The New Category

Chapter One-

The New Category

It was raining. Or maybe the memory is just so covered in such sorrow and misery that my mind has tampered with the very atmosphere of it. Regardless of weather conditions, whatever was happening that day, it can not of been happy. How could it have been? The news had successfully drained the joy out of every activity we had the pleasure of putting ourselves through. We had been thrown into the unseen, the unpredicted, the unwanted all by the words of some man.

But I believe it was raining.

We were drinking. Enjoying the leisure of the summer. For three weeks the sun had shine at a blistering heat and made way for a thunder storm to intrude, therefore forcing us to change our party venue from the estate gardens to the grand hall. It took some time to convinve Mr Salt to allow us to use his most prestige room for our own enjoyment, then it took just that little sprinkle of sweetness to assure him inviting round twenty friends from the surrounding area to the party was a good idea, nothing to worry about sir.

There were not twenty people. How could we amuse ourselves with twenty more people? There were only five of us to begin with. Twenty six was merely enough to take up a corner of the room and take advantage of our summer home.

No, instead we spread the word. Young adults. Come to Salt Estate!

And believe me, the word spread.

The workers had just finished setting up, and I had barely got my suit on when they turned up in a small flock; a dozen or so men and women, all from the city. We greeted them with open arms, take a drink, help yourselves, do not worry about your coats and bags, the waiters will provide a service for them. It was only when they moved into the hall, another flcok appeared, with two dozen in there. While we introduced ourselves to them, yet another flock appeared. Then another. And another. In fact that's when I lost count of how many people there were. There must of been verging on three hundred, and I suspect some of them were turned away due to a full house.

I'd stopped introducing myself after the third dozen member entered the party. I followed a woman, I do not remember her name. But I remember her face, high cheek bones, rouge lips, beautiful auburn hair that was radiant in the light. I followed her across the hall until she stopped, aware of my presence, and turned to face me.

"After something?" She requested, a smooth eyebrow arched upwards.

"Only your presence." I spoke back, grinning, hoping she too would show a sign of happiness.

Instead she folded her arms, "No thanks. I don't talk to people who follow ladies like lost puppies."

"Are you fond of dogs?" I asked.

"Fairly, I own two of my own." She answered, still not lowering her guard.

"Then surely you must appreciate the fact I am following you? For I am after all, a 'puppy', am I not?" I replied. She did not speak for a moment.

But she did remove her arms from her chest and allowed her red dress to sparkle gloriously under the lights, "A puppy is different from a dog. A dog barks, where as a puppy yaps."

"You must accept a puppy to have the dog."

"Then I would rather take the cat."

And with that, she turned and was gone through the rapidly growing crowd. I smiled after her.

I am not certain why this is the most memorable part of the night for me. I did not consume much alcohol, neither did I move on to another woman to associate myself with and forget her. I suspect it is because she was my only source of normalness for that evening.