by David Hartley

Their first date, the cinema. A film about scientists and theories, but mostly about love and triumph. He wanted to say the movies can never explain science. The maths, the physics; it’s too complex, too involved, too beyond most people. Symbols on giant blackboards, snapped chalk, a few long nights. Then one transition from frustration to revelation and crack! the ground broken, mankind enhanced, all in the crunch of a handful of popcorn. Nothing learnt, but everything felt.

This was his first date with a man, his transition. He wanted to hold a hand, if not the one beside him now, then one from the near future. He let the film tell him its story. He shared the popcorn.

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David Hartley is a short story writer and performer from Manchester. He writes tiny stories about strange things for strange people. He tweets at @DHartleyWriter and blogs about writing, animals and other assorted cultural tidbits at davidhartleywriter.blogspot.com.