Erhu on Stand Before Ocean Doorway

Polished rosewood curves of an erhu rest on a simple wooden stand, its two strings gleaming under warm tungsten backstage lights. The instrument sits against a dark wall that abruptly dissolves into a rectangular opening. Through this impossible breach, heavy grey ocean waves crash against a Macau night, their white foam frozen in mid-motion. Overcast skies press low outside the frame, matching the dim, moody interior. Dust motes float in the shaft of light that spills from the sea into the room. The lacquered finish of the fiddle reflects the chaotic water beyond, while the wooden legs of the stand remain firmly planted on the club floor. one drop of water beads on the edge of the instrument's scroll.