Violet

The Encounter

Pant, pant, pant. 

With nothing to hear but the sound of crickets, my laboured breathing, and thumps made by my shoes as they hit the ground, I ran deeper into the forest, passing by rows and rows of big trees and thick bushes. Despite the dark brought in by the night, I saw my destination, not too far away now, and I started to run faster. The earlier I got there, the better. There was no time to lose. 

From far away, I heard a howl, probably from a wolf. I could also hear the sound of crickets almost everywhere. No, not just crickets, but crickets and frogs. Of course, let's not forget the frogs. The night reminded me of the horror movies I watched as a kid. However this time, I was not afraid. 

Then I arrived, both my hands on my knees , my breath heavy and puffed. I pressed a hand against my heart. I just hate running long distances. 

"There she is! Late again!"

That was Jet. He was sitting near a small fire in the middle of our playground, our meeting spot. With him was no other than Seth and Aidan. They seemed to be in the middle of a fairly interesting conversation before I arrived, and I would just have to interrupt them. Oh well. 

"I'm sorry guys. I had to wait for papa to sleep. You know he doesn't approve of me going out at midnight," I explained.

"You say that every time we stargaze, Arche," complained Aidan, "I can almost memorize it!" 

I pouted, but they just replied with laughs. Jet invited me to join them, and I followed. I sat in the middle of Seth and Jet, with Aidan on my front. We first talked about random stuff that happened during the day, especially about the newborn baby of our neighbor, Ales. He was such a charming baby boy; he brought joy to everyone who saw him today. Ah, the wonders of a new life--so promising, so full of hope.

After, Jet suggested we lay down on the grass so that we could officially start our stargazing session. Of course, we agreed--we always agree to Jet.Then just after a few minutes, all four of us already laid side by side on the grass, away from the fire. 

The moon was full that night, and there were no clouds. The stars shone brightly, like a thousand tiny flashlights during a total blackout. Some stars hung close together, others apart. It was simply beautiful. Not just the stars, but also the feeling of peace here in the outskirts of our little town with my very close friends. I was the happiest person that night. 

"Look!" Aidan pointed upwards, "It's an onion!"

"Where?" I asked.

"There!" Aidan pointed again, emphasizing the set of stars he referred to as an "onion."

I followed his finger into a set of stars which, to my opinion, looked nowhere near an onion. Yes, the stars were in a way positioned in a circular manner, and there were stars on top of it that formed a slightly crooked line. However, it was not an onion--it looked like an... apple. 

"That's not an onion, Aid," Seth said, "It's more like a bee." 

"It's an onion!" That was Aidan, in his famous desperate tone. He always sounded like a spoiled kid every time he used that tone. However, most people would fall for that and just let him get on his way. Unfortunately for him, we, his friends, were not "most people."

"I can't believe you can be so blind, guys!" Jet broke in, "Can't you see it's an apple?"

"It is!" I squeaked, "I agree with Jet! It's an apple."