Before we drown | ✓

eight | dance all night

—August, 2012

     Chimeric music when fibber around your body, there's always an exhilaration —a fire cracked up and swayed your body, killing all moves. Elan deliberately took longer than intended with her purple gown. She never wanted to go with a crowded place but she can't say no to music, right?

    While fanning her with a small hand-made fan, she glances forward. Her friends aren't still there. Sweet melodic tone is creating a rhythm in the air; you can feel it while you close your eyes.

    It's not until afternoon, her grandma came with a bracelet and rekindled the withering love. She delicately clutched it on Elan's wrist. Elan knew they loved her as their own, only in these rare moments —they express it through eyes.

     She fumbles around, colourful hues are clearing up the sky. In this evening, if the darkest shadows enhance the way, they ought to fall twice either with luring sound or dazzling Arya. She's looking like a goddess with the white sari; drap in her small arm. They embrace each other with a warm hug.

     "Not looking too gorgeous, huh—" Arya asks with twinkling eyes.

       Elan just laughs there. Soon everyone starts to gather. The crew starts to roar with an energetic vibe. The blemish sky is soon filled with the bright glow of the night lights.

      "Let's dance—" before Elan could reply, a guy bumped her shoulder.

       "Come on, dance with me!" That bulky guy slurps out.

         "Ask nicely first, then I can re-consider," Elan says while stamping on the ground.

    Soon they start swaying their body with the slow music. Elan hardly knew how to move the body perfectly, for now she's enjoying the liberty.

         "May I have a dance with this beautiful lady?" Evan asks her with his dimple smile. He's looking handsome today with his white shirt and blue jacket -a navy blue bow tie to fill off the look.

        "Sure, but a warning: I cannot dance professionally."

          "Neither can I!"

      Elan puts her arm around his shoulder, and Evan's arm around her waist. They start to move slowly with synching. The music turns out retro to slow now.

        "I thought you hated crowds!" Evan asks slowly to get her up.

         "I do, but I do love music if you haven't forgotten our last session. Besides, it's not too crowded like the cliche parties. I think you love it," Elan says softly when he dips her down with one slow move.

        "Definitely, cliche. I don't like mobbing around," Evan chuckles.

        "Yet you are always surrounded by people," Elan says before he twirls her.

      "Something that I don't have any control over, like my choosing profession!"

       "There's so many things you hide beneath the surface."

       "If someday, if I can rely on-"

        "You can count on me, if you ever need," Evan gives her a gratifying smile.

    As if cue, the crowd starts to disappear from the vision. Now, only two souls shrouded on the porch-where the soft tuning is humming into their soul. Evan looks into her eyes, for the first time -he felt, mayhaps life isn't too dull.

     The colourful pallets are always delightful, you can finally change it morbid to a flaming podcast. Evan's eyes fall over on her lips, inch by inch -he's slowly coming nearer to her face, before—

     A loud thudding sound booms around. Their trance broke. They jumped and stumbled back- a body lying on the floor.

      If life has the cruellest way to remind the awful month, perhaps it's not the best situation. Suddenly the air shifted from jolly to eerie, everyone's ushering and urging to see. Evan's lost in that crowd once again.

. . .