Marina and Alba, meanwhile, lost all notions of time and space. Their souls were linked, just as the singing and dancing had instantly connected, no practice needed. They had forged a closed circuit, one that would only be broken when it became too much to bear. United by the sorrow of a Soleá, the sorrow in their beings, they talked without words. Comunication was made with tones and gestures, a furtive glance, a quivering note, a fanning of fingers.

Although the Italian had already dated and gotten close to many people thorughout her life, she’d never felt so… intimate with anyone else before. Others had always remained opaque to her eyes, whereas she was sure she could see the teen’s essence, turned crystal clear, exposed to her stare.

Her heart beat in time to the compass her hands were clapping, brown irises glittered with tears of wonder and of an ingnored emptyness in her soul, a forgotten ache making itself known.

She sang that as well, in trembling notes and not in words, was answered by a gentle, whispery, solacing movement of arms and hands.

In a sudden strike of inspiration, the Italian accelerated her claps a little, remembered a cadence of "Ah"s from another Flamenco style that would be the right end to their performance.

The girl understood where it was leading, struck a few more dramatic poses, unwilling to sever the golden thread that had bound them, made her feel so warm and safe, even though the emotion that had shaped the link was cold and unsettling.

She dismissed the sadness with a hand twirl in the same moment that Marina’s voice caressed the last syllable, reached an ominous, low-pitched note and clapped the final beat.

There were almost ten seconds of tense, dumbfolded silence until Alice, then everyone else, began to applaud, whistling and yelling their appreciation.

Alba beamed, curtsied, then glanced at the Italian as she went back to her position in the circle, laid down on the sleeping bag. Her breath had already got back to normal  and she acted as if nothing had happened.

However, it had. Something extraordinary had occurred, bounded her to Marina in an unfamiliar, new, terrorrizing way. The teen’s eyes stayed locked with the hostess’ for a long time as both struggled to figure out what made them feel so close to each other.