The Sirens of Calypso- Chapter 2- "Maneater"

            

            It was 10 years ago, but Alejandro still remembered it like it was yesterday. He arrived at work late that day because he had been up all night brainstorming plans. Before it was Calypso the night club, the building was a simple bar and restaurant. Unfortunately, after years of steady success, it was beginning to lose more money than it was bringing in. He sat down at one of the barstools and for what felt like the hundredth time that week, he traced through the ledger to see where they could cut back on expenses to save money. Nothing was flying off the page and within seconds, he was seeing spots. “Ah,” he rubbed his eyes, “I knew I shouldn’t have done that all-nighter."
            Then out of nowhere, music blared over the speakers, startling Alejandro so badly he nearly fell off his seat. If he hadn’t instinctively reached for the counter to catch himself, he would have. He whirled around to locate the source, which was in the back of the room, and his jaw dropped. “When did we build a stage in here?!” His voice hit an octave it hadn’t reached since puberty. The structure was massive, raised five feet above the ground with staircases on both sides. Foot lamps lined the edge. The red velvet curtains were drawn open, but he could see further back that there was another set, black as night, that was closed to hide the backstage area.
            The musical arrangement was very sparse at first: drums and cymbals with collective moans lingering in the background. It gave the impression a ritual was about to take place—perhaps to make a sacrifice to please a great deity. As the composition settled into place, flourishes of R&B and hip-hop took charge. Tribal undertones aside, the two girls on stage were dressed like they were ready to go salsa dancing at the next street party. The neighborhood came together every Saturday night to feast on homemade dishes and play music until the sun came up. Although with more youth leaving the island to pursue their American dreams, these events have become less frequent in recent times.
            Scarlet was on the left; he recognized by her hairstyle immediately. At the time, she and Carmen were the only waitresses left on the payroll. Business had gotten so bad that everyone who had families or alternate means of income had already left. Her partner in crime on stage wasn’t their co-worker, but someone entirely new: tall, blonde and swimsuit model gorgeous. Both wore similarly designed dresses featuring oranges and yellows that zigged and zagged to form dozens of triangular polygons. They moved their arms in unison, sharply and precisely to the music. Despite the intensity they emitted, their mouths were wide with joy.
            As he continued to take in the bizarre scene, Alejandro noticed something else. Situated between them was what appeared to be a cauldron. Colored smoke was pouring out of it. Then they each took an elongated lighter one would use to activate a charcoal grill and ignited them inside. Something clearly caught because a distinct sizzling proceeded to grow louder until a barrage of snaps crackles and pops erupted in its place. The sparks flew higher into the air with each iteration, putting Alejandro on edge. The last thing he needed was for the place to burn to the ground because of out-of-control pyrotechnics. But before he could think “fire extinguisher,” the cauldron sunk through a trapdoor on the stage.
            In all the chaos, Alejandro hadn’t noticed that the girls had stopped dancing. The lyrics hinted that something or someone was about to arrive. Dozens of sparkles reflected off the lights. He squinted for a better look when she suddenly appeared. Her arms flailed wildly as she spun in several consecutive circles. Although moving just as fast, her hips and abs maneuvered with a greater degree of control. Her eyes were shut tight as the dance possessed her. The sparkles came from the rhinestones adorning her red dress; it hugged her body yet was loose enough to allow an adequate range of movement. Red chiffon sleeves ran from her wrists just past the crook in her elbows, flaring at the sides to give the impression she had caught fire.

Each and every detail, he committed to memory. At the same time, Alejandro found it impossible to describe what it felt like, seeing Natalia dance for the first time. He only knew that she needed the dance like it was her personal brand of oxygen and he had never seen a girl quite like her. However, as he would soon discover, Talia had more planned to save his family’s business than simply rebranding it. She was also a lot more than a pretty face and a strong core. These qualities made her an inspiring person to work with, but at times, she could be equally as frustrating. 

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Featured Song: "Maneater" by Nelly Furtado (no relation at all the Hall & Oates song of the same name)
Featured Dance Style: ...not sure- I always envisioned something very tribal and uninhibited like Afro-Jazz or a wicked fast Bollywood routine
Featured Photo: Did this in my Animal Crossing: New Horizons game today. Might do more in the future but can't make any promises