Chapter 3 – Chap 3

Sorry I haven’t updated in a while. Something…weird happened. I’ve been kind of out of sorts for the past few days.

I think I’m going stir crazy. None of my friends have been reaching out to me, and I’m starting to feel like the only person left on my block. I haven’t seen a single neighbor in two weeks. The only person I run into now is Mr. Greenway.

Last time I went to return the tape, I didn’t end up getting another. I promised to come back later, but I don’t know. I just keep feeling kind of weird about that first movie. Intrigued, but unnerved. Part of me wanted to just forget about it, but the lonelier I’ve become, the more those movies have been on my mind.

Someone mentioned before that it was odd that the movies weren’t anywhere online, and I agree completely, so when I went back a third time, I finally decided to ask Mr. Greenway about it. He told me the films are made by private, very small, family-run companies, mostly. He says a lot of the films are limited release, and many of them are foreign based, even if the actors appear to be American, based on their accents.

I don’t know. That sounds weird. Am I being paranoid, or does that sound made up? But I can’t really explain it otherwise. These aren’t backyard movies on a camcorder. Clearly there’s some level of production value. I guess there are films out there that never really reach a mainstream release.

Whatever. That isn’t what bothered me about last visit.

Mr. Greenway told me to keep the VCR for now. He had two movies for me but suggested I still browse and see if anything captured my eye. The first part of the visit was actually pretty nice. We discussed the odd appeal of the starter film he’d given me, and I was honest about my initial impression. Mr. Greenway told me that was common. He said it took a very special person to appreciate the movies, and even then, it could take a bit for it to sink in. He told me he had a good feeling about me, though.

Anyway, I did as he told me as he went in the back to find the next two videos.

It was mostly the same stuff, but I hadn’t had a chance to really scour it before. I started noticing some unusual romances, seemingly serious stuff but with bizarre themes. One shelf had a startling amount of films about a person being in love with a corpse. Like just the corpse, not the person they were when they were alive.

There were dramas about people who’d done horrible things, but were trying their hand at a dating life. One was about a woman in prison who’d killed her own children but was falling in love with a new penpal. Another was about an “angel of death” nurse who is unable to euthanize one of her patients, and instead starts a romance with him. There was one about two men who crossed paths while stalking and attempting to murder the same woman. Instead of following through, it appeared that the pair were fated to go from rivals to lovers from the start.

I’ll admit, part of me kinda wanted to watch that last one. Do they give up their life of crime and get married? I dunno, maybe I’ll rent it eventually. If I go back…

I was in that weird comedy section again when I heard a door slam. Straight at the end of the hall, those three entryways. Red, Yellow, Black.

Unlike the time before, when I felt a nagging urge to open one of them, something hit me like a sandbag to the chest. The need was immediate. I had to open one of them. It felt like I was holding my breath and only opening the door would give me relief.

I don’t know what happened after that. I was standing in front of the black door, and I was confused. I don’t recall walking over to it. My hand was on the knob. I don’t know if I’d opened it myself, but it was ajar, just a crack.

I felt my heart begin to pound in my ears, and it was then that I realized just how quiet the store had become. All I could hear was my own breathing. Not the sound of a fan in the distance, or the buzz of fluorescent lights overhead.

“Hello,” a soft voice called, and I jumped but didn’t let go of the handle. “Hello there. Do you think you could help me?”

The voice was meek but friendly, like a little old lady asking for directions.

I slammed the door shut.

When I turned back, the store was dark. The only light was the flashing from outside, the large, neon sign letting everyone around know the business was open. I was disoriented, but more than anything, I was afraid. Is that stupid? Was I stupid to be so scared? I don’t know anymore. I don’t even know how much of this was in my head.

“Mr. Greenway?” I called, when I could find my voice.

Silence.

I took a step away from the door. “…M…Mr Greenway?”

Another step, and I felt a breeze dance through my hair.

“Shh,” a voice whispered. I tensed and looked around frantically for the source.

The voice giggled.

“No,” it said. “Up here.”

My stomach clenched so violently it felt like it would burst as I slowly began to raise my head to the ceiling. Slowly looking up. Up above me, where the voice had been trickling down.

“There you go, sport,” Mr. Greenway said, handing me a bag with the VHS tapes inside. I stared at him for a long time, and I realized by the moisture in my eyes that I’d been crying.

“Hey, you all right, kiddo?” Mr. Greenway asked.

I couldn’t reply at first. I felt my body shaking. How had I gone from back in the hallway to here? Had I hallucinated the entire encounter? Either way, things weren’t looking great for me.

“I don’t know,” I finally asked, truthfully. “I don’t…feel so well.”

“Sleep deprivation?” Mr. Greenway asked.

I looked at him sharply, heart beginning to pound anew.

He must have seen the suspicion on my face, because he chuckled lightly and said, “I can tell you haven’t been sleeping much. Bags under your eyes, skin on the pale side. You youngin’s sure like to stay up late.”

He grabbed a handful of hard candies from the side of the counter and tossed them into the back. “Here, these are little calming drops. I know I’m not your father, but as your elder I feel the mild obligation to lecture you when you don’t take care of yourself.”

He smiled, a good-natured expression. Distantly, I felt an ease creep over me.

“Thanks,” I said, and I was on my way.

That was eight days ago, and I haven’t actually watched the tapes yet. Like the other one, I can’t really tell what they’re about based on the cover. One of them is two men facing the camera, arms linked at the elbow. One is smiling, one looks uncomfortable, like they don’t want to be there. It’s titled, At the Hip. The other looks like a family feature, with two young kids, grinning as they tie up an older woman. Their grandmother or a babysitter perhaps? She looks mildly annoyed at their impish antics. It’s called Our Summer.

I guess I’ll watch them tomorrow. I know you guys have been wondering what’s up. Sorry again for taking so long. I’ll keep updating. Soon, I hope. I’m still struggling to sleep. But, I took some Benadryl, and I’m already feeling loopy. Maybe I’ll be out in a few. Talk to you later.