[Mellisond] Short Stories

Lilili Yabbay

{Song - 13월의 춤/Lilili Yabbay by Seventeen}

     More than 200,000 miles away, and she is still the most beautiful being Eirow's ever seen. He tries to stain the image of her on his brain.

     Her dark hair is short and made up entirely of kinks. Her skin, a warm umber. Her eyes, bright and beautiful like the sun they both share. But she draws his eye more than any star in this galaxy ever could, even though they inhabit two completely different astronomical bodies.

     The only way Eirow can see her is through Luna's scope pointed at Terra's surface. The coordinates of what seemed like her home dwelling holds a special place in his mind.

     The first time he saw her was the first time he ever actually looked at anyone. It was years ago. His guardian had brought him to the Terra exhibit even though he had protested against it.

     As a junior, Eirow hadn't been interested in learning about Terra like the other descendants were; it was just another rock to him. He had already spent enough time and energy learning about the planet at the institute. But the institute didn't teach about creatures like her.

     Over the years, Eirow has had to affirm to himself that she was just an adolescent fascination that would turn to dust like all pubescent things eventually do.

     As Eirow quietly sits staring at the oval screen that projects the scope's view, he still reminds himself that she'll soon vacate his thoughts. After all, his home is just a satellite orbiting her planet.

     Eirow hears a sound behind him and turns off the screen instinctively. He nervously turns his head, seeing his friend, Juul, trying to sneak up behind him.

     "What are you looking at?" Juul asks with an accusatory tinge to his voice.

     "No one- Nothing. I'm not looking at anything." Eirow says standing up.

     "Sure," Juul says grinning. "You're not supposed to be in here." He's right, he's not. The room for the scope is always sealed off to visitors unless an attendant is present. But Eirow knows how the scope works, and he knows how to hack into a locked door.

     "Neither are you," Eirow says using his body to block the turned off screen from Juul.

     "I'm only in here because I saw you come in here," Juul says.

     "Then we should both leave before we get caught," Eirow says, pushing Juul out of the room.

     Eirow and Juul head to the commissary where they figure Dinx and Holis are. Holis is one of the attendants at the Terra exhibit, and Dinx hangs out wherever the rest of them are, just like Juul does, cause there's nothing else to do on Luna.

     The commissary is partly filled with patrons, but Dinx and Holis are easily spotted sitting at a table off to the side. Eirow and Juul walk over, while Dinx tries to scarf down an indecent amount of food.

     Juul goes to sit down at the table, staring at Dinx's plate, and quickly says, "Eirow has feelings for a Terranite," before he even plants himself in his seat.

     "What?" Dinx asks, looking up at Eirow. Juul pulls Dinx's plate away from him and helps himself to it.

     "He was watching her through the scope," Juul says, his mouth stuffed.

     "Really?" Dinx laughs.

     "I thought the scope was off limits today," Holis says, taking his eyes off of the book he's holding in front of him.