A dim, red glow lit Mona’s body, and washed over the audience, obscuring most of them. It came from a series of small, luminous lights placed behind the stage, casting her into shadow, only the hint of her silhouette visible for now.
Mona breathed out, slowly, with finality. She stepped out into the center, her caramel face and obsidian irises finally visible to the paying audience of Club Lux’s Last Dance. She had practiced this, honed her art into perfection over a short career, preparing for this very moment. Dressed in veils of black satin that clung to her body, Mona’s skin was barely visible, but this would change soon.
Somewhere, behind a blast shield, a jazz band starts playing. A light, pleasant, anticipatory strumming fills the room, the rhythm guitar rising above the tenor, the bass, and the sax to lead the band into the dance.
**DLANG-DLANG-DLA-DLANG**