Michelle McGill-Vargas

Image by Sara Robertson via Creative Commons

The mother and daughter approached the ticket counter, hand in hand, passing a forest of life-sized cutouts of movies that wouldn’t premiere for several months. Glossy cardboard actors clutched each other in passionate embraces. Murderers wielded weapons still dripping of mayhem. Action stars posed, armed to the teeth. And then there was the lone poster of an animated pig.

The girl tugged at her mother’s arm. Fat, black braids on either side of the child’s head swung like pendulums weighted from the red plastic barrettes securing the ends. A tiny finger pointed toward the refreshment stand. The mother yanked back as the gimongous leather handbag housing contraband candy at reasonable prices slid down her arm.

At the register, the mother drummed her manicured nails on the black Formica counter. “Two for Vampire Paradise in 3D, please.”

The ticket agent raised a pierced eyebrow…