, he threw a hard punch that snapped the guy’s head back.
The stranger gathered himself together—wiping blood from his nose with the back of his hand. He looked like something from a horror movie with the gore smeared across his face, still trickling down to his chin, but it was the murderous gleam in his eyes that chilled me.
Quinn’s arm lashed out again, this time hitting his opponent with such a force it lifted the guy off his feet. The motion splayed him against the chairs behind and he quit moving. I couldn’t either—I was frozen to the spot.
I stared at him in horror as he stood there basking in feral triumph. The light from the movie reflected off his face, the blue in his eyes bringing my world crashing down. There was no denying it, he was changing and not in a good way. Thinking fast, I slammed my own fist into his stomach, and he doubled over.
“If you love me at all, you need to follow me and get out of this place.” Not caring about the tears that had begun streaming down my cheeks, I was grateful he offered no resistance—submitting to my lead.
Chaos had broken out around us as we pushed past the other patrons toward the exit, and it was clear no one was watching the movie anymore. It was complete bedlam, the scene disturbing as people yelled at each other, some cowering while others looked like they bordered on exploding into a wrathful rampage.
There were only a few that appeared unaffected and were doing the same as us—attempting to leave as quickly and quietly as possible. I shuddered as I approached the doorway, not knowing what I’d find on the other side, especially if this was any indication. Finally reaching the exit, I pushed through the door, hoping to find it quiet.
The difference was startling. It seemed normal unlike the hell we just escaped. Not wanting to be around when it erupted from the room, I continued towing Quinn behind me.
My heart sank as I felt him start resisting again. I didn’t want to stop, my mind focused solely on getting us home. Not knowing what to do, I turned around and caught the battle raging inside him—the flickering of color.
Taking hold of his face, unsure of whether it was a good idea or not, I looked him straight in the eyes. They were crystal blue and as our gaze locked, a fire began to build. Thoughts swarmed my mind—whisperings—reminding me of how much he’d hurt me. I needed revenge, but when I shook my head and broke eye contact, the thoughts were gone.
“Fight this.
Learning to Kill: Stories