Emily

Denver nightlife was not as exciting as Jane had made it out to be. True, there were a few nightclubs, but none could compare to New York or even Los Angeles.

The one her friend had picked was called "The night dancer", which was a not a very creative name for a not very creative place.

Gigantic chandeliers fell from the tall ceiling, lighting up the dance floor of a million different colours. The bar was right at the centre, an immense queue of people lining up to get something to drink. Her and Jane had left their coats with some quirky men at the entrance and dived into the crowd to get some space for dancing.

The girl had loved to dance in the past. The feeling of freedom, the excitement, the warmth of the bodies close together ... but this was nothing of the sort.

The music was played so loud, the banging ritm killed all of her other senses. Her head was pounding with every drop of the base, her eyes lucid from the drum machines.

Jane, on the contrary, seemed lost in the sound. She had started to dance with a young girl with red hair.

People got closer and closer together, cutting her air out. She was not dancing, she was barely moving at all. How could Jane be enjoying this?

But the she remembered: this was exactly what Jane wanted, to be one of the many, even if just for a second.

Emily blinked, and a raging storm of light threads appeared in from of her, blinding her sight from anything else. The lines wrapped and unwrapped around the dancers so fast it made her head spin. One crossed her own path so fast she felt herself moving backwards.

She didn't realise she was falling until a pair of strong hands prevented her from hitting her head on the ground.

-Thanks... - she started.

Her words were met by a boyish grin and a pair of clever green eyes. -No worries angel - he said. -Do I get a price for saving you? -

Emily avoided rolling her eyes only because he had in fact prevented her from falling onto a sweaty and greasy floor.

-Maybe some other time - she answered politely. She pushed him away but he grabbed her hand before she could leave.

-Wait! - he said, urgency sparkled from his heart so strong Emily could have felt it from miles away. -What if I offered you a drink first? -

The girl saw the luminous thread again. Her line was going straight into the boy's heart, as if a decision on his path had already been made.

She had figured a while ago, the lines must represent the paths that people could take, their fates. When in front of a decision, the path altered. A living force waiting for the course of events to take place before continuing. But she had never seen a path forming before the choice was made to begin with.

-Why not? - she faked a charming smile, her curiosity stronger than her sense of unease.

He grinned back and she followed him to the bar table. The coloured lights shined on his black curly hair as he pulled her closer.

The light thread reappeared, pulsing vigorously as if it was about to catch fire.

Emily looked at their hands intertwined and felt a cold heavy feeling on her wrist, followed by a draining pull of energy.

"Iron" she thought alarmed.

She would have fallen again had it not been for the guy's hands holding her. She tried to push him away, but he was too strong for her. He tightened the grip on her hands and pulled her closer. His green eyes shined proudly of his success.

An outside observed would have thought the two of them were just about to kiss, but the guy simply leaned towards her ear.

-Sorry Luz, don't take this personally - he whispered as a nidle penetrated her arm.

The world dissolved in a mist of colours and lights. 

...

Author's note: And if you like the story, do not forget to live a like! It helps the book being seen by other people!