Chasing The Stars

When Luna awoke that August morning, she knew they had visited her again.

She beamed, smiling ear to ear. It had been years since the last visit. She was only seven then and, according to them, was far too young for such an adventure.

Laying in her bed, Luna could still smell the lingering space dust they left behind, all metallic and filled with new places. Like last time, they would come again tonight. They were a prudent bunch, always running tests to make sure the traveller was up to the journey. This time, however, Luna knew that she was ready; She was taller, almost twice the size as before; She was smarter, having read every book on space she could get her excited fingers on; And, above all, she was more adventurous now than ever before, the veteran of dozens upon dozens of missions around the farm.

She looked over at Val, who was snuggled into the blanket alongside her, and grinned again. Val was ready too. There was excitement in the air, like a bubble of buzzing bees between the pair. This was good. Luna had a busy day ahead of her and would need Val’s help getting ready for the trip. There was much packing to do. Farewells to be said. And an Asteroid to hold.

Pulling the blanket back, Luna got out of bed and made her way to the telescope by the window. She peered into the eyeglass and searched across the horizon for Proxima Centauri. But Luna couldn’t find the planet anywhere, it was hiding from her. All things considered, it wasn’t being very courteous. She made her way to the closet, the worn hardwood cool beneath her bare feet.

A busy day required something sensible, something with knees, and something that would not tear. Tracing her finger across the hanging clothes, Luna began to cross things off. No dresses, they would not do. No skirts or shorts, they didn’t have the knees she needed. She stopped on her overalls: Thick, blue, and filled with plenty of prior adventures, they were perfect. Luna pulled them off the hanger, stepped into the legs, and then buckled the bright brass buttons over her shoulders. She was ready. After deciding it was best to leave Val to pack the bags, Luna left her bedroom and made her way down the steep stairs that led to the kitchen.

Much to Luna’s relief, the kitchen was vacant; The empty cups on the counter and empty chairs tucked underneath the table told the tale of an early day. It was safe to assume her parents were already in the fields, haying and working and bringing in the crops. This was good. She wasn’t ready to tell them she was leaving, it was best not to worry them while they still had work to do.

Luna ate a bowl of frosted flakes. As she was finishing her cereal, slurping up the sugary milk, she wondered what the food would be like on Proxima Centauri. At the very least, she hoped they would have frosted flakes. After troubling over this for a bit, Luna decided she would bring the box too, just in case. Some things were not worth the risk.

Berries were next on the list. She dug around the container cupboard for an air-tight sealing one. Her rubber boots eagerly awaited her by the front door: Thin, black, and almost up to her knees, they were the perfect boot. Luna stepped into them and out of the house, closing the door behind her.

From where she stood on the worn-out wooden deck, Luna was unable to see the end of the cornfields. Green and endless and filled with cautionary comments, they unfairly stretched off into the horizon, trapping her inside the yard. In her opinion, they were too arrogant and too tall for their own good. Luna considered sticking her tongue out at them. After a moment, she reconsidered; it was best not to upset them while her parents were working, just in case. Some things were not worth the risk.

Swinging the container in her hand as she skipped, Luna made her way to the garden on the backside of the house. She stopped at the edge, sat down, and removed her boots, setting them beside her. Boots were good for the yard and in the barn, but not dirt. Her bare feet worked best for soil. She wiggled her toes as she trod through the garden, enjoying how the cool soil moved through them.

On her right, Luna passed rows of carrots, lettuces, cucumbers, and a large patch of strawberries. On her left, growing on tall verdant vines and stretching the length of the garden, was a wall of unruly sweet peas. She ignored these too. Because at the back, all along the white wooden fence, grew an old-growth bush of blackberries. Sweet with a slight tinge of sour, blackberries were her all-time favourite snack. If Luna was going on an adventure, she needed to bring some with her. After all, they would remind her of home.

Without greeting the bush, Luna reached out to pick and was stabbed by a tiny thorn. Examining her hand, Luna watched a small bright-red berry bloom on the tip of her index finger. She scowled, her eyes tight and filled with betrayal. After a few strong, stern words, however, she began to feel embarrassed about the outburst. The bush didn’t mean to bite her, not really. She was being careless and, since briers are easily startled, it was bound to happen. So Luna apologized for her rudeness. Then, while being more careful and gentle this time, she continued to pick the berries, filling the container to the brim. Afterwards, she closed the lid and fasted the air-tight clamps, readying it for the trip.

While turning around, Luna accidentally stepped on something soft, furry, and not like dirt at all. Surprised, she jumped, while her heart fell like a rock with remorse and realization. She had stepped on little Asteroid’s Tail. And, as a result, Asteroid cried and took off, hurtling away from her with all he had, hurt as hurt.

Luna called after the small orange tabby as he fled. She tried to explain that she didn’t see him underfoot. But it was no use, and Asteroid had vanished in the direction of the barn. She felt like a monster, a great big lumbering careless ogre. Feeling as such, Luna didn’t wiggle her toes in the soil, nor laugh when her boots squelched, belched, and farted as she ran back to the house. She didn’t enjoy it at all. Not one bit.

All whirlwind-like, Luna tore into the house, up the stairs, and into her bedroom, breathing and blowing hard as storms are known to do. She checked her bag, and it was hollow and hungry. Her books were still on the shelves. Her clothes were still in the closet. Nothing had been packed. Unbelievably, Val was still in the bed, laying exactly where she had been when Luna left. She didn’t have time for this. No. not now, not with an orange-tailed asteroid to find.

Luna kept her eyes peeled as she crossed the yard to the barn, searching for any sign of the fleeing orange cat.

Weathered and tall, flaking and cracking, and leaning with age, the barn was much like an old man: tired and ready for retirement. Luna slid open the large wooden sliding door and slipped inside. It was cool and dank and dark. And It smelled of stale straw. While calling his name, Luna checked the little tackle room beside the door. She laid on her belly on the cracked concrete, looking below the shelves in all the proper places asteroids are known to disappear to. He was not there. While walking down the aisle, she checked all the empty stalls, peering through the bars on her tippy toes. He was not there either.

The ladder to the loft creaked beneath her weight. It groaned and grumbled like old men do when their bones ache. She tried to soothe its pain with a kind word, but the ladder was all bent out of shape and wouldn’t listen. As gentle as she could be, Luna climbed the rest of the way and pulled herself up into the loft. And knowing she would need to climb down, she comforted the ladder with a gentle pat. All things considered, he deserved it. After crawling over the bales, checking all the cracks and corners, and squeezing into the small crevices behind them, Luna knew that little asteroid was not inside.

Feeling like a lonely tumbleweed, Luna left the barn and made her way to her sitting spot, hope for a fated farewell dwindling with each step. The gregarious cheery tree grew next to the garden. When she arrived at the tree, Luna felt slightly less tumbled; He was eager to see her. His branches hung lower, more inviting than usual. Pulling herself up on the lowest branch, Luna climbed into the tree. Holding onto one for balance, she scooted her butt out into her spot. It was high enough she could feel what it would be like to fly, and low enough she could try it again afterwards.

Dangling and kicking her feet in a rhythm well-known to small children, Luna watched her parents toil away in the fields. Her mom was driving the big bailer, leaving a trail of circle bales of hay behind, which looked liked crumbs from where she sat. While her father drove a mismatched convoy of tractors and carts, harvesting, plucking, and separating the ears of corn. They were a team. They worked well together. They both had their places. And Luna felt like this wasn’t her place.

Suddenly, there was a loud mewing sound, and Luna looked over to see asteroid moseying across the branch towards her. He stopped, nudged his head against her side, and crawled onto her lap, leaning into her stomach. Finally, she felt the weight of waiting lifted, as her asteroid snuggled up to her. Luna smiled again, all teary and toothy and happy.

Ever since she was little, Luna has looked upwards to the cosmos with questions she couldn’t explain. She knew that some girls were meant to keep their feet on the ground like her mom. But not her. No. Luna had stars in her eyes, an asteroid in her lap, and a moon in her heart. This was not her place.

It was late when her parents retired from the fields. There was no chopping of vegetables for dinner. There was no baking, frying, or sautéing of anything. It was what her mom called a can-opener dinner: a pot of similar soups simmered together, and cold slices of white bread from the fridge. Her mom had foothills next to her eyes, tired and weathered valleys. While her dad had slumbering mountains next to his. It was not a telling time.

One last time, Luna climbed up the steep stairs from the kitchen and went into her bedroom, carrying her rubber boots in her hand. She packed her bag with clothes and books and frosted flakes.

Holding Val tightly, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, Luna stared out the window and waited for them to arrive. It was not long after when they appeared outside her room, bathing her in their neon green lights. She beamed, smiling ear to ear. She had been selected. This time, she had passed their tests. Now there was only one thing left to do. Luna got off the bed and made her way down the hallway and into her parent’s room. Carefully, as to not to wake them since they’ve had a long day, she kissed them both goodbye on their cheek, just in case. Luna had no idea how long she would be gone or when she would be back. And some things were not worth risking.