Down the rabbit hole…
The deeper you go through the hallways and rooms, filled with people of all ages and walks of life, the more you feel the beat. Not just the beat of the music —though that was certainly getting stronger and more clothes-shaking in some directions — it was as if the place itself had a kind of rhythm, or life.
There were people with intentions of all tastes, in rooms of all sizes. Each room flowed into the next, each with slightly different moods, smells, lighting, and sounds. As you passed into each room, you were often given a choice between directions to go next, unless, of course, you’d found your room and choose to stay.
Each room — each choice — built on the previous, but in different ways. One room was quiet and almost moody. People huddled in small groups, quietly talking, or simply keeping to themselves with a book or a drink. On the opposite side of the room was a doorway leading into an adjacent room which was slightly darker with the flicker of candlelight, or firelight, further highlighting the quieter and cozier mood. To the right of the entrance you came in was a short hallway that seemed to open into a larger and more open space. The sound coming from that direction had a quiet music blended with slightly more lively chatter.
As you explore this living space, similar choices are offered. Wandering between the rooms, through the hallways, and up and down the stairs, you wander through the people, the tables, and the atmospheres, looking for a place which suits you best — a place whose rhythm matches your own, just as it does for the other people in their chosen spots.
Most people never see what this place truly is. Content with the first few rooms, typical of any pub or restaurant, they find a seat and enjoy themselves. It’s the adventurous few who allow their wonder and curiosity to align with their feet.
Those who venture this far inwards find a new place — a place shared and built by all present. A vibe we create. That vibe can vary or turn, though, which is part of the fun. You never know what you’re going to experience, each time you turn a corner, or complete a flight of stairs.
Coming through a low-ceiling hallway, the stairs lead up, lights flash in the stairwell as you climb, seemingly to be both random and in perfect sync with the building music at the same time. The beat drops just as your field of vision clears the top line of the stairs and the room opens into a massive auditorium of sorts. You see sprawling rings of cup-shaped levels, each with one or a small few tables filled with people in motion — dance, love, laughter. Each level cascades up and out from a central point, unobtrusive stairs linking them all, with a large stage at the central point surrounded by people dancing and swaying. On that circular stage is a band, dancers, and a few small groups of people dancing and sitting around the edges.
Having come in near to the top of the tiered funnel-like auditorium, you search for a spot, while noting the bars, stairs, and stairwell platforms similar to the on which you stand. There, not far below and to the left is an area with a vibe that feels just right — even from this distance. A scattering of people with most chatting and drinking while a few were dancing. Not too crowded with just the right energy. You smell the air and look around as you step down into the pod-like area, almost as you would as you enter a hot spring, adjusting yourself to the experience you’re submerging into.
A server approaches you and you’re shortly sipping on your drink of choice, watching the band, as you feel someone approaching you to chat. It’s a welcoming vibe, with everyone there to enjoy the company, the music, and the drinks.
What happened then has faded into time and fuzzy memories. What those there do remember is that barriers between strangers fell, fun was had, bad ideas were tried — with enthusiasm — and not a body in the place was still for long. The entire night took-on a larger memory or feeling. We build it as we went, and we remember pieces if we’re lucky.
That room was the beating heart of a living thing. A maze of infinite conversations, moods, and choices. An almost mythical time and place — one which will never be again.
You may not remember the details, but the beat, the unity, the simple hedonistic celebration of being alive — the whole of which you were a part — you will never forget.