A huge archway marks the entrance, covered in dozens of strips of silky ripped fabric in orange, red and pink. The wordsLIGHT TELLERSin 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 aresmall 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 readsPulse. 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 wantyouto 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.
