wise

The dark room is littered with strings of tiny lights stretched out across the ceiling from the front of the stage to the back of the bar, the space in between caught in a whirlwind of people's conversations breathed into your ear, casual touches they think you don't notice, laughter making their way up a scale, and the pretty noises she makes when she grabs a few bottles of beer at a time in her hands. You lean against the speakers and let your fingers dance along the grooves of the machine, your heart beating in tune with the drums. Everyone is nodding and singing to the same song, the same beat, the same music; cheeks flushed pink and red, mouths parted open in anticipation of the next word. You turn and smile at the person next to you.

time takes you now, fear it after.

For the first time in a while, you feel alive.