The Spoiler
By: Bill Adler
Tags: Magical Realism, Short Story, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror

The Spoiler

There’s a reason why you shouldn’t tell people how a movie ends

Photo by Bill Adler

Terese wanted to be sympathetic toward her husband, but she had to agree with Devon.

“If my friend, Devon, doesn’t want to hear how a movie ends, all he has to do is not read my Facebook posts,” Otis, said. “Easy peasy. It’s not my fault that he feels movies are ‘ruined.’” Otis took a bite out of his Snickers bar, talking while he chewed. “Am I right or am I right? This is 2020. Information wants to be free. If he doesn’t find out how a movie ends from me, he’s going to hear it from somewhere else.”

Otis picked up an antique magnifying glass, examined it, and put it back on the store’s table. He peered through a brass stereoscope. “Cool! Old New York in 3D! You have to see this, Ter.” Otis held the stereoscope to Terese’s eyes for a few seconds, and then returned it to the table.

Chocolate fingerprints dotted both the magnifying glass and stereoscope. Terese took Otis’ arm and herded him to another part of the antique store, lest the shopkeeper see Otis, his Snickers, and the stained antiques together.

“You know what bugs me the most?” Otis said as they passed antiquarian books, turn-of-the-century furniture, primitive looking dolls, single-shot, wooden handle pistols, old coins, and metal toys. The shop smelled of an odd mix of lavender and sand. “The fact that Devon messaged you to complain about me. He wasn’t even man enough to tell me to my face.”

Otis has forgotten the arguments we had about spoilers. He’s forgotten how I used to plead, “Please don’t tell me how the book ends” and “I haven’t seen that show yet, so please, shh.” Terese evolved defensive moves such as hiding the title of the book she’s reading and making sure that every Netflix show she watched for the first time he watched for the first time, too. When Otis asked directly, “What are you reading?” she lied.

Terese didn’t blame Devon at all. Maybe it was a little passive-aggressive of her to pass along Devon’s message, but what the hell, it was worth another shot to try to change Otis’ annoying habit of splattering the world with spoilers. Maybe she’d try again in another three years.

“So you’re reading the new Stephen King novel, The Gray Paw,” Otis blurted. “You’re going to love the battle between the Grems and the Hurley family at the end. You won’t be surprised that old man Richie isn’t dead at all.”

Terese wanted to cry. She wanted to open her phone and commiserate with Devon. She wanted to take a pill that would erase all memory of the past thirty seconds. Was thirty seconds too much to ask for?

Otis stopped in front of an Ouija board. “I haven’t seen one of these in ages. My brother and I used to play with it all the time.” He paused for a few seconds and chuckled. “I used to play with an Ouija board when I was in high school, too, at parties, guiding the board to tell girls they should make out with me.” He tugged Terese’s arm, directing her hand to the heart-shaped planchette. “Let’s play.”

“This isn’t your parents’ living room,” Terese hissed. “It’s an antique shop. We’re going to wear out our welcome.”

“Come on. Live a little.” Otis pressed her fingers onto the planchette along and added his. “A light touch, Ter. Let the board do the talking.”

“I remember.” Terese closed her eyes. Maybe the board would somehow delete the spoiler her husband had just revealed.

Terese felt the planchette move, though her hand and arm transmitted no energy. She opened her eyes because she decided she was curious about what Otis was spelling. The planchette glided across the two semicircles of letters.

O-T-I-S

The planchette paused for a few seconds.

H-E-A-R-T

It paused again.

A-T-T-A-C-K

Otis jerked his hand away and scowled. “Not funny, Ter.”

“Me? I thought you did that.”

“I — ” was all Otis got in before gripping his chest and collapsing to the floor.

Terese looked at the limp, lifeless body in the plaid shirt and khaki pants on the floor. In that moment, she understood. Not all spoilers ruin the ending.