Night Dancers

• Rhiannon Hart, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2008

She was beautiful in the moonlight. Her pale blue silk gown was wet from the snow that covered the ground but she wasn’t shivering. The pretty teenager was dancing. A young boy watched her from the shadows, transfixed. He was nine years old, born on the streets, abandoned as an infant and didn’t have a name.
Suddenly, the girl stopped dancing and looked directly at him. She smiled and then beckoned him closer. Scared, but intrigued by her, the boy left his hiding spot and walked to her. She didn’t say a word, but took his dirty hand in her clean one. Her smile gave him courage.

“Why do you dance alone?” asked the boy. She looked down at him, and then pointed out into the open space where she had been dancing.
“Can’t you see them?” she asked quietly. The boy looked to where she was pointing and then he gasped.

There, in the light of the moon were shadowy figures, all dressed in dancing gowns and tuxedos. They were all dancing gracefully. The boy could hear them laughing, but it sounded distant, far away. He could see them, but it was like they were not really there. He looked back up to the dancing girl. There was sadness in her eyes that nearly made the boy’s heart break. A single tear fell and slid down her cheek.

“Why are you crying?” he asked. The girl smiled at him and wiped away the tear.
“Because at sunrise, they will be gone and I will be alone again” she said. The boy wanted to hug her and take her sadness away. The girl smiled again.

“Dance with me” she said. The boy nodded and he joined her, amongst the shadowy figures. Some of them smiled at him, others bent down and kissed his cheek. Suddenly he was like them, clean, hair brushed and wearing a tuxedo. The girl laughed, and the boy laughed with her. He had never been so happy, he had never felt so wanted or so loved. They danced together through the night until suddenly they all stopped. The sun was slowly beginning to rise, bringing with it the faint pink tinge of dawn.

The shadowy figures all stopped dancing and then waved their goodbyes to the girl and the little boy. One of them, a tall handsome man walked over to them and took the girl’s hand.
“Look after each other and you will never feel lonely again. We can’t return after tonight. Goodbye daughter” he whispered. Then he turned and walked away with the others. They both watched silently as the shadowy figures disappeared.

“Who were they?” asked the boy when they had all gone.
“My family. They died one year ago but they couldn’t leave until they knew I would never be lonely” she answered.
“I won’t let you be lonely” said the boy. The girl smiled
“I know” she replied. Then she took his hand and they walked together into the morning.