Perseids

Mirtala yawned, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. She would have rubbed them, but Chloe currently had possession of her wrist. She dragged Mirtala down the boardwalk, illuminated only by fireflies and moonlight. The planks creaked underfoot, the cawing of seagulls alerting Mirtala that they were by the lake, where the waves radiated under the stars.

Down the rickety steps, Chloe guided her across the sand. Admiral Cruller was currently off-duty, preoccupied with his partner - Mirtala's nona, much to her displeasure. They might have been a couple for the past five years, but it didn't mean Mirtala had much respect for him. No amount of compliments could earn him her favor.

But when she glared at the empty boathouse, Chloe released her. "We're almost there," she said, pointing at a canoe left near the bulletin board. "It's just to the floating dock."

Mirtala mumbled her agreement as Chloe telekinetically dragged the canoe to the water. She breathed in the scent of algae wafting from the receding waves. She regarded the sky, the crescent moon shining above them, but the splash of the canoe hitting the water brought Mirtala's attention back to Chloe.

Stepping into it, Chloe gestured for Mirtala to follow. Instinct took hold of her as she spotted an opportunity to perform. Mirtala vaulted into the air, tucked her knees to her chest, and flipped a single time before landing perfectly on her toes on the canoe's rim. Chloe steadied herself, their vessel jostling back and forth from the sudden impact. Mirtala hopped down into her seat, the waves lapping the canoe's rounded edges, and Chloe steered them toward the floating dock, her fingers pressed to her temple, her back facing Mirtala.

The acrobat slipped her fingers into the lake, parting the calm waters. Her vestiges of sleep were gone as the cool breeze blew through her scalp. With Chloe at the helm, Mirtala watched her, a small smile curving her lips upward.

While she initially mourned the loss of her pleasant dream, when she realized it was Chloe nudging her shoulder, she had immediately forgotten it. Chloe had pulled her from her bunk, urging Mirtala to accompany her without further elaboration. And Mirtala had, her hair unbrushed and blown in the wind that whirled around them, the salt sinking into her messy curls while Chloe cut an even course for the floating dock.

The canoe tapped against the sturdy wood. Chloe strolled to the center of the dock, and Mirtala bounded after her. Spotting monstrous tracks in the planks, Mirtala wondered if Linda had a dinner date with her turtle partner earlier in the evening, the slight stench of steamed trout still lingering.

"So," Mirtala began, wrapping her arms behind her back, "what are we doing here?"

Chloe checked her chunky wristwatch. Silver star stickers decorated the velcro clasp. Nodding to herself, she sat and crossed her legs, saying, "We've arrived in time. Observe the atmosphere."

Mirtala shrugged. She bounced, tucked her feet to the backs of her knees, and landed perfectly on her bottom. Tilting her head back, she stared at the stars blinking and twinkling overhead, their soft light almost obscured by the clouds tinted midnight blue. The moon had shifted closer to the horizon, but it was not yet touching, the near pitch black night surrounding them.

"In approximately five minutes, when the hour hand reaches four, it will still be evening. Dawn is not for another seventy-two minutes," Chloe remarked. She held up her watch. "See?"

Mirtala squinted, and Chloe brought her wrist closer. The face of the watch was dark, but Mirtala noticed her shade of plum nail polish. "Um, I think I did," she said as Chloe lowered her hand to her lap.

Chloe reached behind her only to pause. "Oh, that's right. I left my backpack stored underneath my bunk. A flashlight would have been helpful."

"It's okay! We got here without anything or anyone bothering us." Mirtala cocked her head. "But what are we waiting for?" She suddenly gasped, an idea striking her, and she clapped her hands on her cheeks, lowering her voice to an eager whisper. "Are we gonna get beamed up by aliens? Are one of those UFOs coming?"

Chloe shook her head, but she quietly chuckled. "Unfortunately, no. On the brighter side, we will see something spectacular that happens once every year in this region, and this is the perfect viewing spot."

Mirtala beamed, her eyes widening. Chloe commented that her pupils dilated again; their dark enormity was once a sign of Mirtala's alien heritage. Descendants from Zwicky's Triplet also had "bug eyes," as Chloe once called her, the apparent insult not cruel at all with Chloe's observant intonation while she had leaned close to examine her. (Although neither believed she was an alien now, it had been an exciting prospect to consider when they first met.)

They waited. For what, Mirtala didn't know. Asking would ruin the surprise, and Chloe had chosen to share the moment with her alone. Milka often accompanied them, but tonight, it was only Chloe and Mirtala, the realization blossoming a giddiness in her chest. She bobbed in place, happy butterflies in her stomach, and she asked for a hint on what they would witness.

Chloe hummed to herself. "Well, it's a shower."

"Oh! Is it gonna rain?" she exclaimed, clenching her fists.

"An understandable guess, but no. It's…"

Chloe trailed off, her gaze lifting toward the moon. She reached for her helmet, and to Mirtala's surprise, she removed it. Deep green eyes, full of wonder, scrutinized the clouds, seeking something Mirtala could not.

Setting her helmet aside, she pointed toward the clouds parting aside for them. With reverence, she breathed out, "It's finally here."

Mirtala stared. The clouds broke, the wind blowing a little harder on their backs. But she didn't care for the sudden chill when a brilliant light streaked across the sky. It cut a clean arch through the stars and vanished into thin air, its blaze a fiery yellow.

More pursued. A few flashed at speeds Mirtala couldn't comprehend, as if they were figments of her imagination. Then, in the span of Mirtala's gasp, dozens of lights sprinted across the twilight. They proved their existence, shining arrows spearing through the darkness, overpowering the glow of the stars and moon alike.

She was awed. Mirtala had seen one or two shooting stars but never in such a vast quantity. It was as if they'd never end, unable or unwilling to stop even if commanded by a powerful psychic. As they crisscrossed, blitzing and surging toward an unknown destination, Mirtala watched in silent astonishment, her hands clasped together, her mouth agape.

But out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Chloe.

Chloe smiled gently at the luminous display. She followed every one of them, her eyes darting to and fro with rapid movement. And she offered Mitala a glance, explaining, "This is a meteor shower, as humans would say. When comets travel, they leave behind rocky debris that sometimes comes in contact with this planet's atmosphere." She leaned back, resting on her elbows before completely lying down, Mirtala flopping over with her. She rubbed her palms together. "They generate extensive amounts of heat when clashing with air particles, and as they descend-" She opened her hands to the sky. "-the heat vaporizes and creates the illusion of a shooting star."

"You're - that's pretty," Mirtala replied, looking only at her. She hesitantly extended her arm, her fingers brushing against Chloe's still raised hand. Her tone seasoned her marvel. "Um, thanks for bringing me out here!"

At her alacritous pitch and squeak of surprise, Chloe finally met Mirtala's gaze. She continued grinning as she took Mirtala's hand. Lowering it, she laced their fingers together, not saying another word.

And even as the meteors fizzled out, dozens of blistering glimmers becoming a couple of lights inching across the atmosphere in a matter of minutes, they lay there, hand-in-hand, until dawn.