Chapter 7
When we reach our friends, they’re discussing where to head next.
Hennie makes her case to see a drum and bass group called Odyssey Hunters in the Light Teller’s area, which is filled to the brim with DJs, themed bars and bigger dance tents.
Suffice to say I don’t know a single drum and bass band, but I support Hennie in her endeavours.
Owen is also keen to follow along, whereas Josh wants to explore the Jungle area which they apparently haven’t seen yet this year. I obviously want to follow Hennie wherever she goes. Elliot remains blissfully silent.
‘Why don’t we go to see Odyssey Hunters at Pulse and then if we have any energy we can explore Jungle after?’ Owen offers.
We all nod in agreement and as we head off I start to feel a chill on my arms. I manage to grab my jacket out of my bag one-handed, glancing at Elliot to see if he’s noticed I’m about to request a pause once again.
I shake my free hand into one arm of it and to my surprise he relinquishes his side of the drumstick almost immediately, allowing me to put my other arm through.
He quickly clutches his end of the drumstick again the second it emerges through the sleeve.
He must notice my surprised smile when he nods in a manner so business-like I almost feel the need to shake his hand again.
‘Thanks,’ I say stiffly.
We walk side by side on a short pathway next to the Tower stage between the Light Teller’s area and The Warren. The final act of the night is due to perform on the Tower Stage in a matter of minutes and small pockets of the crowd surge toward it, almost carrying us with them in the current.
I swear I can feel Elliot pulling the drumstick slightly towards himself. Is he creating an opportunity to snatch it?
I pull the stick back toward me with a little of my strength, not that there’s much of it. Elliot’s eyes cut across to me and then back to the crowd around us.
He leans closer to murmur in my ear. ‘I don’t want you to get lost in the crowd.’
‘That’s a little tricky when you’re glued to someone else,’ I counter mildly.
‘It happens when it gets busy though. Just stay close,’ he replies, his voice firm.
Despite myself, I’m oddly touched by his concern for my security. Resisting the urge to tug back on the stick for control, I let him guide it towards his body again, encouraging me to lean closer into his strong frame.
He successfully weaves us through an oncoming swarm of people as I concentrate on keeping my breathing consistent, and just as I think we’re safe, he leads me around another fresh horde.
It is, frankly, my nightmare.
But I have to acknowledge that his presence is absolutely helping.
His movements seem so effortless and assured as I watch him lead the way.
There’s something strangely enchanting about it that makes me not want to look away; of course, that might just be because I’ll do anything to avoid taking in my surroundings.
When we eventually come out the other side, it’s all I can do but to resist wrapping him in a grateful hug for navigating us seamlessly through hell. Not that I actually consider hugging him seriously… he’d probably karate chop me away from him.
‘Thank you,’ I offer gratefully anyway with a light tap on his shoulder.
His head snaps to where I touched him before fixing me with a wary look. ‘What for?’
It’s not exactly an unusual reaction to me, but honestly he could try to hide it a little better. The others have rejoined behind us now, engaged in their own conversation.
‘I don’t know.’ I fiddle with a lock of my fringe, beginning to feel silly for what I’m saying. ‘For getting us through a monstrous crowd unscathed and non-panicked, mostly.’
‘It’s the least I can do,’ he says evenly.
That is true. Although I suppose I’m equally responsible for this mess.
When we arrive at the famous dance hub of Firecrest, I feel more out of place than ever.
A huge archway marks the entrance, covered in dozens of strips of silky ripped fabric in orange, red and pink. The words LIGHT TELLERS in pink lights stands proudly at the top of it.
We walk under the arch and within seconds I am struck by sensory overload.
Lights flash across my face and groups of people move in swarms in all directions.
I grip the drumstick tighter, releasing a laboured breath.
I watch a group of women dressed in satin, voluminous prom-style dresses totter through the entrance with their hair messily tied on the tops of their heads with glittery bows.
Sequins decorate the path that we’re walking on, sparkling even while covered in dust and scatterings of grass.
There are small raised platforms almost everywhere I look with intricate, glass bases and light fixtures erected in the middle of them pointing directly downwards – scattering multi-coloured strips of light across anyone who stands on them.
The biggest tent is straight ahead of us, pinstriped in blue and red and boasting a huge neon sign that reads Pulse. White lights line the entrance and all the way up the structure, following the stripes to the very top.
My heart rate ricochets against my ribs as I take it in, knowing this is our destination.
We walk past an incredibly intricate fake exterior of a four-storey hotel building which I recognise immediately as The Grand.
Three drag queens in pink and green dresses dance on the mini balconies outside inviting passers-by in.
Josh is leaping from foot to foot to match the thumping beat with a goofy grin. He dances with total abandon as he swings his limbs around haphazardly – not taking into account how large his frame is, he narrowly avoids hitting Hennie in the face.
‘Watch it!’ Owen says with chagrin. ‘You’re gonna maim someone!’
Josh merely presses a hand to his chest with a face of innocence and mimes ‘who, me?’ before prancing away towards Pulse.
The lights ripple and shimmer in time with the beat of the music, matching the waves of peoples’ bodies in the crowd.
A sea of fists punch the air erratically inside, and the sight alone gives an unwelcome kickstart to my nervous system.
Josh runs excitedly towards one of the openings around the edge, but I feel my body come to a sudden stop as Elliot follows suit. Hennie cuts her conversation with Owen short and flies to my side, her eyes wide with worry.
‘I didn’t realise how big the stage was,’ she says apologetically. ‘We can sit this one out, Harty.’
Elliot interjects before I can answer.
‘Drum and bass isn’t really my scene to be totally honest.’ His voice is emotionless. ‘I’m actually tempted to go and get a drink instead, if that’s okay with you?’
His eyes focus on me. I stare back, silently baffled, and for a wild moment I wonder if he’s lying for my benefit. Likely not, but I immediately take a deep breath of relief as I realise it means I don’t have to go in.
I eye him with suspicion before giving him a wary smile. ‘Sure. Okay.’
He clears his throat. ‘We could go to Mirrorball instead and grab a drink there?’
‘With me? Just you and me, you mean?’ I stumble over the words, barely concealing the alarm in my voice. Hennie looks back and forth between us.
His eyes widen as he turns to Hennie. ‘I mean, you could come too, of course.’
But I can tell the girl is physically holding herself back from sprinting to Pulse. The idea of her sacrificing this kind of experience pains me.
I put a reassuring hand on her arm. ‘I’m fine. You should go in.’
‘No! I’ll come with you guys!’ she protests.
‘No, you won’t. You want to see Odyssey Hunters. I want this drumstick. This is where we are.’ I give her a reassuring smile. ‘We’ll just meet later, how about in an hour?’
‘Nora, I can miss the–’
‘No, Hen, you can’t.’ I pull her closer to me and put my arm around her shoulder. ‘This is your festival too. I couldn’t bear this whole weekend revolving around what I want. Are you happy hanging with these guys?’
Her face lights up. ‘Oh yeah, they’re great. I just want you to be okay.’
I shrug. ‘I signed up for this. I also get the feeling we can go an hour without killing each other. Maybe.’
‘I can hear you, you know. I’m right here.’
I hold a hand up in Elliot’s direction to silence him. ‘I’m good if you are, Hen. We’re well?’
She grins. ‘We’re well.’
‘Okay, see you here in an hour?’
She squeezes my hand and nods.
Owen and Elliot are having a quiet exchange on my other side, but Elliot briskly pats him on the back to usher him away. We wave to our companions as they disappear into the tent and for the first time, we are completely alone.