A More Surprising World
Nayeli Karunaekara Age 10
A Dilemma in Space The Darkest Night Snow fell from the sky. The tiny flakes looked like stars in the pitch-black night sky. Perry looked up. The sky was a black mass, lacking the stars and the moon it usually displayed. Unease settled over him, but Perry shrugged it away. Perry glanced at his watch, which displayed the date (02-9-4037), the time (22:24), and the moon cycle for the night. There’s supposed to be a new moon tonight, Perry thought. Perry tried to believe himself, but some strange feeling stopped him. He trudged through the snow; his mind still on the abnormal sky. As he neared his house, his footsteps became quicker in pace, and he broke out into a run once his house was in sight. Hopefully, when he got home, his mind would be cleared. Perry examined the street lamps, the only light that illuminated the houses around him, as he raced past them. They were old and dim, and they flickered as if they were talking to each other about why a sixteen-year old teenage boy was walking around in the cold at this time of night. When Perry reached his house, he knocked softly on the door, not wanting to wake up his little brother, Minro, in case he was asleep (which he most likely was, for he loved to sleep, and it was late at night). There was the faint swish of a curtain, and a split second later, the door opened. It was Papa. “Perry!” he shouted with joy. Papa cupped his hand over his mouth. “Minro is sleeping,” he whispered. “What took you so long?” Papa asked. “Nothing, I just lost my way,” Perry responded. “OK . . .” Papa murmured as if he didn’t believe Perry. Wanting to get out of the conversation, Perry let out a fake yawn. “I’m very tired,” he lied. “I’d better go to bed.” He strode over to his room and opened the door as slowly as possible, not wanting to wake his younger brother. He silently shut the door behind him. The door creaked, but it was barely more than a whisper of a sound. Perry collapsed on the bed. He was so . . . tired? Drained? There wasn’t a word to describe it. Perry inspected the inky sky through the window as he laid in bed and slowly drifted off to sleep.
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