September Self Challenge!

So to get back into writing regularly, I will be issuing a self challenge!

One Chapter every other day for the month September! I will write, and TYPE, 1 chapter for 1 book and post it here and on Facebook in September.

What book?

Well, I have interest in Insomnia Cafe. So, that is the one I am going to post!

Today will be the prologue! On the day I am not posting the chapter, I will be working on actually getting ready to publish Elemental Mazes, and working on short stories.

In October I will be doing Part II of Monster University.

November I will be doing NaNoWriMo, I was going to do a sequel to The Keepers and the Sister of Lilith, however, I am going to use it to write Shades of Fear or Praying. It will probably be Praying.

Then in December I will be outlining a true schedule for 2019 as I hope to be more active in writing/publishing/my art! Love to you all!

Random WIP: The Quest To Find Home

Random WIP:
The Quest To Find Home
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Nysa was born to nobility on her planet. The only problem was that she was born, well a she. Her clan had ruled the majority of the world, and her only duty was to be raised to be a bride to the next clan leader. The issue with that? The bride not only was expected to take care of the home, but to be able to be his right hand in battle; always sacrificing herself for the leader. She hated her betrothed. She hated her planet. She hated everything. So at age of 100, twelve and half years before her majority were she would marry Oryann, she stole a ship and severed all ties to her clan and planet. She crash landed on Earth five years later. She noticed that her horns and tail were the only things that prevented her from fitting in with the humans. So she removed her horns and tail. She then began to carve a life for herself. Hoping to find a true home. Now three hundred Earth years later, Oryann has found her… and he has sent the Bega Demons, intergalactic bounty hunters, to bring his bride home to him; after all he cannot be the clan leader without the princess.

Oryann sent the Bega Demons to bring back his bride. He wanted to make changes on their planet but to do that he must be the clan leader. To be clan leader one must marry the heiress of the royal family. They only had one child, Nysa. And she ran because she did not want a life where if they had a daughter they would be raised as a sacrificial lamb to protect their husband. He had to show her a mask around her parents, but now her father and mother were dead, it was time he gained his bride. But as she runs from the Bega Demons, or destroys them, he realizes he may just have to go and gain his bride himself.

Will Oryann gain his bride? Or will Nysa run towards the freedom she has known these three hundred years? Or will she find something worth more than her imagined freedom as she continues her quest to find a home.

Sleeping Death

Sleeping Death
All Rights Reserved
Triggers: Zombies, Death, Violence

Once upon at time there was a vain Queen and King, they had a child who was as pretty as can be. They hired three witches to bless the child with beauty, grace and pose.

But there was a fourth witch that was not invited. She came to the christening and gave this proclamation. “This beauty, Briar Rose, shall have her beauty, grace and pose, as long as her heart beats within her chest. The moment her heart stops beating, she will lose all three. Her body however shall never die!” The witch then bent and kissed the sleeping beauty on the head.

She turned on her heel and disappeared from the castle, she left to ponder who words, what they meant. The Queen bent and picked up her child; they found the note left by the witch. “Briar Rose shall prick her finger on a spinning wheel on her eighteenth birthday. That prick shall stop her heart from beating, bringing about the curse I have placed upon her.”

The Queen and King were worried about the curse, though they did not know exactly what it meant; did not know how her heart would stop beating but her body would not die? So they sent the baby to live with the three witches they had hired to make sure of their daughter’s beauty, grace and pose.

The years went by and the young Briar Rose grew up with a normal childhood, never once told that she was the heir to a mighty kingdom, which meant that one day she shall be Queen. She grew up as Twila, the ever loving peasant girl, who had the beauty of a queen.

On the morning of her eighteenth birthday she went upon her day as she normally would have; she got up and picked flowers, feed the animals, and went about her day. The witches, that were in charges of raising her, went to her after lunch as they needed to fit her for her new gown. One that was fit for a princess; as she was now of age, she would now go home and become the princess the land needed, it was time to return to the world of royalty.

They did the fitting and left to get some much needed supplies for the birthday celebration that was to happen that night. After all it would be her last night with them and they felt the depressed at that very thought.

Well they were gone; the other witch took her opportunity to lead young Twila to the spindle of her curse. With a bit of magic, she had Twila follow a small bird to the spindle that spun on its own accord, it weaved a string that was black as sin.

The witch used the bird, and spoke in a soft tone, she instructed Twila to prick her finger on the spindle needle. Which, of course, the young princess did, without hesitation. In that very moment her heart stopped beating. She fell to the floor. The three witches appeared instantly, but were too late to stop what had happened. Instead they froze time, they froze her and the kingdom in an endless sleep, that could only be undone by true loves first kiss. So they protected the sleeping kingdom until they could find a cure for the curse on the young princess, however they never found one. For many years, many decades, the kingdom was frozen in time. Many princes to come ‘save’ the sleeping princess, however the witches prevented anybody from reaching the sleeping princess, thus they left her in the frozen state.

One day a prince from a far away kingdom heard of the sleeping kingdom and thought of the land to be gained from such a union. So he set out across he many lands to get to the kingdom. Once there he faced the three witches, the first put up a field of knifes and spikes, that had to be carefully navigated, and could not be torn down. However this Prince, upon his birth, had been blessed by witches of his own kingdom, with the smarts, and a sword that could cut down any object within its path. He cut through the maze of blades, and made it to the second task set froth by the witches.

He reached a room of fire. The flames would burn through anything. The witches were sure that the prince would never make it through. However, also upon his birth, he was given a shield that would protect him from any supernatural danger. It allowed him to cross the flames of the witches’ passions. It allowed him to face the third and final task.

A monster of the worse sorts, part dragon, part Griffin, colored the deepest of blues with eyes the color of a sunset. A creature that was sure to kill the prince. The prince knew he would defeat it. He was gifted strength, brains and pride upon his birth. He fought though the flames of the creature dodged the spikes upon its tail, evaded the razor sharp teeth that tried to chop down on him, but in the end his sword met the creature’s heart, and it turned to dust.

The three witches looked on in shock as he stood by the bedside of the cursed Princess Briar Rose and he leaned down and kissed her. The moment the kiss ended, she awoke. But she was no longer human, her pale skin, had long ago shrunk. Her beauty she once held was gone; in its place was death. The prince’s kiss had broken the spell which froze time, but not the curse.

The Princess opened her eyes, she got up and then Briar Rose did the unthinkable. She attacked the prince! She bit him. He stabbed her with his sword, but still she came at him. He ran from her, and fell down the stars and broke his neck. The witches waited, their breaths held. They waited to see what would happen now as the undead Briar Rose started to move. Her beauty, her grace, and her pose all gone from her once lovely soul. She did not grow up royal; yet she is the one that paid for the sins of her parents.

The witches watched as the prince’s body also started to move. The curse had extended itself to her victims. The witches watched as Briar Rose set the neck of her undead prince and they went off together, to wreak havoc among their kingdom.

The Queen locked herself in her chambers and cried out in pain as she watched her kingdom become the kingdom of the undead. She cried out to the witch that placed the curse upon her daughter, the one they didn’t invite because of her views of the world. “Hekate! Come to me! I beg you! Come to me! Make me a deal!” The Queen needed to stop the pain of her soul, the pain of seeing her daughter as a zombie. Her soul was drowning in the pain.

“You called Queen Emma?” Hekate appeared.

“Make me a deal! Anything! Reverse your curse! Allow my daughter a life full of happy ever afters.”

“You put you and your family above your people. You hired witches to bless your children, though you know it curses another! You make sure your children know all the comforts of life, while your people go hungry, while they freeze, they know all the hardness and pain, while you and your children know only comfort and joy! And you have the nerve to ask me to reverse the curse? To reset time?”

“Yes! Please I will do anything!” The Queen begged.

“Fine. I will reset time on these conditions and these alone! One, the child will be raised far from you. She shall be raised a poor child, that way when she is queen she will be fair. Two, no longer will you hire the witches to bless the children of royalty. Instead each child born in the kingdom will be bestowed one blessing and one hardship to overcome. And last but not least, your life for hers. You shall die in her place. It is the only way I can reverse time. I need to balance the universe. I took her soul, her life, so yours will be the price to save hers.” Hekate said with a sneer, sure the Queen would not take the offer.

The Queen looked out the window and watched as her daughter took a spoon and scooped out a heart from some poor soul and watched as she ate it. She could not bear this pain. Death would be welcomed for a chance her daughter would live. “Deal.”

Hekate was in shock. “So be it!” Hekate snapped her fingers and time reversed, the conditions now set in blood and soul.

“King Richard! You have a beautiful baby girl! Briar Rose! She was gifted with grace, but cursed with the inability to sing.”

“Fantastic!” The King said with a smile.

“But my King, we regret to inform you the Queen has died in child birth…”

“My wife is gone…?”

“She looked at her daughter and said ‘For you my life.” Then she decreed that she shall be raised by the three witches away from the kingdom until her eighteenth birthday, when she will marry and she said she shall become the queen she never was, then she passed, sir.”

“Then may her wishes be fulfilled.” The King stated and walked way from the servant and his daughter, who would never know the curse once bestowed upon her…

Random WIP Tuesday: Insomnia Café

Random WIP:
Insomnia Café
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I never saw my life ending up like this. Actually, I never thought I would be alive, let alone owning a café in a major city.

When I was fifteen I lied about my age and joined the military. When I was twenty seven a bullet ended my military career. After a year of physical therapy I choose to take my life savings and open up an all-night café. What I didn’t expect was that it would become the Switzerland in a sea of crazy.
From the very first ‘villain’ and the very first ‘hero’ to walk into my doors I declared neutral and stayed out of it.

The city is full of characters, and a few of them are my regulars. From heroes to criminals to the regular Joe off the street. And my café has become a central hub that is neutral and a safe place for all.

These are the stories of the regulars at Insomnia Café.

Excerpt 1:
Being Neutral. Easier said than done in this world. As I glared at the gaping hole in my roof and I glared at the lime green acid that dripped from the edges. Daniel was so paying for the repairs. Why couldn’t they take it to the streets like the mobsters and the cops? Damn super humans, or aliens, or whatever the bastards were, they always made a mess and then came in here and acted like nothing was wrong. Daniel and Ryan were the worst. Bitter enemies until they walked through my door, then they acted like fucking lovers. Maybe they just needed to be locked into a room and left to their own devices.
Excerpt 2:

I sighed as I knew I would be having someone fix the bay windows again. Why don't I just replace them with concrete. It would teach them.

I rolled my eyes as they came in after the fight. This time at least it wasn’t the super humans. “You are fixing the window, O'Doyle. Coffee?” I asked as they took their seats in their section.

“Mo stór! Whiskey!” O’Doyle slammed his hand down. “We are free another day!”

“You are only free O’Doyle because we couldn’t pin it on you,” sneered O’Malley.

“Detective you hurt me! How could you believe we are participating in illegal activities?”

“Can it O’Doyle.” O’Malley turned to me. “Dear, if you could get us some pie and coffee?”

“No problem Detective.” As I turned to yell back to the kitchen.

Random WIP Monday: The Midnight Phoenix

The Midnight Phoenix
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From Earth to Hell and back again... He shall gain his redemption.

Prologue:

            'I always thought I was the hero. I tried to do good. I really did. I even deceived myself that I was. Bu at some point I started to make questionable choices. Making choices that I thought were for the greater good. I can see, now in my death, that I wasn't the hero. I was the villain. But in life... In life I thought I was invincible. After all nobody is born the Villain. And in death I shall gain my chance at redemption as I fight an evil I could never imagine...'

Random WIP Friday: The Morning Star's Redemption

Random WIP Friday:

The Morning Star's Redemption (with two different mock covers!)

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Lucifer fell because he couldn’t love humans more than he loved his father. He was punished for his temper tantrum and sent to rule over hell and the demons that the evils of humanity became. One day he was listening the prayer channels, after all he was the archangel of worship, and heard ‘Please, whatever angel is hearing this, please, I just need one person told me to life.’ So Lucifer, chooses to answer, in the most unconventional of ways...

Will this person lead towards his Redemption or will it just solidify his stance against the humans?

Mistakes, Love, Life A Short Story

Mistakes, Love, Life
All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2011

Trigger Warnings: Violence, Drug Use, Attempted Murder, Prostitution 

I look down and see myself.  I am dying.  I know I am.  The doctors are trying to save me.  But I know they will not be able to, and that makes my soul grieve.  Not for me but for him.  My baby.  The only thing that made me clean up my life.  And for my soul mate, our son and her were the only reason I knew I had succeeded in staying clean.  So if I cleaned up, why am I laying dying on a table at the age of 32?  Well follow me as my life flashes through my life, and the answer will show itself.  My mistakes, my hopes, my dreams, and my losses brought me here and the journey was a wild ride.  Let’s start at the beginning.

I was born on a very cold summer day.  It was raining, and I was brought home to a very cold house.  My mother didn’t really want a baby, but she wanted my father.  He wanted a child.  But he worked all the time, so I was left alone with my mother.  She ignored me.  So I went and learned things out on streets.  I only went to school because the city made me go.   I was smart, but I didn’t really want to be in school.  I was bored.  I couldn’t sit still.  I was running already with a bad crowd.  By the time I was in my early teens I was having sex, doing drugs, drinking, and doing a whole lot of things that I shouldn’t have been doing.  My father passed away when I was fourteen.  I ran from home.  I was not going to be stuck with my mother.  I ran to New York.

Within weeks, I knew I had to do something, shoplifting and steeling was only getting me so far.  I was still on drugs, my drug of choice being cocaine, and it was expensive.   I met a woman one night she told me that as a teen I could make a lot of money as a hooker.  So I let her show me the ropes.  Soon I had my own apartment; I was making enough money to keep up bills, and to keep up my drug habit.  I met a man who ended up becoming my pimp.  But I thought he really cared for me.  I did what he said, gave him most of my money, and let him feed me even stronger drugs. 

By the time I was twenty I had been working on the streets for six years and only the Goddess knows how I didn’t catch something.  But I wasn’t going to give it up.  It was party all night and sleep all day.  The fun seemed to never end.  The only part I didn’t like was the sex.  I never really felt attracted to men, and here I was sleeping with at least one man a night.  A lot of the time it would be more like three on a weekend night.  On the slow nights I would go down and strip at a strip club, where I would be able to meet more potential ‘clients’.  So I kept up this life, until one fateful night.

I was at this huge house party, some of the other girls and I were ‘rented’ for the night by this frat house.  I was watching the party.  I looked and saw the girl who was everywhere never wanting to be alone.  I saw the girl who drank until she was numb.  I saw the drugs, which for so long had been my protection from the nature of the world I chose.    I knew that at the age of twenty three that the party was over.  But how did I live a life sober, away from the drugs.  I never graduated high school.  I had no skills.  How was I going to have a decent job?  I sighed and took a line of blow, and went to the room with another strange man, knowing that I had to break this circle.

I woke up one morning, looked at the pile of money in my dresser.  I dumped it out and counted it.  Ten thousand dollars.  I had ten thousand dollars to start and new life.  I packed nothing; I grabbed some of my nicer clothes and grabbed a cab to the airport.  I bought a plane ticket on the first flight out.  I needed a new life.  A clean life.  I found a rehab center, and checked in under my real name.  I name I hadn’t used since I left my father’s funeral.  Within in two weeks there I found out I was pregnant and I knew I wouldn’t be able to give a name to the father.  I felt as if I already let down the unborn baby.  But I knew with a new life, I would really make an effort to keep clean.  And I was excited.  For once I had a real chance at a real life.

After my six weeks at rehab the set me up in a halfway house, which helped me find a job, get my GED and really start a life.  By the time I was six months pregnant I had gotten my own place, and was taking night classes.  And for once I was happy, without the drugs, without the numbing effect the drugs gave me.  I didn’t need that party anymore.  That party ended and the silence no longer scared me.  It no longer spoke a truth I couldn’t hear.  I for once could look at myself and love myself.  I was going to be a mom, a better mom then I had.  I was going tell my baby the wrongs I did.  I was going to support my baby no matter what.  I was going to have a real life.

My baby was born on a cold summer day, just like I was, on my twenty fourth birthday.  I was happy.  I got my birthday gift.  My gift from the Goddess.  I had found a faith that accepted me.  I had a good friend that helped me find myself, to discover who I really was, where I was meant to be.  And I was happy.  I started a new healthy relationship, with someone I never thought I would, with a woman, who was a doctor.  She knew my past; she knew everything and still loved me, she was my saving grace, my Krista.  And my baby, she loved him as much as I did, whom I named after her, I named him Chris.  Not Christopher.  Just Chris.  And we were a family. 

My days went by quickly.  But they were good, I watched our son grow up, and I fell more in love with the woman who was there for me through all my choices I have made once I choose a new life.  I had just graduated with a degree in psychology and I wanted to help out as a therapist at the rehab center.  My own had helped me, and I wanted to help others.  We had planned a family vacation; we needed one after all the legal paperwork we had just done to make sure if anything happened to me, then Krista would get Chris.  I had to stay late at the rehab center, as I was an intern, and was going to meet them at them at the campground we had chosen.

I had come home first to drop off some work stuff; and when I turned on the light there was a man with a gun pointed at me.  My past had found me.  I knew that one day he would find me.  I had made him a lot of money.   “How did you find me, Louis?”  I asked trying not to show my fear.

“My darling, Darla, you didn’t think I wouldn’t find you?”  Louis asked in a voice so cold.

“My name is not Darla, it is Rachel.  I have a new life.  You are not welcomed here.  Leave.”

“Yes I see, a lovely woman, and a handsome son.  Will they really mourn the loss of a former slut?”  He asked in a sneer.

"She knows my past.  She loves me no matter what.  Do you want money?”

“No.”  Is all he said then he pointed the gun back at me and pulled the trigger.  “You took Darla’s life, so I will take yours.”  He stated as he walked through my blood.

“Darla was never alive…”  I stated, but I knew I was going to die.  I don’t know who called the paramedics or the cops, but someone did.  I was aware of how they loaded my body, my soul crying, and I was begging the Goddess to let me live.  I wasn’t ready.

“I don’t think she will make it…”  I heard someone say.

“NOOOOO!!!!!”  I heard Krista cry out.  She was holding Chris, he was crying into her shoulder.

I looked at them, wanting to tell them not to cry.  I was fighting.  I would fight as long as the Goddess let me.  I wanted to keep my focus on them, but soon I was in a room at the local hospital.  The doctors trying to do everything they could.  Tears in their eyes.  All friends wanting to save my life.   And again I begged the Goddess to let me stay with them.  To let me have this chance at peace on Earth.  I knew it might not happen but it didn’t stop me from fighting.

“They got him.  He tried to board a plane.  He went down shooting.  He is dead.”  Someone yelled into the room.  “The man who tried to kill Rachel is dead.  How is she?”

“Not good, but thank God for small favors.  The piece of scum should burn in hell.”  One of the doctors stated, his eyes never leaving my open wounds.  “My Lord please, Jesus please, Krista and Rachel deserve a chance.  They have been through so much in life.  They were happy.  Please Lord please let me save her.  My sister needs her.”  My brother-in-law, James, was working on me.  I knew it was against the rules, but I had to smile.  It made me fight harder. 

I don’t know how long I fought, but I heard them close me up, I heard them saying that if I lived through the night it would be a good sign, but it was in heaven’s hands.  I heard James, tell Krista that I was a fighter.  That there was a good chance.  I heard Krista talk to him in a bunch of clinical terms.  Mostly she was afraid to say my name, because she knew my chances were less than one percent. 

But I fought.  I counted their breaths as I fought.  As a begged, as I cried for my chance at a normal life not to be taken from me this early, I didn’t want Krista and Chris to feel this grief.  I knew what grief could do.  I didn’t want to think of the pain, but I knew that if I focused on the pain then I might get a chance.  Soon the cold I was feeling was going away.  I didn’t know why.  I thought the Goddess was taking me, and I was crying out, begging to say.  Then I felt a flash of pain and I screamed out.  I screamed out!  It woke Krista.

“Rach, honey, can you hear me?” 

I opened my eyes and smiled, through all the pain I smiled.  The Goddess wasn’t taking me; she was going to give me my wish.  “I love you.”

“I love you.”  She stated bending down and giving me a kiss, the sweetest thing in the world was her kiss. 

I smiled and looked into her eyes and I knew that I was really going to get my chance.  I was really going to have a life to lead.  No matter the cost, no matter the pain, I knew life with my Krista and Chris would be worth it.  No matter the past, that no longer mattered, no matter the future, which was to worry about tomorrow, all that mattered at that moment was I was loved.  All that mattered was I was alive.  Nothing but the present mattered.  And I was going to seize the day, and fill it with nothing but love.  Every day for the rest of my life, I would work to stomp out hate, and replace it with love.  “I love you.”  I stated one more time and then I just held on to her as I thanked the Goddess for love, and prayed that everyone in the world was loved.  I closed my eyes, letting my body rest, knowing that our love was why I was alive.  I was alive because of love, and I smiled.

Fates of Magics

Random WIP Monday:

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Fates of Magics:

Magic was killed.

Well, almost.

Three Families Remain.

Forever stuck in time.

Because to keep their magic they performed a ritual, a ritual that had unexpected results. It stopped their aging. It froze them. Until the broke the curse of the ritual, and bring back magic to their world.

The problem?

To break the curse they have to perform a selfless act of sacrifice, and these magic users have long become arrogant and selfish, even before their immortality.

Can these three families learn humility and how to be human once more?

Or will they doom themselves to a never changing existence?

Transformation A Flash Fiction Story

Transformation
A Flash Fiction Story
All Rights Reserved
Triggers: Murder

I look into my mirror. I smile; it is old, centuries old, and mine. I touch up my lipstick, after all, I am about to assert my mask I have created to the masses.

My transformation was not an easy one.

I came from a lower life form upon this space station, called Earth III, to a twenty-seven-year-old Queen. Well, a queen in my own right. There is not much I can't obtain now in this new life. From the cleanest of water to actual plants that are so rare, to the rarest of processions, such as my prize horse, Silver Speed.

I am due at the studio soon, an interview about my life and how I made it from nothing to everything.
I smirk as I snapped my compact mirror shut and take a deep breath. It had nothing to do with the distribution of my books and my music, but due to the last diamond from Earth resting upon my knuckle.

As I said my transformation wasn't easy, with the cost of saying yes, because now after ten years I am finally a widow.

The year is 2563 and the fifth revolution for equality ended with hemlock upon one man's lips and one woman's sacrificed innocence.

Transport Me: A Flash Fiction Story

Transport Me

A Flash Fiction Story

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My movie theater always requires a walk to the door. The icy rain is running down my neck, it causes a chill and my speed to pick up, all to get to the heat within the door. Grabbing the wet handle I rush into the warm air; I am hit with the smell of stale popcorn and sugar, it is strong enough I almost taste it. 

The silence of the winter now lost to the noise of people who didn't want to spend their weekend at home. I look around and see a bunch of kids, many crying, and groan. I hand over my money for my ticket and quickly buy a bottle of water and rush to the theater to avoid the noisy children. 

The floor is always sticky with slushies and popcorn, and I can hear how my foot sticks to the ground. I feel a shudder go through me. Why can’t they for once clean these theaters? But I promised a friend I would come see this movie with them. 

I spot them quickly. Their smile hurts my eyes. They are so happy to see me. I quickly sit in the leather seat and they push a button to put my seat up. I hear them speaking, but the words are lost as the lighting is dimmed and the sound of the first trailer hurts my ear drums. But accept the handful of popcorn; it is stale upon my tongue, the flavor is but that of wet paper, it is covered with greasy butter and biting salt, to hide the fact it is stale, but I eat it, nonetheless, for them.  

When the movie starts I am transported from the sticky, smelly, stale, cold, wet, and crowded with screaming kids, theater and enter the world of hero.  

I can almost taste the food he is eating, smell it cooking, hear the pin drop in the background of his location, see him almost in 360 degree vision, it is like I can reach out and touch him.

With the movie, I remember why I brave the sticky, smelly, stale, cold, wet, and crowded with screaming kids, theater. 

When the movie ends and the credits roll I come back to reality. The water I had bought warm, the popcorn now soggy in and the butter and grease can be seen destroying the bucket, the floor now a stickier mess as we stand to leave, the ripping of our soles from the floor as we walk echo as we just watch the people rush back out into the cold icy weather. They are all in a hurry now to get home. The warmth of the heater is beating down upon us, if possible the sounds and smells stronger than before, the salt and butter of the stale popcorn still on our tongue, even after we have finished our drinks, and we just look up at the board to see when another movie plays. 

We look outside and see the icy rain has turned into snow; we shiver in thought of how that would feel across our skins as we tried to cross the huge parking lot. We smile and buy another ticket. After all, through all the faults of a movie theater, there is nothing quite like a good movie to transport you into another world.