Crystal Ball

She stands alone in the giant hall, the high windows letting in fingers of mellow evening light. She turns so her hands and the object they're holding catch the light. Suddenly there are a thousand stars in the room with her, of a thousand different colours, dancing as if they're being juggled, as the multitude of crystal faces catch the light, play with it and send it back.She stares hypnotised at its thousand faces, at the dancing stars, at the evening light playing hide and seek with the crystals, marvelling at the fragility of this imaginary universe. It looks alive, indescribably beautiful. The stars dip and shudder as she trembles in fear at what she suddenly knows - the price for such beauty is transience.


She watches her hands part. The ball slips through the gap in her palms. She steps back as if stung. The thousand stars race down the walls in slow motion, momentarily painting the notches and cracks in the pillars on their way. After what seems like an eternity she hears a crash that seems to come from far far away. The thousand stars fly across the room and out through the windows like butterflies that have found their freedom.She looks down at her feet, in a mixture of morbid fascination, fear and detachment, at the sharp, jagged shards of crystal lying all around her, a broken cage devoid of light. She stands alone in the giant hall, the high windows letting in fingers of mellow evening light.