Out of the scarlet material draped over countless ebony tables rose the slender, thin stems of wineglasses, standing tall and erect like clusters of exposed ribs. The golden liquors, suspended in curved, see-through glasses and throned on seats of evergreen temptation – each shone like a minuscule, liquid sun, bursting into yellow-white stars whenever the glass slipped from someone’s outstretched fingers, leaving a tiny constellation in the air for a moment before it plunged downward. Semi-darkness and shadows languished in the corners of the glass room, layer upon layer of rich darkness, as delicious as if the warm, thick walls were smoothed over with slivers of black chocolate. The blinding white of the outside world was absent, the flurry of ice crystals left far behind. Here it was almost womblike. The dark warmth, the wet humidity, all was enclosed in a mere room, a small barrier against the cold that lay waiting outside. The outside snow was also wet, biting and tearing at skin and cloth and hair until all that remained was a raw red. It was easier to step inside the walls, however weak they were, then to brave the snarling wind outside, slobbering and spitting great sheets of hail when faced with the opportunity to consume a stunted human. Easier to live in an illusion then to take the risk of losing yourself in the uncomfortable aspects of reality you had fought so remorselessly to repel.

Spilt champagne effervesced and hissed, reflected in the arched ceiling crafted from mirrors and supported by elder beams. The music throbbed, its resonance subtle, almost enticing. Light played on the multitude of dancers, their faces turned down, closed eyes proving they were not afraid to fall. The closeness wasn’t awkward or hesitant. Simple human touch lulled all anxiety and uneasiness. Tense muscles untwined, partly owing to the drink lying heavy on their owner’s breath. Slowly but steadily, the boundaries collapsed and their heads lowered tentatively to lie on each others shoulders, relying solely on their embrace for support. A sigh echoed across the room as the melody edged to a stop. Thoughts of warmth, of encircling arms, of a never-ending dance began to flicker, as the people breathed in each others lives and murmured wordlessly “Don’t let go.”