"Get off me you black faggot!" came the scream from the backroom.
That woke up everyone in the theatre. The crowd in the dark had been half awake, observing the on-screen action, looking for prospects, taking a break from cruising, catching a snooze, fondling their neighbor's crotch.
The yell ended and the scratchy movie went on, imitation disco music playing as two pretty shirtless boys inched closer to each other.
There was the noise of a struggle through the curtains next to the half-size screen. A few shadows rose in the theatre, one or two went towards the sound. I got up and walked down the aisle.
"Sir, it's time for you to leave," said a deep voice. Sounded like a black guy, I couldn't be sure. He was taking control. Calming someone, being the adult in the room.
"Stay away," the screamer said. He was angry. But the yelling had stopped.
Several of us went through the curtain at the same time.
We saw a large black man, I recognized him as Charles, the theatre security guard. His muscular body was tensed, arms outflung. A trickle of blood ran down his face and dripped on his company Polo promoting the 'David Theatre -- Midwest's Premier Gay Movie Palace.' He was facing off against a white man in jeans and button-down shirt holding a knife.
"Sir. No one's going to hurt you. But you've got to go now," the guard said firmly. "We can't have this here."
"Can't have what? No cock sucking? You already got plenty of that here," said the white man, face red, saliva spitting, as he swung the knife, left, right.
"Come on broth-ther," he said sarcastically, eyes jumping from the guard to the gathering group. "You and your fag friends, broth-ther, going to throw me out?"
I glanced at the crowd. Most of us usually hid in the darkness of the theatre, now we blinked, adjusting to the milky light of the backroom, surprised to see faces attached to bodies. It was all men, most of them white, 30s, casually dressed, thin and fat, tall and short.
"Stop the ugly language and take yourself out of here. You don't belong here," said the guard. Blood kept running down his cheek. He was focused on the angry man, staring at his eyes, looking for an opening.
The white guy's eyes flitted around the room, desperate for a way out. He saw a fire exit, started to back toward it while keeping the knife extended at the guard and the crowd.
"That's right sir. Go out that door. No one will bother you," said the guard, in an even tone.
"Don't none of you faggots come after me," said the man. He bumped his butt against the door's push bar. Nothing happened. "Fucking door won't open. What is this shit?"
"You've got to press the emergency exit flag. It will open," said the guard.
The man turned, saw the flag, pushed it and a screeching loud fire alarm went off. He threw his body at the door, and it opened, letting in bright sunlight, and the man stumbled.
"Fuck you faggots, die of AIDS!" he screamed as he gained his footing and escaped down the alley.
The guard took a deep breath and his body relaxed. He strode to the fire door, pulled it shut and repositioned the emergency latch. The siren stopped.
A middle-aged woman burst through the curtained entrance behind me. "Charles! What the hell is going on? My God, you're bleeding!"
The guard gave her a beleaguered look. "Just another confused gay man. I'm calling the cops," he said, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "I know, I know, we don't want cops. But that guy is dangerous."
The two of them walked back to the ticket-taking area. The dozen of us in the crowd were embarrassed, confused. Guys started to leave. I could hear theatre seats creak as the movie fans rose and got out before the police showed up.
In a moment an announcement from on high blared through the building. It was the woman. "Folks, there is no cause for alarm. There is no fire. The problem has been taken care of. Go back to what you were doing. It's all alright."
I walked to the ticket booth. The woman was frantic. Customers were leaving; the boss would be pissed about the cops; neighbors would complain. And Charles had blood dripping down his chin.
The guard hung up the phone. "They're sending a car. I gave them a description of the guy."
"Charles, maybe you should go to the hospital," she whined.
I interrupted. "Do you have an emergency kit? I've done some EMT work, let me look at that cut."
Charles and the woman stared at me. In a split second she woke from her daze and found the kit. "Go to the breakroom. I don't want you bleeding out here. It's OK, I'll get you when the cops show up. If they show up."
Charles beckoned me towards a door off the lobby. We entered a small dingy room with half a dozen lockers, a bench, and a sink. Light came through a rectangular, head-high opaque window crisscrossed with security wire. He handed me the kit and we sat down next to each other on the bench.
I looked at the cut above his left eye. A half inch the other way and he might have lost it. Fortunately, it wasn't deep. Charles swallowed three aspirin with water as I put peroxide on some cotton balls.
Being this close I took a look at the man. His dark arms and shoulders strained the Polo and his teeth shone white through large lips as he spoke, wound up from the fight. "This never happens here ... Asshole took a swing at a guy in the sling room.... queen started screeching ... I get there and the knife came out of nowhere."