Demon Stories

Beau: A Woman of Paris, 1923, France

Beau

A Woman of Paris

1923, France

The movie theater was a small one screen establishment. The outside was not with much flash. The ticket lady told me the afternoon showing had already started, but I bought a ticket anyway. 

Inside, I found the tiny red seated box movie theater to be empty but for one other, so I decided to play a game. I sat right next to her.

"Fancy seeing you here. Do you like Charlie Chaplin?" I asked loudly.

She turned her red head to me in surprise and her sweet blue-grey eyes widened.

"What- What are you doing here?!" she whispered too loudly in surprise.

"I could say the same," I said in a hush, putting my finger over my mouth to indicate a change in quieter tone.

"You scared me, your hair is short," she whispered, quieter now.

"Why is that scary? Its fashionable," I pouted, trying to be charmingly cute.

"You...looked like Cheol," she admitted slowly.

My heart flared a little in anger involuntarily at this, but I could never be mad at her. Cheol. The very name. "Oh, I'm sorry, all Asians look alike," I said perhaps a bit woundedly, but I did not mean for it to come out that way.

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant," she apologized sincerely, perhaps regretting herself how she had brought up the name. 

"Why are you here, anyway?" I asked, changing the subject. But I already knew, unfortunately.

"I'm...actually here with someone," she admitted slowly again.

My inside sighed hopelessly. So I had been correct. "Oh, I see, you've traded the opera for movies," I sighed.

"That's a cheap shot...and yes," she whispered even quieter. Ashamed of herself, probably, to be caught again.

"Then you know why I'm here," I said, looking at her now, and taking her by the forearm.

The next thing we knew, we were in the sunlight together. She came along with me, half being pulled along and half following by herself. She knew exactly why I was here, so she followed along without protest. It had happened too many times. She had been prostituting herself again, and I would never accept this. It was maddening.

Before I could stop myself, it came out. By now, we were on a small bridge, but still very much in the middle of town. I could not help myself, though I would have preferred it come out in a much more secluded spot, for her sake more than mine.