Sara at Berghain

Sara is 32 and alone in her hotel after the final meeting of her business trip. She has closed her laptop and taken off her heels. Her feet hurt, but she feels restless. She wants one last night out.

Sara will fly home tomorrow morning, so this is her final night in Berlin. She removes her work blouse and chooses simple black clothes for the club. In the mirror, she looks tired but determined. She puts on her coat and leaves.

The queue outside Berghain is much longer than Sara expected. Adults in dark clothes wait by the cold concrete walls and speak quietly. Sara looks carefully at their clothes and serious faces. She thinks, “Do I belong here?”

An adult couple ahead of Sara kisses openly. Behind her, a man smokes a cigarette and watches the line. The minutes pass slowly, and she feels more nervous. She is fascinated by the scene, so she decides to stay.

Near the entrance, Sara sees the bouncer beside the heavy door. Her heart begins to beat faster. She thinks about her tidy office and tomorrow’s early flight. Sara wants to turn back, but she also wants to be brave and continue.

The bouncer looks at Sara for several seconds without smiling. Then he nods, steps aside, and lets Sara in. Nobody laughs at her or gives her special treatment. Sara takes a deep breath and walks through the heavy door.

Inside, red and silver light moves across a crowd of adults dancing close together. Sara feels the heavy bass in her chest, but she still knows what is happening around her. She knows where she is and can leave if she wants. She feels fear and desire at the same time.

An adult blonde woman stops in front of Sara and looks into her eyes. She holds out her open hand but does not touch Sara. The woman waits without moving closer. Sara looks calmly into the woman’s eyes, makes her own choice and takes the woman’s hand.