Page 25 - Contrast2006

was crowded; he had noticed after
the attack on his senses had called a
cease fire. An ominous dance floor
appeared before him and on it what
seemed like thousands of silhou-
ettes grinding rhythmically against
one another, there was intensity in
their dance, the sort of intensity that his back, his shoulders back, his
comes when a person is confronted
with one path, one option to take in
life and at that split second, without
hesitation decides the fate of his ex-
istence.
From around the dance floor
there echoed shrill laughter, break-
ing the short man from his metric
coma allowing him to acknowledge
rows of doors encasing the tribal
promenades, if a coliseum in which
fought the warriors of lust and pas-
sion. He struggled to make his way
toward the laughter, the throng of
the gyrating masses impeding his
journey; the woman lunging for him,
fondling him. Men tearing at his
suit jacket, thirsty with want, hun-
gry with need. Thrusting himself
with one last drive of force through
the tidal wave of gloomy beings, the
short man arrived at what appeared
to be a row of six doors, in front of
each a queue. There were many peo-
ple waiting in the six lines, all con-
stantly exploding with hysterically
uncontrollable laughter. All which
drank exotic cocktails or the finest
of wines, each adorned with lavish
and sumptuous furs and jewelry.
The last queue stole the short
man's attention as there stood a
lone man patiently biding his time
in line, his hands clasped behind
head held high. The short man ap-
proached the queue and stood be-
hind the young man, whose silence
emanated louder than the laughter
of the others, intriguing the short
man.
"Why are all these people wait-
ing in these lines?" the short man
asked with the timidity of a child.
"Why are you?" the young man
retorted, with an air of wisdom one
attains from years of experience.
"Because I deserve it," the short
man quipped as if in court proving
his case, "I have waited my entire
life to enter, to be placed on the list;
I am cashing in my due and just re-
ward!" The young man turned and
stared at the short man in silence,
the short man backed up a tad, feel-
ing barraged with invisible missiles,
stared back, just as intently, and
waited for a youthful rejoinder.
With a sly smile and a maniacal
gaze, the young man parted his lips
and uttered, "You will fit in perfect-
ly here, welcome to The Void."
The words played over and over
in his head, like a car lapping its
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