Memphis

The space was dark and crowded, the spiraling pillars of smoke cascaded around as if they were dancing to the movements of breath. The clatter of glass clanked, the floor squeaked in areas as footsteps fell, the atmosphere itself was warm like the air of the tropics at night. Voices clustered together to form a noise that was both soothing and indiscernible, the stringing of a solid bass line with the absence of a melody.

Chairs shifted on the dusted floor, the creaking just adding to the musical selection of people living... breathing, smoking and drinking. It was soothing in the same way that being around strangers when you are lonely is soothing.

The small amount of light, though filtered through the haze of crackling cigarette smoke and the general musk of a crowded bar was angled towards the empty corner. No one seemed to mind, the wordless conversations continued.

Soft dark eyes peered over folded arms at the scratched off label of the tinted green beer bottle. The room temperature liquid was just a few inches from the bottom, small waves rocketed against the sides on occasions when the dark wire table was bumped or shifted.

Midnight black bangs crawled over soft pale skin, shadowing the orbs from the creeping views of others that past her curved form. From the folded arms one slender hand snaked forward, shifting the green glass from its place, inspecting it slightly before turning it. Her fingernails slowly started to work at the edge of the label that hadn't been completely removed, peeling the loose paper as it fell through the cracks of the wire table and were forgotten entirely on the dark floor.

The seat beside her shifted suddenly, twisted as a hand grabbed it by the back, pulling it a few inches before her entire body reacted. The bottle sat silently and forgotten as her arms unfolded and her back straightened. One hand quickly grabbed the arm of the seat, laying claim to the object that had previously gone without attention.

"It's taken." her voice rose through the noise to the ears of the thief. Their world seemed unaffected as their fingers uncurled around the edge, retreating back to the darkness of their side. "Oh... sorry." whispered through the smoke as they had already moved on through the room.

Her dark eyes examined the seat for a moment before pulling it slowly back into place, inspecting the empty air as if something had filled it without her consciousness of it. No... empty. Slender fingers glided down the rippled wire of the backrest before coming back to the arm, it shouldn't have been vacant. Someone or something was suppose to occupy it, her dark eyebrows knotted a bit in an unclear emotion before her attention shifted back to the empty company of the beer bottle.

A tum tum noise rose above the clatter of the living; it's sound low and ominous like the violent beat of a heart. It came again, it's pitch changed slowly... sliding into place, deeply demanding the attention of those crawling through the small space.

The chocolate orbs shifted from the bottle towards the smokey directed light, the once abandoned corner was now filled with musicians. Their attentions all focused on their instruments as they tuned and checked, flipped switches, spoke briskly to one another and then started the whole process over again. Her head turned, bangs holding in place with a strict dedication... eyes peering through the madness of darkness and void... moving forms shifting endlessly from one area to another. Familiarity brought nothing, as the tum tum tum of the deep bass notes seemed to quake against her own internal rhythm. She felt her shoulders tighten, a weak sigh slowly escaped her lungs as her body started to retake her position hiding behind folded arms. She looked defeated in a way, or possibly abandoned... the world around her humming and thumping and breathing and bleeding.

The long eerie deeply moving first note came from the violin, followed soon by the rest as music instantly flooded the space. She watched them, unable not to... the quick deep sounds coming from them soothed a piece of the pain that was building inside of her. Her eyes remained on them, locked in refusal to look behind her again and not find some comfort, no... they would watch as life was created, joy and sorrow, pain and triumph, every emotion that is brought to being through the music that was steadily invading her very soul.

She had become completely immersed by the third song, unconscious of the world revolving around her, of the life happening even inches from the small wire table and the completely empty green bottle. Perhaps that was why the light touch hadn't startled her, not even a quiver to announce that she had been disturbed in some way.

Foreign fingers slowly glided over the silken midnight locks, gingerly exploring the length in a loving manner before delicately burying the digits into the tresses. Cool skin made contact briefly with the seated woman's neck, slipping down to lovingly graze the curve of the sensitive skin just below her ear.

The room shook with energy and rhythm as the band continued on with their magic, but in this moment she shifted a little to the touch, folded arms loosened their tension. Her eyes were still focused on the movement of the musicians though they seemed lighter, dark eyebrows had retracted back into place... shoulders had eased. The overall tension that had plagued her previously was for a moment gone, the soft delicate feel of shifting strands of her hair continued, soothing her, calling her to lean back in her seat instead of forward.

Several more caresses came to gingerly brush the silken hair back and in place, a soft twist kept it from once again concealing her shoulders and neck. Two arms came from behind her slowly, crossing just under her chin, holding her back in her seat without force. A chin rested gently against her left shoulder; equally dark eyes peering forwards towards the source of the noise, the invading red haired woman's expression was soothing and calm.

Neither of them looked at one another though the dark haired girl shifted back into the slight embrace, their heads tilted into one another's, resting nearly temple to temple as their eyes watched the source of the rhythmic heart that was suffocating them. The sound was beautiful, and deep, and dark, and alive within both of them.

It continued on and on, without breaks, without mercy... the sounds wrote volumes of melodic thought, expressing every emotion, drawing the very breath from it's captives. The two dark eyed girls were victims all the same, until the violin's howling note shifted, it was a signal... the time had waned, the close had begun, it was the end. The chin against her shoulder slowly adjusted, arms tightened a bit to either give or receive some physical comfort for the musical epitaph. A cheek took its warmed space as the woman behind her nuzzled her face against her companion's soft skin and into a few strands of the thick tresses that smelled of amber.

"I am always with you..." she whispered weakly from where she was hiding, feeling the press of her companion's hands against her embracing arms, holding her close... but already the weight and feel had shifted, moment by moment it started to fade away.

"... with all of my soul." her words were swallowed by the music and the small world around them. Then nothing. Charcoal hair draped over both shoulders as her body recoiled forward into her previous position, arms folded on the table, eyes forward.

Her foot slowly slid over the grit of the floor before twisting around the leg of the empty chair beside her, protecting the vacant space still ... she would be back. The seat wouldn't always be empty.