She vanished just as the year ended. The mechanical pop of tinned fireworks finally released electric colours into the purple, velvet sky. Magic filled the streets; it was finally midnight. The year had been a long one – Amber grabbed her white wine spritzer with both hands, so hard she thought the glass might break, and raised it into the abyss above her to toast the New Year, smiling at the sky and at God himself. She knew this year would be a fresh start. She felt, deep in her bones, that good luck was coming.

With a tribal-like woop, Amber downed her ice-cold drink and gazed lovingly at the surrounding crowd. “So beautiful…” she uttered to herself, eyes glazing over at the sight of faces- no, strangers, the patchwork of skin that created a beautiful multi-coloured blanket of safety and community. Over her shoulder, her ears pricked up at the sound of Urdu, the musical, mysterious voice of a dark-haired woman in Orange. It reminded Amber of Mother Earth herself. Another – the excited tones of Italian -passionate and wild almost impregnating the very air she breathes, making Ambers heart a galloping horse…

As she gazed, she listened and understood. Amber was amazed at her fellow humans that had piled together in merriment in this tiny red-brick City, only to enjoy our completed orbit around the sun. Collective humanity. Collective pride. Collective love.

Feeling full, Amber made her way to the pop-up bar across the street and ordered another white wine spritzer – maybe with a foil umbrella this time? -I mean, sure, she was here alone but she wasn’t alone alone. These people, who she was lucky enough to be on the Earth at the same time with, shared her joy and pride.

“ Oh – Sorry! My fault!” Amber gracefully spluttered as she turned around from the bar and into the chest of the woman in Orange, as the drink tumbled down robes onto her toes. The woman in Orange, the Urdu speaking woman, had the most vivid brown eyes – eyes that could see into your soul and beyond. Her eyes seemed to know the meaning of life itself.

“Your fault? – No.. Mine. Mazart… uhm – I mean sorry. Another?” came the broken English from the woman in Orange.

“So kind – I appreciate that.” Amber blushed at her own awkwardness and giggled somewhat idiotically. How many wines deep was she?

More fireworks were released on to the world in that second. Neon pink, red and of course – orange…

Amber glanced up into the woman in Orange’s eyes and saw her own reflection staring back at her. Time stood still and Amber paused. For a moment, Amber realised that she was beautiful, too. For in that moment, Amber saw that humans reflected each other’s beauty – a mutual, yet silent, understanding between collections of star-dust and God-particles. “Woman is God,” Amber thought as she darted her blue eyes on her woman in oranges’ beaded dress – Ambers eyes could pick out the gold beads a mile away – glinting in the dark, reflecting the firework’s colours into Ambers pale eyes.

“You want come sit?” the musical tones of pure silk were released into the air and met with a smile.

“Sure! What a beautiful night this is, huh?” Amber recoiled at the use of her huh.

“Beautiful. Khoobsurt. Beautiful.” She smiled.

Sitting together, they marvelled at the sparks being released into space with wide eyes and open mouths, the colours, the energy – how much energy does that take to make something so perfectly beautiful? Stored energy, tightly wound in a box for years waiting for someone to light the fuse. Amber drank, the more she drank the more beautiful the world was. The moon – so light. The moon must be female, right? The silver, gentle light – the grace. The clouds – grey gauze patching up the damage done by the fireworks. “Ah, humans, causing damage. Nature will resolve,” Amber thought.

“I must go – mazart. I need go now,” the woman in Orange’s dark hair whipping Ambers face as the wind picked up and tore sharp holes in the sky. Too soon – why so soon?

And with that, the woman in Orange was up and walking at the speed of light towards a dark corner, between the buildings that were packed so tightly that Amber thought even air couldn’t pass through the cracks. Amber’s chest felt heavy and dark. She followed –

“Hi… excuse me! Hi? Excuse me! Sorry – wait!” Amber pleaded in desperation as the woman in orange glided further and further from Amber’s space. Amber so longed to spend time, any time, in this woman’s space. Amber wanted her back – here. Sitting. Still. Harmonious. At one. It was then that Amber knew what she needed to do, so she ran.

Amber ran towards the alleyway. Quickly. She was gaining speed. She dodged the crowds – the man with the horrid green tracksuit, the woman with the screaming baby in arms, the group of friends taking an indulgent selfie with filters. She barged through them all. Cold filled Ambers body. Heaviness filled the void. She flicked her dark ginger, curled hair out of her eyes and her pale skin caught the moonlight. Freckles danced across her nose and her lips rouged with anger.

“Where are you?” Amber recoiled in disgust. “I’m here!” she screamed.

Just then, Amber saw a slice of tangerine flash around a dark corner, lit up by the red light coming from the sky. The red pierced the dark of the alley – Amber peered around the red-brick like a tiger stalking prey. Silent. Stealthy. Creeping.

Just then, images flashed before Ambers eyes. It had been a while since she had felt such anger. It had been a hard ear, after all. The year had been long, and no-one had caught Amber’s ice-blue eyes all year. She had grown tired of waiting for a tribute. But now one was here, and she wasn’t going to let her leave.

“Just leave? Huh.” She recoiled at her use of huh. After all, sacrifice had been carried out throughout all of time – right? Want more rain – sacrifice. Want less disease – sacrifice. Amber wanted to feel that connection again. The only connection you can get from releasing a soul into the heavens. A sacrifice to the beauty of humanity.

Amber grabbed at the saffron veil, and destructively threw it and it’s person to the ground.

“Why did you do that?” Amber questioned, eyes puzzling the sky. “huh? Why did you go?... I’ve been waiting all year.”

“Mazart!” the terrified woman, now on the floor, tears in those deep brown pools, gazed up at Amber.

And with that word in her ear, Amber extinguished humanity itself. She tore the orange veil as she plunged the silver into the chest. Amber felt the connection of humanity once again.

The woman in orange vanished just as the year ended. Amber walked towards the crowd. What was orange was now crimson.

"Huh.." Ambers voice cracked as she grabbed her glass from the table and raised it towards the velvet abyss.