Shane pulled Tina out of the way, pressing her against the wall, and
fished in her pocket, pulling out a keychain with a small flashlight on
it. Several other women did the same. Small lights flickered in the
cavernous black room, like fireflies. They weren’t bright enough to
illuminate anything, but there was something comforting just in having
some light, any light, to hold the darkness at bay.

But it wasn’t holding back the panicky crowd. Bodies pressed through
the doors, too many at a time, pushing and shoving other bodies out of
the way. Cries rang out as the smaller or less mobile were knocked to
the floor.

Shane edged around the wall, pulling Tina with her, until they reached
the now dead sound board. Shane grabbed Carmen and pulled her close.
“You OK?” Her green eyes searched Carmen’s face, looking for
reassurance. Carmen smiled uncertainly and nodded, then threw her arms
tightly around Shane’s neck and shuddered into her.

A bright light was heading their way. Above it, a thin pale hand waved.
“Hey! Guys? Over here.” The four women left the safe anchor of the DJ
board and moved toward Alice.

Tina gripped her friend’s arms. “Are you OK? Where’s Dana? Where’s Bette?”

“I dunno,” Alice said. “Over there somewhere,” she waved the flashlight
in the direction of the buffet and cash bar. Lara was frozen in place,
serving spatula in hand, mouth open in shock. Bette was hanging on to
the bar to steady her uncertain legs. Dana was trying to hold her up.

Alice decided, on behalf of the other four, that it was going to be
easier to head toward their other friends. Bette looked like she
couldn’t take more than a few steps without falling down, with or
without Dana’s broad athletic shoulders to hang onto. Marina grabbed
Jenny and followed the halogen glare of Alice’s flashlight.

It was like swimming against the tide, threading their way through the
thinning of crush of bodies fleeing in the opposite direction, but
eventually they made it. Now they simply stood and looked at each
other, then back at the dwindling crowd.

“Wow,” Dana said finally, “what’s THAT all about?”

Alice rolled her eyes, safely outside the circle of light made by the flashlight in her shaky hand.

Bette’s eyes were bleary but she wasn’t so far gone she didn’t notice
Helena holding onto Tina’s arm. Hot anger flared in her. She clenched
her fists and jaw, stepped away from the bar. What are you doing
with.” She slipped and went down hard on her *****. “*****!!!!!” she
yelled in frustration. Frankly, her ***** was so numb by now that she
hardly even felt the impact of thinly padded bone hitting the tile.