This choice: The planetarium has an event for tonight's meteor shower. • Go Back... As day turned to dusk, Yllana went out into town the Tuesday before Halloween. She held a ticket to the planetarium tight in her clutches as she made her way to a special event.
As a Moongleam, Yllana had been fascinated by the heavenly bodies like many in her family. It was tradition that everyone had a name from the stars, and Yllana had 'Delphinus' for a middle name and it wasn't to her taste, as it meant dolphin and she didn't take to sea creatures. One of her aunts, who always went by her middle name of Cassiopeia only addressed others in the family by their astrological middle names, and her moniker of 'Delphine' for little Yllana was more embarrassing.
It wasn't to say that Yllana disliked the names of stars, only her own. She would have rather had a more interesting middle name such as Lyra, Gemini, Bootes, or Astoria. Although when she had shared the latter with her friends Rupert had told her that her initials would have been 'YAM' and both Bernice and Emerson found that hilarious.
In the center of town, Yllana lined up for the shuttle driving from town square to the planetarium up on the bluff. Those with tickets for the event got to be shuttled, as the road to the planetarium was otherwise closed. Not only was a rick, orange harvest moon in the sky but another rare astrological event would be visible tonight in the pre-midnight hours. The planetarium staff had asked the town to reduce as much light around the planetarium as possible, so cars were not permitted up on the bluff to decrease light pollution.
Yllana took a seat in the middle of the bus after having her ticket checked, and after a few moments her friend Bernice plopped down on the seat next to her.
"*munch* hey 'Llana," Bernice said with her mouth full, offering a bag. "Wan'na toffee?"
"No thank you," Yllana said, surprised that one of her friends was also attending the private planetarium event. Last time it had been brought up in conversation everyone else had found it too boring.
"Suit yourself," Bernice said, keeping her mouth sticky with toffee.
"Why have you come?" Yllana asked, bemused by the sudden companionship.
Bernice swallowed. "It hadn't sounded that interesting before, but then I found out I could apply the event towards my Astronomy badge. You're coming to our Jamboree, aren't you?"
"If I am available," Yllana said. Bernice had tried to invite her to scouting events in the past but oddly the young Moongleam girl did not mesh with the camping environment. Yllana knew as much if not more about the environs of the woods and its flora and fauna as other scouts, although they didn't take to some of her more esoteric beliefs, and the system of discipline at the scouts was different than the values taught in the Moongleam household.
Shortly after Bernice joined Yllana, the shuttle departed for the planetarium. The girls found themselves to be the youngest of the unsupervised children, although Gallows Spire had something of a small town community where everyone knew of each other. After leaving the edge of town the bus lights became the only lights on the street as the road up to the planetarium was completely blacked out. Yllana and Bernice could see their warped reflections in the bus windows as it drove to the bluff overlooking the town.
Ushers were on hand with flashlights to guide guests indoors, as most of the house lights in the planetarium would turn off once the presentation was underway. The forecast proved to be a chilly, cloud free night so it would be perfect to see the stars. The lobby filled with guests to the event, as everyone checked their coats, used the bathroom, and made use of the facilities before the events would begin.
"You want something from the concessions?" Bernice asked.
"No thank you," Yllana said, as she had dinner before she departed. She suspected Bernice might have at well, although the girl was always hungry.
"Then get us some good seats, Yllana," Bernice said as she dug out her pocket change.
Yllana could oblige that task, as the tickets were exclusive enough that seats were not assigned for this viewing. Yllana selected a pair of center seats the second row back from the projector, where the seat reclined to look up at the dome of the auditorium. A few other eager astronomy buffs had already selected their seats.
As people milled into their seats Bernice sat down next to Yllana, giving her a soda and a bag of popcorn. "It was cheaper to do the combo deal so there's some for you too!" Bernice smiled.
Yllana hid her disdain for the popcorn and soda, as Bernice laid out a tray of cheesy nachos and two boxes of candy on her lap, along with her own popcorn and soda. It was Bernice's way of sharing, although her close friends knew that if there were any leftovers from their lunches Bernice would offer to eat them.
"Chew quietly, please," Yllana asked as Bernice tucked into her snack, reclining her seat all the way and stretching out her neck. The dome of the auditorium was shuttered, so the planetarium would be able to project and presentation on the inside and then open the roof to reveal the actual night sky.
After finishing her bulk snacks, Bernice also reclined back with her bag of popcorn. "So which one is leprosy?" Bernice asked, pointing to some of the engravings on the dome.
"Did you mean Lepus? Or Lupus?"
"Oh, that's right."
Yllana corrected her friend on the proper constellations, and then the auditorium lights dimmed as the presentation started.
The projector cast an image of space overhead, as the planet earth came into view. The narrator went over a brief explanation on how societies had used the stars to track the passage of time for eons, and the planet zoomed into different parts of the globe to show their viewpoint of constellations seen after the harvest season.
The projection was nearly 30 minutes long, and for the final part of the presentation the roof split open. From her vantage point, Yllana could see the auburn moon slightly to the right, and she heard Bernice gasp as a shadow covered part of the moon.
"What's that?" Bernice asked.
"It is the planet's shadow," Yllana whispered, as the narrator continued to explain the phenomena of a luna eclipse. This was the event Yllana wanted to see the most.
Although it had become chillier in the auditorium, Yllana was pleased to have come to the planetarium event, and the surprise of being able to share it with the friend. The satisfaction soon shifted to something concerning, as she saw something downright strange in the sky...   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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