Upon entering the formal venue, guests are greeted warmly by the staff. Security checks are performed and they are allowed a greater glimpse at their surroundings. Delicious scents waft through the air, ranging from roast meats to rich spices. The band plays a variation of seasonal songs, while a trio of female singers in glitzy gowns serenade the guests. The atmosphere is light and cheerful.
Tables are arranged around the wooden dance floor, illuminated by candlelight and decorated with red and green floral arrangements. By the bar, there is a buffet table with foods from every corner of the cluster and delicate desserts to tempt and entice the palate. Guests are invited to sample the foods at their leisure.
The bar is amply stocked with wines, champagne, and other drinks, all complementary for this evening of celebration and festivity.
A fixture of the establishment, the fireplace is adorned festively, boasting a rather large tree decorated in glowing lights and baubles. The wood crackles and the glowing flames send shadows up the walls. The plush, velvet covered chairs are arranged around a low table, perfect for intimate conversation or simple reflection.
The owner and hostess, Lasairiona Raske-Lancier, gowned in a rich burgundy frock, moves around the venue, making sure everyone is comfortable and enjoying their time. Making a rare appearance, her daughter, Madeleine, flits through the crowds, nabbing desserts from the buffet table and reveling in her fortune at being allowed to attend such an adult affair.
Saturday, December 6
Friday, November 14
Observer
A lone figure in black approaches the chained doors of what used to be some sort of nightclub venue. As you watch from afar, slender fingers make quick work of the lock and the person disappear into the darkness. Quickly, you follow, sliding in just behind them, like a ghost. The click of the door closing echos through the abandoned premises. No one has bothered to clear away any of the old furniture and it is covered in the thin layer of dust. The figure pauses, as if remembering the nights when the walls rang with joyous laughter, political debate, and general conversation about day-to-day happenings.
Slipping behind the bar, they run their gloved fingertips over a bottle of wine, revealing the label. If you listen carefully, you can hear the audible sigh, exposing our mysterious figure as a woman. She lowers the black hooded cloak to expose her short, red hair. Removing the gloves, she blows gently on the bottles, trying to recapture their newness. If you look closely, there might be a small tear forming in her green eyes, but you cannot be entirely sure.
The sound of her heeled boots reverberate throughout as she crosses the wooden flooring, passing upturned tables and chairs. Entering a room adjacent to the bar area, you see what must have been a casino, the games sucked of the life and entertainment once provided to the patrons. She moves deliberately to a door and punches in a key code, the combination still fresh in her memory as if it were yesterday.
The office smells musty and there is a metallic scent in the air combined with some sort of cleaning solution. Someone has hastily cleaned and returned order to the surroundings, but you know something terrible happened here. Your chest tightens as you watch her feel the wall for a hidden panel. She stops suddenly and presses slowly. A small compartment swings open. A light flickers on, illuminating the cubbyhole.
You peer over her shoulder, a forever silent observer to this strange series of events. Inside, something glints, reflecting in shimmering sparks off the sides of the vault. She withdraws it and cradles it in her hands, the plastic wrapping crinkling in the silence. Curiosity overwhelms you. What is this precious package, kept secreted away?
She takes it over to the desk, placing her palm flat on the surface. Her eyes close, brow furrows as if she is pained by the memory of this very place. Stop stalling! You want to scream, but you're mute, tense with anticipation.
The packaging is removed at an excruciatingly slow pace. You hold your breath. This is the moment you have been waiting for. The denouement of this bizarre episode. A sudden noise from outside. She freezes. Voices calling out. The package disappears into her cloak. No! You were so close!
They are coming. She has to get out. She's been here before though and knows. Another secret panel and she's gone. Security officers flood the room, but it's empty.
Slipping behind the bar, they run their gloved fingertips over a bottle of wine, revealing the label. If you listen carefully, you can hear the audible sigh, exposing our mysterious figure as a woman. She lowers the black hooded cloak to expose her short, red hair. Removing the gloves, she blows gently on the bottles, trying to recapture their newness. If you look closely, there might be a small tear forming in her green eyes, but you cannot be entirely sure.
The sound of her heeled boots reverberate throughout as she crosses the wooden flooring, passing upturned tables and chairs. Entering a room adjacent to the bar area, you see what must have been a casino, the games sucked of the life and entertainment once provided to the patrons. She moves deliberately to a door and punches in a key code, the combination still fresh in her memory as if it were yesterday.
The office smells musty and there is a metallic scent in the air combined with some sort of cleaning solution. Someone has hastily cleaned and returned order to the surroundings, but you know something terrible happened here. Your chest tightens as you watch her feel the wall for a hidden panel. She stops suddenly and presses slowly. A small compartment swings open. A light flickers on, illuminating the cubbyhole.
You peer over her shoulder, a forever silent observer to this strange series of events. Inside, something glints, reflecting in shimmering sparks off the sides of the vault. She withdraws it and cradles it in her hands, the plastic wrapping crinkling in the silence. Curiosity overwhelms you. What is this precious package, kept secreted away?
She takes it over to the desk, placing her palm flat on the surface. Her eyes close, brow furrows as if she is pained by the memory of this very place. Stop stalling! You want to scream, but you're mute, tense with anticipation.
The packaging is removed at an excruciatingly slow pace. You hold your breath. This is the moment you have been waiting for. The denouement of this bizarre episode. A sudden noise from outside. She freezes. Voices calling out. The package disappears into her cloak. No! You were so close!
They are coming. She has to get out. She's been here before though and knows. Another secret panel and she's gone. Security officers flood the room, but it's empty.
Thursday, November 6
Reflections
How do you pretend you do not care when former friends approach you for help? I know I could not. Thus, after nearly two years, I return to where it all began and I find memories, good and bad around every corner.
Eric and I have been married for nearly a year. Our family life is hectic, but we manage. He is a wonderful father and husband. I realize now this is what I deserved from the very beginning. I feel cheated I spent so many years in limbo, but if I had not suffered through all the pain, I would not be where I am today.
I know it pains Eric to see me back in a corporation I fled. I think he fears I will revert back to having the feelings I had before we got together. All I can do is assure him that life is behind me for good. Sometimes, a part of me wants to make amends and I wonder if what I did was for the best after all. The boys have consistency in their lives. They are healthy and thriving, even after the scare we had with Tamar. I could not imagine life without his sweet disposition and smile. I was willing to chance seeing Rel to get him healthy. I am sure she will come to me one day asking a favor which I will be obligated to fulfill.
I know I have to focus on my family and my career now, but I don't have the closure I long for. I do not know if I will ever get it. If I seek it out, it will cause all I know to crumble around me. So, I remain, fighting with this bitter enemy that is my past.
Eric and I have been married for nearly a year. Our family life is hectic, but we manage. He is a wonderful father and husband. I realize now this is what I deserved from the very beginning. I feel cheated I spent so many years in limbo, but if I had not suffered through all the pain, I would not be where I am today.
I know it pains Eric to see me back in a corporation I fled. I think he fears I will revert back to having the feelings I had before we got together. All I can do is assure him that life is behind me for good. Sometimes, a part of me wants to make amends and I wonder if what I did was for the best after all. The boys have consistency in their lives. They are healthy and thriving, even after the scare we had with Tamar. I could not imagine life without his sweet disposition and smile. I was willing to chance seeing Rel to get him healthy. I am sure she will come to me one day asking a favor which I will be obligated to fulfill.
I know I have to focus on my family and my career now, but I don't have the closure I long for. I do not know if I will ever get it. If I seek it out, it will cause all I know to crumble around me. So, I remain, fighting with this bitter enemy that is my past.
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