We met outside the theater just before sunset. When he saw me, he smiled, handed me my ticket, and said he’d grab us popcorn while I got some candy. It all felt so ordinary—so easy.
For a moment, I thought, Maybe this could actually go somewhere. I wish I’d been right. The Warning
At the concession stand, I placed my order—a bag of gummy bears—but the girl behind the counter handed me something entirely different: a large tub of popcorn.
“Uh, I didn’t order this,” I said, confused. She didn’t respond. Instead, she leaned forward slightly, her expression tense.
Then she whispered a single word:
“Careful.”
Her voice was barely audible over the chatter and hum of the popcorn machines, but the seriousness in her eyes made my stomach twist. Before I could ask what she meant, another customer stepped up, and the moment was gone. She slid the popcorn toward me and turned away.
I hesitated before taking it, telling myself I was overreacting. Maybe she’d mixed up the orders. Maybe she’d meant something else entirely.
Still, that one word—careful—echoed in my mind as I walked back toward him. The Envelope in the Popcorn
The lights dimmed as we took our seats. The previews began, and for a while, everything seemed normal again.
He laughed at the commercials, offered me his jacket, and whispered little comments during the trailers. It was all so charming—so normal—that I started to relax. Then, halfway through the opening scene, I reached into the popcorn.
My fingers brushed against something hard. It wasn’t a kernel. It was sharp at the edge—paper, folded tightly.
My pulse quickened. Trying not to draw attention, I pulled it out slowly, my heart pounding. Under the flickering light of the screen, I unfolded the small envelope.
Inside was a handwritten note. “If you’re here with him, please find me after the movie. You deserve to know the truth.”
My breath caught.
I turned slightly, glancing toward the back of the theater, but it was too dark to see anyone clearly. Beside me, he leaned in and whispered, “Everything okay?”
I forced a smile. “Yeah.
Just… popcorn salt in my eye.”
He chuckled softly and turned back to the screen. My hands trembled as I folded the note and tucked it into my purse. The Truth
As soon as the credits rolled, I told him I needed to use the restroom and slipped out.
The story doesn’t end here — it continues on the next page.
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