Chapter 21: Movie Scare

       Before 5 p.m., Jonas was already in front of the Gotham Cinema in one of the shopping districts in Gotham while waiting for Luke, Bethany, and Rosalie. This Saturday, he doesn't have any shifts later on his job. The Weekends are his vacant times as Theodore Morrison so he doesn't need to worry much about missing his shifts. 

Before he arrived here, there are a lot of things that Jonas have done. His day has been productive so far after his job as a waiter in the Iceberg Lounge. Jonas has managed to test his theory regarding the puppet henchman. And what he has confirmed had made things more convenient.

He confirmed that he was capable of transferring his consciousness even at long distances. Currently, the puppet henchman was left in a room in an apartment. This morning on Saturday, he managed to rent a room in an apartment within the narrows. The room's rent was very cheap because of its condition and its circumstances. The apartment is old and the location of the apartment is dangerous. It was said that there are a lot of thievery and other crimes going around there. But lately, there was a lot of killings there as well. A lot of people being killed appears to be a criminal according to the landlady.

Jonas wasn't worried about being killed. As Theodore Morrison, he was just an Iceberg Lounge employee. A waiter at their restaurant working hard for his job. There was no reason for the person who kills the criminals to kill him. Theodore Morrison is innocent. And as Jonas, he wasn't still a criminal. And hopefully, he would never end up being one in the future.

Currently, in the room that Theodore Morrison rented, the puppet henchman is lying on a chair while holding Annabelle. The puppet henchman is faceless but still wearing clothes that Theodore Morrison have worn earlier.

If somebody dares to break into the room for some attempted thievery, they would be subjected to a very creepy and scary scene of a faceless man holding a very creepy doll.

Hopefully, no one would break into his room in the apartment in the Narrows. Choosing to stay in that apartment other than the cheap rent because the apartment was around a very sparse neighborhood and only a few people are living in that community area.

While Jonas was standing in front of the Gotham Cinema and deep in thought, he heard someone call out to him.

" Jonas! "

He then slowly turned his head in the direction of the voice and blinked. Then a wide smile formed on Jonas's face. Rosalie, Luke, and Bethany were subjected to a scene akin to a part of a horror movie cringed. But after a few moments, they have chosen to approach their creepy classmate (friend?).

" I'm glad that you all came... "

Jonas said while he stared at the clothes that his classmates were wearing. Luke was wearing hero's merchandise clothes. He has a superman shirt paired with Batman pants and flash-themed rubber shoes. He was then wearing a wonder woman jacket. Somehow, Jonas has the urge to bleach his eyes with the atrocious color combination that Luke was wearing. It was different from Rosalie was wearing a light pink floral dress akin to a cherry blossom and Bethany who was wearing a long sleeve white shirt with a large ribbon on her chest and a yoke waist skirt that reaches past her knees. Their clothes are more pleasant to look at than Luke's.

Compared to them, Jonas was wearing a gray hoodie and loose jeans paired with simple white rubber shoes. His choice of clothes was underwhelming if compared to their fashion. After observing their clothes, he then took out the tickets.

" I already have the tickets, let's go inside and buy some popcorn and drink inside. "

" I'm looking forward to the movie. "

Bethany muttered as they headed inside the Gotham Cinema.

" Me too! "

Rosalie exclaimed excitedly.

Later, when they are already inside the Gotham Cinema and picking up their popcorn and drinks, Luke then says

" You know I was surprised when you invited us to a movie Jonas. And I would expect you would invite us to a horror movie but not an animated movie for children. "

Jonas then hummed and replied honestly.

" If I did that, there wouldn't be a second chance again when I invited you all again with me to watch a movie in Theaters. "

" Heh. So that's why. You're buttering us up and making us relax and comfortable for the next movie outing? "

Jonas shrugged. Rosalie and Bethany then rolled their eyes as they listened to the conversation between Jonas and Luke. After picking up popcorn and drinks they then entered the movie theater for the movie paranormal.

They then went to their seats which were located in the middle of the theater and just next to each other. When Jonas has invited and asked them before, they talk about their preferred seats. All of them came to an agreement that they doesn't want to watch too close or too far when it came to movies in the theater halls.

Around them, there are already other people waiting for the movie of Paranorman to start. Most people are children accompanied by their parents. As for them, a group of 12-year-old kids, Jonas was escorted by the Cane Family guards before he was left alone in front of the Gotham Cinema. The same could be said for Luke and Bethany. While Rosalie was delivered by his father before leaving her.

Jonas promised his parents that he wouldn't wander around after watching a movie and return home safely. He would make sure of it.

As the 1-minute countdown started before 6 pm, the chatters and whispers stopped as the movie audience paid attention to the countdown and was excited for the movie to start.

There was a grin on Rosalie, Bethany, and Luke's faces. And Jonas couldn't help but smile at their excitement and the other people in the cinema room.

He let himself bask in the other people's excitement and happiness despite those emotions not being beneficial to him at all.

' It wasn't bad for the people to laugh and smile sometimes. '

When 6 o'clock and the movie began, the gentle smile on Jonas disappeared.  The scene shown on the projector screen wasn't the start of the movie Paranorman but the face of a villain rogue.

[ Hello citizens of Gotham. It seems that you are all looking for excitement or entertainment in these cinema halls. Your choice of excitement and entertainment is inadequate. The days of November are running out. As a gift to your citizens of Gotham, I shall remind you of the essence of November with my new formula and concoctions. ]

Jonas then felt the dread of the people within the cinema halls as the room was slowly filled with strange gas.

[ Now let's see the results of my new concoction, Citizens of Gotham. I am looking forward to the results and shall observe them before I would be interrupted by the Gotham Vigilantes. But Batman hasn't been seen lately. How strange... Hmmm. I shouldn't complain about my small blessings. ]

Jonas saw the villain rogue Scarecrow on the Projection Screen and heard his sinister voice before his vision have started to change.