The Night Sky

Class was over— and so the class stood and bowed as the warm orange of the evening sun poured and showered in from the windows lining the room’s side. Chairs screeched and sounded against the wood, thanks were giving to the teacher as he left, and chatter began to boil up from the students around. Some spoke of club activities and sports, while others spoke of going out to a cafe or going here or there or simply going home together. There, too, were those who spoke of nothing; of sweet words and teases and compliments; but she found no interest in any of them. And so, taking her bag, she walked out the door; without a thought, without emotion. She simply went out, like a candle puffing into darkness.

Japanese, History, English, and Math— she wanted to forget it all for now, she didn’t want to think of homework or assignments. All she wanted now was nothingness; she didn’t want to think of a thing— and so she simply went down the stairs; silent and unhearing of the chatter that grated her ears and irritated her mind. Then, changing her shoes, she quickly walked out the main doors and out the gate; walking out into the world beyond the school she was tired of seeing.

She walked on— through the walks shaded of the trees and the clouds of leaves hanging and swaying overhead, through the specks of the evening sun piercing through and the evening burn of orange— she walked through it all; and she knew that people would think that she lived off in the west side of town, and so no one would question her. No one would ask. And she knew that people would simply assume that a girl like her, a loner, quiet and reserved, would just go on home alone since she didn’t care for club activities or had any friends to go and spend her time with. But no one knew where she was going; and neither did she…

It had always been this way— the bell would ring, and she would get out of class and change her shoes and all, then she’d step out the gates and walk without a true direction. She would wander here, and then there, some days to town, others to the empty greens and hills. She never really knew why she was like this, nor did she ever remember the reason. In fact, she never knew how her day ever ends. All she would remember was waking up and going to school and then her walk out, all the times after that would be lost; and the last thing she would remember was walking out the gate. Before she knew it, she was in bed— but now, she no longer wondered nor questioned how she ever got there; it was like a dream or a movie— where she’d simply be in a scene, without ever knowing what happened before it…

She didn’t care, nor did she care to know anymore. And so she continued on, walking, one step over the other, left… right… on and on… a direction never in sight, nor a thought ever in mind…

She simply walked on… on… and on…

Cars moved here and there, twinkling along with the sun shimmering over their windshields in sparks of gold and lines of fine eve. The shades overhead came and went, just like the traffic, as she went on further; with the town disappearing away behind her as she reached the greens and the trees and then the fields of paddy and rice. Eventually, there weren’t even a number of cars, only little motorcycles ridden by farmers and old folks. The winds sigh, and the world swayed and moved, still breathing of a kindled flame somewhere in the heart and soul… and with the winds slowly cooling away, the burn of the sun soon washed away— leaving her to walk alone as night fell and left the land silent and cold in the shadows…

The warmth of the day and the burn of the eve had faded away— and now she walked alone, along the trees, feeling the warmth wash away off her being as the cold night took over. But she didn’t care, nor did she have a thought in her mind; she didn’t think of going home, nor did she think or wonder where she even was now— she just continued on… walking…

But then, she stopped…

And there it stood, that shack— that old wooden shack; she remembered, she remembered now…

Every night, no matter where she went that evening out of school, she would end up here, before this very shack; frozen still, thinking these exact thoughts…

But, without another thought, she opened the door and went inside…

She didn’t think, she just did it— as if it were only natural; as if… she had done it before; as if it were mere instinct— like a bird flying upon the dawn of winter… it’s like she was walking to bed— her eyes heavy and her body weakening into tire…

It was dark inside, and with the faint light pouring through the door she held open, she could see that the shack had nothing more than a lantern and a single wooden chair at its center.

The place seemed old and long abandoned; with cobwebs to the ceilings and old wrinkled wood, chipping and wearing with the years of abandonment… But the chair and the lantern looked new, as if they were untouched and pure from the hands of time and space… but then again, they looked familiar…

As if they were a childhood toy… placed back in its original position… just as it was before it went missing into memory…

Familiar… yet uncanny…

She flicked the lantern’s switch, and somehow— it came to life… lighting up the darkness in a pale, golden light…

She shut the door and went up to the chair, sitting on it…

The cold night air disappeared, fading away as the lantern’s warmth spread up her body; as if it were Christmas, as she sat before the fireplace, watching the fire as she absorbed the warmth of the flame and its gold…

She placed her bag on the floor, thunk, and then laid herself back; her eyes falling heavier and heavier and her being turning tired… it’s as if she would be falling asleep, here and now…

Her eyes were to the sky… gazing up high, blinking, slow and tired… her vision fading… and fading… as she saw the stars… twinkling above her… spreading and melting into the calm night…

— Wait…

Immediately, she was jolted awake— the sleepiness all snapped away as she looked up and around her…

The roof was gone…

No… the night sky was melting into reality…

The sky melted, twinkling of stars and whispering of a good night and an embrace. The darkness melted from the roof down the walls, washing the webs away without a sound nor a trace; letting the wood and webs all fade into the blur lining the realities…

It melted and melted further, showing her a different reality of stars and lights and colorful wafts of colors and lights… showing her a dream… or was this world a dream…?

The night sky of space met the floor— and the wooden floor of the shack disappeared into the blur as she fell into the embrace of space itself…

She floated… and she looked around, seeing shooting stars and galaxies and colors of purple and blue and gold and bright velvety reds like silks and steam and lines of ribbon and linen… all of it captured in a single frame and a single reality— this night sky… this velvety night…

But then she felt herself tire once more, feeling the slumber and the night all embrace her… her heart warm now… no longer cold… as she closed her eyes… feeling a warm embrace hold her body…

Ring… ring…

She woke up, wiping her eyes as she rolled over her bed… feeling the soft cotton rub and gently caress her legs and arms and her being… as she looked at her phone and saw that dawn had come…

Then, with a sudden question, she asked herself; her voice small and fragile… cold to a memory forever lost…

“What happened… last night…?”