Candles and Control
Once settled, in slipped the waiter, setting down a pair of lit candles - soft fragrance weaving through the air. Their glow began without sound, just warmth spreading across the cloth.
Soft flame.
Warm glow.
Floating into view, the glow from the tank's edges swayed softly on the walls, blending here with flickering candle flames in quiet rhythm. Passing by outside the glass, clusters of fish moved in loose lines, shapes sliding through the dark like unspoken thoughts.
Close air filled the room. Quiet held everyone near.
Dangerously intimate.
The waiter closed the door, its soft click swallowed by the room. Quiet settled next - not empty but full, heavy on the air. The low drone of machines faded, as if everything outside had lowered its voice just then.
