Movieland

Chapter 37

We blasted through a locked door and up a musty stairwell leading up to a wooden door. It splintered into Kubrick-esque chunks of wood after a heavy shoulder from an enraged Applewhite.

"Saw Bruce Banner do something similar," Frankie said as he stumbled up the stairwell.

The starry night was fit for an opening production logo appearance, an MGM or 20th Century Fox or New Line Cinema. The canopy of bright stars lit the looming Starlight Drive-In Screen.

A snake's tail rattled from the tunnel depths. "Go!' I yelled.

Cars and trucks scattered the field, left from the previous night's showing. The brick concessions stand waited at the rear of the field.

Frankie and I slung JP's arms around our shoulders and wove around the cars. Carolina ran with Shimmer Woman.

"Keep moving," Applewhite called.

JP's leg gave out. He collapsed.

"You've got it!" Frankie yelled.

"Just go," JP muttered. He flipped over and leaned against a car door. He grasped at the door handle behind his head.

I checked our rear. The sandworm could've easily eaten us. Instead, it slithered at a medium pace along the grass. Its inner face was hidden underneath the horror of its outside face.

"We'll carry you," I said.

"Na," he said, and opened the door and climbed into the back seat. The doors locked.

"Dammit," Applewhite said. She ducked behind the car, checking around the corner.

"Go ahead," I said to Carolina and Shimmer Woman. "Find a way in."

Frankie and I hid behind a truck. "Remember that time he tried to cover for us when we broke my mom's vase?" he said.

"A lamb to a fault," I said.

The sandworm slithered up to the car and lifted its head to the back window. JP scrambled backwards to the other side of the car. Applewhite curled around to the other side just as it slithered around the back. It raised its head to the back window. Its inner face extended, and its tentacle rubbed along the glass.

JP slunk to the floor.

The sandworm reared its head back. Its tail started to rattle.

"Shit," Applewhite said.

Its beak and nose smashed into the glass, cracking it. I thought the character powers were supposed to be dulled.

JP screamed.

It smashed into the glass again, like a bird pecking for an insect. The third time smashed a hole. It stuck its beak through the hole and opened its mouth. The smaller head stretched through the hole and released the tentacle.

JP spun circles around the car floor and ended up in the same spot. The tentacle slowly reached down and choked out his screams.

"That's enough," Frankie said. He jumped and hollered and waved his arms. Applewhite rammed into the side of the car once, twice, and a third time. The tentacle retracted into the small face which retracted into the big head, and it shot up straight, staring at Applewhite, and then Frankie, and back between the two. The movie screen silhouetted its head.

"Run," she said.

He took off one way and she the other. The sandworm showed its true speed. It swept around quickly and cut Applewhite off after a few steps, and then slithered over the car and truck, sweeping its tail to take me out at the knees. The tail was as thick as a bridge cable. Frankie made it two steps before the tentacle curled around his chest and lifted him into the air.