Twilight Dance

Katia shivered as she crawled. Although she was unfamiliar with where she was, the air was chilly, and the dampness of the sand she crawled on only intensified the cold. Still, she decided to continue to move in order to keep warm, through the narrow darkness, not concerning herself with what little creatures or potential dangers she could encounter.

There was an eerie stillness in the dark. No familiar sounds of nature. No urban cacophony of cars honking and ambulances that she was accustomed to. It was dark and silent. Eerily silent. Katia could only hear her breathe and the crunching of sand beneath her hands and knees, and the more she kept moving, the faster the pace of her breathing. She was becoming more frightened, eager to know where she was and where she was heading to. Should she turn somewhere? Was she heading in the right direction?

"Keep moving, Katia," she thought out loud. The sound of her own voice calmed her anxiety, making her feel less alone. She decided to continue this approach.

"Just keep moving, Katia. Keep moving, keep going."

She continued to crawl in the direction leading to what seemed to be both everywhere and nowhere. Her own voice was her guide; her intuition her compass.

Suddenly, the space began to become less narrow as she crawled. The air became brisker as the space her around widened, giving Katia room to stand. She stood up, brushed off her hands and knees, and looked around. She was surrounded by what appeared to be desert sand: in every direction she looked there were sand dunes, multiple sand dunes for miles - no sign of life in sight.

She stood there in the darkness, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. I will be my only company tonight, she thought, yet she never felt so alone, or so lonely.

Katia, you're not alone. Look up.

She slowly raised her head to witness the star-filled sky, abundant with celestial beauty. It was a magnificent sight for the proud urbanite, whose vision of the night sky was often obscured by city lights and smog.

As she looked at the celestial bodies illuminating above, she began to bring her arms down from around her, basking in the warmth of their presence. She let out a deep exhale, taking in the transcendental reminder that although the distance between us and the stars is millions of light-years, we are still connected by our origins: stardust.

See, Katia? You are not alone. You are never alone.

She looked and watched the sky as the omnipresent lights of the cosmos twinkled until they seemed to shift into various forms. They soon began to take shape into several figures, objects, and animals, becoming radiant constellations.

Then the luminescent bodies began to dance across the sky, creating a gala across the heavens. As the bodies shifted and danced in unison, one shape appeared to move to its own rhythm, bucking its head and running across the sky.

Katia watched as it rapidly moved, slowly recognizing its physique and movement. Its stocky and muscular shape charged through the heavens, its horns bucking ferociously without abandon.

A wild bull.

Katia continued to watch it move across the sky until it moved south, then disappeared into the horizon. She finally looked down to discover the land had suddenly transitioned around her; it was now a plush, green field of grass and wildflowers.

She also noticed she was now wearing a beautiful long, red dress, similar to the ones worn by the Spanish flamenco dancers. She delicately touched its silky fabric, admiring its artistry and elegance. She lifted parts of the layered skirt, examining its agility.

Then, Katia began to dance, lifting the skirt of the dress in the air, swaying it from left to right, left to right. She started to rhythmically move her feet, swaying the red fabric in the air, creating a spectacle of movement and color in the grassy field.

She began to spin in her dance, moving her feet to her own joyous rhythm, swaying her dress left to right in the breeze. She became enraptured by her movement, in the moment as she freely moved her body and her dress. She paused suddenly when she heard a bellowing sound from behind.

Katia turned to find a stocky and horned beast looking directly at her.

The wild bull.

Startled, Katia froze, then smiled at the free-spirited creature. She remained calm as she watched him dig his hoof into the ground, ready for his signal.

Then, without taking her eyes off of him, she welcomed him to come forth by lifting one side of her dress, revealing its vibrant crimson shade.

The bull moved without falter and charged towards Katia, while Katia fearlessly swung her dress and stepped out of the bull's way, unscathed.

The bull galloped in the air, then turned around and charged again. Katia once again commanded control, moving simultaneously and with intention to her and the bull's rhythmic movements.

They repeated their tango, and soon, it became their collaboration as they continued to dance in the field together, underneath the stars...

Katia opened her eyes. She looked around to find her reading light still on; a historical fiction book about the Moorish Empire in Spain laying on her chest.

At least it wasn't a horror novel.

Katia looked at her alarm clock and saw it was 1:30 am; plenty of time before she needs to get up for the day. She placed her book on her nightstand, then turned off her reading light.