Light of the Stars
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“The rising sun will never set on the stars.”
My mother used to say that when the moon rose and the monsters came to my room. It was a reminder of the light’s imminent return. It was hard to remember the light when the shadows stole it away.
The silver moon hung lonely in the sky, the stars making no appearance to further break the solid darkness above. Candles burned faintly behind closed shutters.
Each step of mine crunched as gravel shifted beneath my feet. No faces peered from within houses. The world stayed still and silent, oppressive against my skin. The cool night air made an image of my breath as it left my mouth.
I saw no sun nor stars as I walked to the graveyard, cloak pulled over my head. I searched for light amid the tombstones but found none. The note in hand, I opened the gate with care.
“Hello?”
My call carried, hollow on the wind. I wandered past tombstones, my bones shaking as I moved among the ghosts of those since passed on. I froze as a black cat crossed my path, green eyes glowing like lamps.
“Jules? Where are you?”
I looked down, the exaggerated cursive instructing me to head for the farthest crypt in the yard. The weathered stone loomed ominously above me. It was bad enough being the new girl at school, I could only hope this wasn’t all an elaborate prank.
“Jules, I’m here!”
I hesitated before using a cloak covered hand to open the door, the cold seeped through anyways. I walked into the darkness with a forced confidence, my heels clicking so loudly it made me want to cringe.
“Come on guys, this isn’t funny, turn on the lights.”
The scrape of a match sounded behind me, and I turned, relieved that I wasn’t alone. Then I tensed.
“You aren’t Jules.”
The woman smiled at me as she lit one of the candles. Her teeth flashed, the same white as her skin hiding behind her deep red lips.
“No, honey. Afraid not. But don’t worry, we can still have fun.”
Her eyes flashed with the same light as the cat and I flinched away, instinctively searching for the stars. But the sun had set on me, leaving me trapped in this tomb. When she attacked, I didn’t bother with trying to scream.
<><><>
Down the street from the cemetery, a small house stood decorated like a crypt. The lawn was covered in fake tombstones and children. Teenagers ran amuck, bobbing for apples and dancing to Halloween themed music that played.
One girl stood at the end of the driveway, frowning down the street despite her iridescent mermaid makeup.
“Hey Jules, what’s the matter? Waiting on the new girl?”
“She should’ve been here by now.”
“Maybe she changed her mind.”
Jules sighed and her childhood friend took that as a dismissal.
The wind screamed silently, unheard over the music. The new girl never arrived.
Emily-Rose Moskau
Emily-Rose Moskau is a student at Algonquin College. Her favourite genre is fantasy, and in her free time she can be found surrounded by various creative projects.
