(thanks for the inspiration, Brooksie77)
The dark sweltering room swam with the cascading shards of sound floating from the musicians, coming alive from the warmth of the sultry dancers. A lone woman stood at the edge of the floor, long curly locks shining like deep velvety chocolate hinting at the sweetness that one man craved. It wasn’t a true darkness, but more of a misty haze of blacks and reds that melted into one another as they did on the rose petals that lay in the woman’s dampened palm. The petals curled in contentment as soon as they made contact with their new home.
These same petals had swayed gently in the slight breeze outside, heading straight to her because it was their fate. Looking around, she noticed the same immense wooden door that always stood waiting for her. It seemed to hold the answer to the silent questions traipsing through her confused thoughts, which hadn’t been there moments before.
All around, the embracing occupants were but scattered pieces that played in the sizzling space. No matter which way she turned, she was surrounded by couples momentarily frozen into place by the pauses they only heard in their minds. She knew that she should be embarrassed at being caught in such a place, especially after all of the warnings from her parents over the years. But her curiosity had gotten the best of her, as it was encoded into her soul by ancestors much older and wiser than them. It wasn’t the first time that she had passed this door, but upon hearing the lilting jewel tones glittering through the seemingly solid barrier, she knew that she was answering a call from within this time.
As if on command, the couples all moved into the next phase of their tangos, signaled by the undulating flow of music that wrapped an enchanting spell around each pairing. They seemed as transfixed by the snaking melody as they were with their shadowed partners. No one was distinguishable here in the Red Room, as only the music took center stage with the dancers but willing participants. They were bound as one, unaware of anything but each other.
A lull in the song caused another momentary lapse of movement, and a break appeared at the floor’s center. As if willed by the music, a silent male figure was conjured from the darkness. His towering expanse filled the area as he stood waiting for the woman to turn. A single Black Magic rose dangled from long slender fingers, the matching flower to the petals that she now toyed with.
The music began a new flow of sound. As it reached a crescendo and taunted the woman with her answer, she slowly spun counter to everyone’s movements and noticed the waiting figure. The dark man held the flower out to her, his glittering eyes matching the tones that had initially called to her. A smile broke her blank visage, breathing life into the man awaiting her response. Slowly the figures approached one another, until they were but a breath apart. There they waited for the music to permit their entry as a pair.
The dancing crystalline tones took on a playful note, as if permitting the man to reach for his partner. Two hands clasped the single rose, mimicking the position of their bodies. As she slowly entwined herself around his elegant frame, his powerful arms clasped her to his chest as if in ownership and her gasp was the only discordant sound at that moment. Soon, their fluid movements would show a choreography that belied the newness of their pairing. As they now twisted and glided amongst the other couples, the newest rendition of the picture was emerging.
Outside of the large wooden door, the echoes of the playing tune beckoned with hypnotizing effect to the next willing participants. The picture, simply poetry in motion, was once again waiting to add new flourishes that would change the image to something different yet still the same.
