The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Seven (Draft 3) "The Meaner Things in Life"

"He OK?" Yara asked.

Julien straightened then twisted around. "Fine. Just ate some popcorn too fast."

"You still...?" Yara didn't finish the question.

"I'm fine," Julien repeated. "You liked the movie." It didn't seem a question.

"You know I love vampires, but..."

"It wasn't the costumes."

"No."

"Costume design was beyond fierce. Like savage. Or, what dudes at the molly house would say."

"Batty-fang?" Julien quizzed at Athen; Morpheus hadn't heard the term either. "Thoroughly thrashed. Beat."

"Oh, they were fuckin' beat. With a fang."

Yara laughed. "Jules."

"I'm so gonna use that."

Julien glanced briefly at Pam. "Whatever. Put it in a song."

The silence between them was almost awkward and the theater was quickly emptying though credits still rolled.

"Was it the romance plot, Yara?" Morpheus asked.

"Thank you! Yes. He knew you were engaged. He raped and murdered your best friend! But I guess choosing him is kinda better than being some enthralled minion of darkness that doesn't make any choices."

"I don't think Mina knew he was the rape-wolf," Pam said, but then seeing Yara's disgust added, "but we know. It's...well it's a Horror movie."

"Not," said Morpheus.

"Except it's not," Julien agreed, though he barely looked at Tyron. "We're supposed to believe absinthe makes you remember past lives, and, even if Mina chooses Jonathan, her soul that was Elisabeta wants to be with Vlad. It's a tragic Romance."

"It's tragic all right."

"Shut up. You liked it despite the complaints. At least you got to see Mina and Lucy dancing around in the rain."

"Please, come at me." Yara wiggled her fingers at Julien.

"Trace the tracks of my fucking tears!" His tone was so weirdly gleeful Morpheus didn't know if Julien were serious. "The tears, Yara! The tears!" Maybe it was self-deprecating humor?

"Bryan Ferry?" Morpheus whispered.

Pam tsked at him. "Smokey Robinson."

Yara jumped up from her seat, causing Pam to flinch towards Morpheus. Yara then grasped Julien's shoulders. "But don't you want to come away on a murder spree, live on the lam, and die gloriously together?!"

Pam leaned in further to whisper, "We're gonna get kicked out of here."

Morpheus stood and dusted bits of popcorn from his clothes.

In the next row, Julien stood and took Yara's hands in his. "Sign me up, Sister. Praise Jesus!"

"We're gonna go this way," Morpheus said as Pam rose to leave with him.

Julien and Yara lowered their hands, then lifted them again, touched elbows, and finally stepped apart into their respective rows.

Athen watched them with narrowed eyes. "Jay, are you coming to the loft tonight?"

Pam took Morpheus by the hand and kept him from leaving immediately.

"I gotta walk Yara where she's going."