Hope
by:

Dance, dance! Colors shimmered and glasses clinked. The crystals on the chandeliers swung this way and that to catch the light. Shrieks of giddy laughter pierced the air.
Black tuxedos weaved among the lace and ribbons. Swish, twirl, whirl! Spin, bow, slide, jump! Together the young couples flew across the floor.
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The crisp night seeped through the poor stitching of his arms and legs. The tiny slit between leggings and sweater bared beneath the patched wool coat. He felt the breeze caress his skin and and fill his stomach with a cold emptiness.
Shivers shook his frame, but didn't dim the light in his eyes. He had seen a glimmer of light in the distance and found a gay event taking place. His feet shuffled faster through the snow in hope of finding a candle placed close enough to the glass to shed some warmth upon his cheeks.