Night's Serenade
As the youth was climbing atop the ladder, the sounds of music became clearer, and the light started creeping in.
And when he reached the top of the building, a strange sight was awaiting him. A woman was dancing amidst the candles now fused with the ground.
The dance itself was unusual; it was similar to that of a flame, as it created the feeling as if the person had no defined form, forever changing with the wind. The night sky made for an astounding backdrop. Cloudless and transparent, yet still full of mysteries, just like the performer in front of it.
The stars played the role of the gallery, standing tall as they watched the play unfold. The most important guest, the moon, illuminated the scene, as it empathized with the lady. Probably because it too was but a lonely traveler, cursed with the fate of traversing through the vast sky. On the edge stood a record player, playing a slow and beautiful song, sung in a foreign language. It was reminiscent of waves at the calm sea stopped only by the boats drifting along.
“Oh! So you’ve come,” exclaimed the dancer. She wore a long blood-red dress, one of the more expensive kinds, probably the best one she had. Despite the fancy top, she was barefoot, her feet meeting the ice-cold concrete. No matter the attire she wore, you could glimpse at the noble soul that she possessed by looking into her deep dark eyes.
“You’re probably wondering what I might be doing in the middle of the night at the top of a block.” Although the whole setup was more mysterious, she was right, seeing as the boy stared in confusion.
“Well, I’m spending here the last moments of my life,” she continued. “Life left me unsatisfied with its machinations, and I’ve decided to take a chance with death.” It was hard to imagine this woman being “unsatisfied with life,” as she was wearing a bright smirk on her face, occasionally dispelling a quiet laugh between her sentences.
“You might wonder, why am I taking such drastic measures? Well, after a while, I figured out that death might not be as bad as we were led to believe... It’s more that we fear what death actually means and the consequences that it brings.” She stopped for a bit and then continued. “Besides, isn’t suicide the truest form of freedom, being able to choose between life and death? Although... it is a difficult choice.” Her smile escapes her face, now replaced with a sad expression, while her steps waver in their dance.
She takes a breath and says, “But it is a chance I have to take.” With those words, she picks up a pristine blade lying close to her, now dancing alongside it.
Meanwhile, the song draws to its climax. The once calm seas transform into a storm, like a ferocious beast. With its claws snapping steel in two and its fangs eternally imprisoning boats alongside their crews inside its belly.
The lady brings the dagger closer to her throat. Until she makes a quick cut across her throat, her blood spattering around, making short-lived rain. She slowly drops on her backside, her soul leaving her eyes.
A red river is still flowing from her neck, creating a pool of blood that makes it look like an extension to her dress. The once dancing flame has been extinguished. Leaving the youth the sole witness of the song’s outro.
