David Lancaster
May 26, 2009 9:29 PM
Catching a meteor shower by David Lancaster
While technically it was past curfew, David reasoned it was also well into the next day and so possibly not against the rules. The thought had struck him his first time visiting the Gardens. The view overhead had been untouched by artificial lights, tall buildings, or any other sort of distraction. He had tested his theory that same night, finding the night sky as pure and as clear as he had ever seen it, and a burst of a warming realization touched him in that moment. What would that sky look like in early October, when the Draconids began their tour of the horizon? The comet only passed every six years or so, and this year the meteors would be more visible than ever.He had told himself then, that he would be sure to check and see for himself.
David tiptoed from his dorm room, a regretful glance spared for his roommates. He had considered inviting one or even all of them to join him, but his star watching was something private to him. He was tempered to tolerate the teasing of most any of his other hobbies or likes, but he did not want to put this particular like up for commentary. He held his satchel close to his chest as he crept down the stairs and slipped through the exit. He took the hallway in a half jog, sticking to the shadowed walls and avoiding any well lit archways. He reached the Gardens uneventfully and immediately his gaze went to the sky. A small smile spread over his lips as the first blip, unhindered by any of the normal distractions of civilization, swung across the horizon.
He moved hastily, finding a knoll near the entrance that was hidden by a waist high hedge, and spread out his sleeping bag and pillow. A flicker of light from his wand showed that his watch read the hour was still early for the full barrage of meteors that were sure to make show. He settled back comfortably on the sleeping bag, the grass beneath it an added cushion, and released a long sigh of contentment. It had been ages since he had felt so unhindered. He hadn't known how heavy his parents' constant expectations were until he was out from under them. No tennis lessons to fail at, no math tutoring to not understand, no heated debate over dinner to fall prey to- for the first time in ages, David felt he could be himself, without recourse or repercussion. It was, he decided, a very nice feeling indeed.
An arch of light struck across the skyline, quickly followed by a second and then a third, until the bursts of four and five turned into a torrent of strung light. David's eyes widened and his lips curved in a slow smile; so distracted was he by the meteor shower overhead that he missed entirely the entrance of a second person into his knoll, and continued on in ignorance until said addition spoke up.
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David Lancaster
Catching a meteor shower
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David Lancaster
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