Luminous, Passing By

Georgina Elizabeth Prineppi | Kristy Lankford

I clutched a handful of dewy blades as we sat on the grass in darkness. Anticipation stilled us. In our silence, we studied the sounds of the night: a billowing breeze, the thrum of crickets, whispers through the thready wildflowers. All the lights had been doused, and even the stars had dimmed their radiance, leaving a canvas both dark and deep. Only the fireflies continued to flicker, unaware and content.

The first explosion shuddered through me, and a streak of white fire blazed across the void above. A blistering crackle followed, and the lustrous star shattered into a thousand shimmering sapphires, illuminating the world below. My companions materialized around me in the unearthly glow, but my gaze remained fixed on the sky as the blue light faded. A blast heralded yet another taking flight.

I reached my hand out in the dark, tracing its silvery, distant path—luminous, passing by.