The Epiphany

"Life's a dance, you learn as you go. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow. Don't worry 'bout what you don't know, life's a dance, you learn as you go." - John Montgomery

The Epiphany

The music began.

 

She was pushed into the dazzling ballroom, all innocent and wide-eyed. The sparkling lights enticed her. Everyone drooled over her. After all, she was gorgeous.

 

She began to dance. Clumsily at first, but she had help. People held her hand and led her through as she learnt the dance.

 

She giggled, cried and bubbled. Her mother wouldn’t let her out of her sight. Until.

 

Until, the next little girl was pushed into the dazzling ballroom, all innocent and wide-eyed.

 

Suddenly, the ballroom didn’t dazzle anymore.

 

She danced with Jealousy and Neglectance as the new little girl giggled, cried and bubbled.

 

That was when she knew.

 

She was on her own now. She had to find her way through the maze like ballroom, all by herself.

 

She cut off the last of her mother’s ties that were holding her up.

 

It was time.

 

Grace taught her how to dance without stumbling and how to dance again after stumbling. Perseverance taught her how not to stop dancing despite the million times she stumbled, tripped and fell.

 

Beauty taught her that she was desired.

The music reached its climax.

 

She had turned into a fine dancer, swirling, twirling and flirting her way through.

 

Attention took her to cloud nine. A million men sought her hand but she introduced them all to Rejection.

 

Innocent and stupid, she waited for Prince Charming to whisk her away in his strong handsome arms so that they would dance forever without ever getting tired.

 

Somewhere, in a distant part of the ballroom she heard her mother trying to advise her. Trying to warn her. But she wasn’t going to listen now. She knew what she was doing. Atleast she thought she did.

 

Disguise, Lies and Betrayal came disguised as everything she ever wanted.

 

Once. Twice. Thrice. Lies raised her hopes up and dashed them to the ground. Betrayal messed her up over and over and she let it.

 

She did not know any better.

 

Eventually it began to settle in. People were wicked. No Prince out there, waiting for her.

 

Yes, they would show her beautiful corners of the dazzling ballroom and they would lure her in with the perfect words. She would fall so deep in love that she wouldn’t even realize how hard she had fallen until she hit rock bottom. Maybe not even then.

 

They won’t have unlimited patience like they may lead you to believe. They won’t put your fears to rest however comforting they may pretend to be. They won’t be there to catch you when you fall because you are no Cinderella.

 

Thus abused by the negativity the world had to offer, she met Acceptance.

 

Danced with him for so long a time that everything began to seem okay. It was easy to ignore all the Disguises, Lies and Betrayals.

 

They danced and danced without a care in the world. Got married and pushed out a little girl of her own. Into the dazzling ballroom. All innocent and wide eyed.

 

She watched her dance the same dance she had danced. Just like her mother had. She advised, raved and ranted. Just like her mother had. She gave up when her daughter constantly rebelled. Just like her mother had.

 

The music had slowed down now.

 

Beauty danced with her no more.

 

Everyone had left.

 

She hobbled the best she could with Disease and Desolation.

 

It was time for a final dance. The dance with Death.

 

They played hide and seek for quite a while until she did not want to anymore.

 

Brittle bones wouldn’t allow her to.

 

Grace and Poise accompanied her in a beautiful white gown and gave her away to death.

 

The sparkling lights were all she could see. She knew then that they were blinding. So blinding that they did not let her see the world like it really was.

 

Ugly.

 

Regret and Remorse asked if they could cut in, but she shunned them away.

 

She had an epiphany.

 

It was her dance through all the ugliness that made everything so much more beautiful.

 

That made the world the most beautiful ballroom.

 

The music came to a stop.

 

Reviews

[Perkele.7885]

You gained my attention and held it throughout the story, even through the cultural barriers, I was whisked along. There were what I considered a few weak points early on in your dialogue but, nothing detracting from your overall product. You made the change from young girl to mother of her own daughter, grown and dancing, go quite smoothly
I give your work very high regards.
I enjoyed my read this morning.

[Samaira]

Thank you Raj. I would like to know what you consider to be the weak points. I would want to improve on them.

[Perkele.7885]

I think that for me, there was too much play-time given to dazzling, sparkling, crying, bubbling etc. It made the story pro-whimsical early on before you got to the meat of the story. It was, as if you changed your audience halfway through your story. Now, this is only one man'd opinion!

[Samaira]

Thank you.

[Braden Freeman]

I really enjoyed the ending. It is always good for us to dance our way through life, especially when darkness and suffering come near.

[Jyoti_Ablaze]

Again a magnificent work Mannat, full of sentiments that could be felt throughout the piece..
Loved the way, you described the stages of life.. Interestingly gripping and flawless..
My fav line, - "Grace and Poise accompanied her in a beautiful white gown and gave her away to death."
I am all amazement..! :)

[Samaira]

Thank you Jyoti. I loved that line too.

[JasKunwar Singh]

The aim of a storyteller is to make the reader feel as if the scene is really happening in front of the reader's eyes. Its very important to make reader completely into it. And I must say, Mannat, u hv done great job. Loved this story and the way u presented. Keep it up! :) 👍✌

[Samaira]

Thanks. I am happy I could make you picture it.