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The chandelier was the first thing she noticed. The glittering diamonds catching her gaze as she turned to leave the checkered tiles. She left the dance floor for a song or two to catch her breath, running her eyes along the wooden beams that lined the roof . The dazzling light was a tiered affair, lit with electric candles and decorative roses, like how a wedding cake would be adorned.
Around her the next dance started as across the golden hall, the band picked up a gentle waltz. Dancers rushed to find partners, running to husbands and friends -wishful suitors looking on. A young man appeared in front of her: tousled brown curly hair; big round glasses; dark red suit; a tie with gold edging. His hand was out-stretched and on it a gold ring sat on his marriage finger. He raised an eyebrow, a question. She shook her head, a refusal. He smiled in understanding and turned around, immediately lost within the dancers that lined the floor.
The more she gazed, the more details she saw around the building. Like the intricate design around the edging attached to the ceiling. Or the missing diamond beads from the third layer of the chandelier that were replaced with glass. Or the guilded balcony’s shadowed in darkness that rimmed the top of the room, their criss-crossed floral designs blinking in the harsh white light. Hot and tired, she started to imagine the previous people who had lived and danced within the walls. Shadows of dancers crowded the now-empty balconies, dressed in blue, green, orange, pink. Sounds of forgotten laughter reached her ears, and she smiled a soft simile. The joy radiating off of the picture was unlike the formal dances that were taking place. The formal and political way the dancers chose their partners a complete contrast to the ghostly scene.
As the violin started to pick up the pace, the rest of the band following, her eye was drawn back to the present. Her focus landed, not on the explosion of colours as skirts expanded or the glittering diamond rain above her. Instead her brown eyes landed on one lone red-headed figure, standing to the side. She wore a floaty lilac dress, with butterflies scattered on the skirt. A red postamen adorned her hair, and silver hooped earrings -as big as the moon- were on her ears. The person turned and green eyes stared directly into brown. She waved her hand in greeting, and a smile was given in return before the door behind her opened.
Breaking eye contact with the red-headed girl, she stepped aside to let the newcomer through. A breath of wind swirled around her ankles, ruffling her skirt, before leaving to be lost in the swish of dresses on the dance floor. She looked back, but the girl was gone in the flurry of hands and feet as the band jumped to a more lively tune.
Suddenly, she spotted a person pushing through the crowd and then red-headed girl stood in front of her, a hand out stretched. The girls’ eye brow raised, a question. She took the hand, an acceptance.