Written as an exercise for a writing class in '04

The music pulses like a heartbeat. I seem to feel it reverberating in my bones as well as in my ears. All around me are bodies moving in time with the music. Only some of them I would call actually dancing. It’s too crowded to dance properly.. The music changes, screeching upwards. Lights flash and the room fills with smoke. People flash in and out of my vision. There is no coherence to their movements.

A stranger moves in front of me. I can’t see him clearly for the lights and the smoke. The crowd pushes our bodies together. He feels hard and well-muscled as he moves against me. He puts his arms around me, and my bare arms are surrounded by the warmth of his body and the slightly starchy feel of his shirt.

He pulls me to a slightly less crowded corner. My back is to a wall. He moves in close and his lips brush mine tentatively. I smell cigarettes on his clothes, but not his breath. He tastes of alcohol and food. Chips, perhaps. His tongue massages mine. I want to melt into him.

Nearby there is a crash and shouting. Bodies stagger back. He pulls me away and we hurry towards the door to avoid the fight. Outside on the street it is quieter. We walk in silence. Soon we stop and he pulls me in for another kiss. ‘What’s your name?’ he whispers. His breath is warm and tickles my ear as he speaks.