My Art
My Writing
Chapter Zero
While the building, from the outside, seemed no larger than a storage closet, the inside seemed to hold a makeshift street. Slightly flat voices and out-of-tune instruments were blasted throughout the building. A bartender flung shakers into the air, careful to not spill even a tiny drop. Courtesans placed themselves at a windowsill, waving and giggling at the people below. Dancers lined the streets, pulling onlookers into the frenzy of the crowd. Couples clung to each other sharing how their day was, and discussing what they should do. In the center of this makeshift street was a round table that comfortably seated ten people.
Everyone stopped moving all at once, almost as if time itself stood still. A young girl, seemingly around 18 years of age, stood from a bar stool carrying a tall champagne glass. Her eyes were a sweet and tart purple which seemed to naturally match her hair. A long deep purple dress hugged her figure revealing every curve and shape on her body. The sound of her purple-tinted glass shoes elaborately and painstakingly decorated with jewels, cut through the silence. A melancholy smile on her face, she walked up to the table, placed her drink softly on the surface and sat. Her gaze unfazed and unwavering.
As though nothing had ever stopped, time began to flow again. A small laugh ventured out from the balcony. Another teenager had hidden herself among the courtesans. Her bubblegum pink hair blended in with her similarly colored layered tulle dress, and her face was drawn in a mischievous grin. She hopped onto the ledge, and let herself fall towards the ground. As she floated down, her dress shone, as if under a spotlight, Her hand reached out from the puff of her dress holding a Collins drinking glass. She floated her way over to the table and placed herself in the seat next to the other girl.
On the stage, fireworks burned through the sky, bursting into color. All eyes fell on the girl with the dress made of flame. Her gaze darted around the audience, flirtatious yet almost playful. She leaped from her stage, her fiery dress blazing behind her in the wind. Her eyes burned a brilliant red, just like her hair. People swarmed around her, yet were careful to keep their distance from the flame. After she received a wider wine glass filled with red wine, she joined the other girls at the table and her smile began to fade into an expression of pride. Lights began to dim, almost respecting her presence.
From behind the bar, a bartender looked towards the table. He lifted the bar flap, his hair, eyes, and outfit morphing into a mesmerizing blue color. His tidy, ironed suit turned a shade of blue, and his tie turned to water- impossibly floating and existing in the shape of a tie. He poured his own drink, sea blue and foamy, into a thick beer glass. He casually took a swig, wiped the foam from the sides of his mouth with his thumb and sat down at the table alongside all three girls. People were no longer interested in their previous pursuits- they were waiting for the other members to reveal themselves.
The air seemed to change as dancers began to move again. Brightly colored sashes were flung into the air, dancing with the wind before returning back down. In the vibrant crowd, silver gray hair stuck out, her silver eyes captivating the crowd. Her sashes and elaborate swooping dancer's uniform dulled in color and fell to the floor. The dress was poofy, had off-the-shoulder sleeves, and corseted top, expanding downwards into an A-line dress. A snifter glass filled with gray rum fell into her hand as she sat down at the table.
Not one of the eyes wandered. No fingers twitched. The smell of wood snuck into the room. People swayed in the crowd, falling asleep to the comforting scent. Green hair and green eyes showed at the table, a coupe glass sat on the surface, lying in wait. His fit figure was hugged by a tight suit, soft and a gentle emerald green. Flowers sprouted from the floor near his shoes- daisies, pansies, peonies, and tulips. He sat among the other five, and tension began to rise.
From separate areas in the crowd, three more people emerged, all exuding powerful energies. One had dull dark blue hair with a metallic glow. Another had striking sandy eyes. The third, the most eye-catching of all, had scarlet-red hair. All three had fancy party attire, varying in shade, color, length, and style. They all sat with their respective drinks. No words were spoken, no glances made to share.
A moment. A pause. Silence roared and danced around the crows. It danced and laughed, it screamed and shouted.
A light shone into the crowd. A small child's frame hidden in a monstrous shadow. People began to back away from the small child, afraid of the creature who stood before them. The child wore a heavy cloak, multiple sizes too big, that drooped and dragged onto the floor. A single scarlet lock of hair peeked out from behind the heavy hood. The child's shoulders, hunched over from the weight of the cloak, rolled back and their head faced forward.
A tiny step was made. Their form mixed and grew, each step they made towards the table, they changed and turned. Finally the child had become a striking young woman. Their hood fell down, revealing scarlet red burning eyes. The woman released the cloak, letting it fall to the ground.
All nine people already at the table shot up from their seats. Their heads snapped towards the scarlet-eyed woman. Their eyes followed her as she pulled out her chair, sat, and closed her eyes. Like clockwork, each member one at a time turned their head forward and sat. Within seconds, they all had sat without a word.
The table began to sink bringing all the seated people with it. They went below, disappearing from view. A glass sheet covered the newly sunken hold over top. No one dared move.