The fun afternoon had speed by, as the sun began to set all four kids were
yawing. The cloudless blue sky erupted into a symphony of pink, gold, red,
and orange as the sun sunk below the horizon. Mills, Tack and kit gathered
the picnic things in the waning light as Swan lit the lantern that he had
brought along. The stars were just coming out into a moonless midnight blue
sky as Swan and Spot picked up the sleeping girls. Mills grabbed the basket
while Wil took the lantern from Swan. Kit walked next to Spot holding on to
his arm.
As they slowly made their way back to the farmstead. Bait slipped a hand into Kit's free one. "Kit why do you have so many more stares than in Brooklyn?"
"Cause we don't have the building blocking your view." Kit said as she gestured to the sky in which stars seemed to touch the horizon.
"But even on the roof there aren't this many stars." Bait protested.
"But the buildings are still there. Plus we only have the light of the lantern to see by. But in Brooklyn you have al the street lights and the lights from the windows. I bet if you were to go to the roof late at night you could see a lot more stars." Kit explained. Bait seemed to accept her explanation and was silent the rest of the walk back to the house. Though Kit wasn't talking her mind was whirling with an idea. When they reached the yard Kit took her hand from Spot's arm and held Bait and Jolly back as the rest entered the house. "Mills can I get that blanket? I am going to show the twins the stars." Mills handed over the blanket with a questioning look.
"Youse sure you'll be okay out there?"
"Yes, there isn't anyone for miles. Plus we are just going over that hill." Mills nodded as Kit took the two young boys' hands and led them to her star spot. "As we walked back I realized that you to have probably never been out star gazing. I used to do this will Swan and Cray all the time when we were little. We'd sneak out and meet back here and spend hours just looking up. I think we spent the entire fall before we became newsies trying to count the stars."
"Why did you do that Kit?" Bait asked as he and Jolly helped lay out the blanket.
"Because we were sure we could. Here why don't we lay down with our heads in the middle and I'll point out some pictures."
"You can see pictures in the sky?" Jolly asked incredulously.
"Yes, you have to draw them but they are there. Here follow where I point. See those four stars that make a square? Follow that one up and you have a handle. That's the big dipper and there is the little dipper."
"That is cool, what about those three stars in a line there?" Bait asked. "Those are part of the Indian. That is the first picture my dad pointed out to me one night as we were coming home from town. He said that the Indian is only a hunger for part of the year though. The rest of the year he is hunted by the rabbit." "The rabbit? How is he hunted by a rabbit?" Jolly asked
"See those stars there in a V shape? Those are the rabbit's ears. Some times they follow the Indian and others the Indian follows them. It depends on the time of year."
"Hey what's that?" Bait asked pointing quickly, almost smacking Kit in the face.
"What's what Bait?" "A star thing flew across the sky see there is another one." "Oh quick make a wish." Kit said excitedly. "Why?" Both boys asked at once. "Because it's a shooting star, if you make a wish it will come true. But don't' tell me or anyone else." Kit said quickly.
The twins lapsed into silence for a while and Kit thought they might have fallen asleep. As she watched the sky trying to pick out the constellations her father had taught her an amazing light show unfolded above them. An eerie glow of green and blue danced in sheets of light moving back and fourth like sheets on a clothesline waving in a summer breeze. They rippled and changed color at random. The colors jumped and moved as if alive. The light show lasted for what seemed like an eternity and only mere moments at the same time as Kit lay mesmerized by the lights.
"Kit what was that?" A gruff voice from near Kit's feet made her sit up suddenly.
"Whose there?" Kit asked her voice shaking in awe at the light show and in fear.
"Me Spot." Spot said coming to sit next to her on the blanket, mindful of the two sleeping boys.
Kit sighed in relief, "When did you get here?"
"Right before the lights in the sky started up. When you didn't come in I asked Mills what happened, she said you took the boys off to star gaze. So I to help you bring them back incase they were asleep. So what were those lights?"
"I am not sure. My pa told us about seeing something like that when he wasn't much older than the boys are. His family had come out here in the wagon trains and he said that he had been up late one night and had seen colored lights dance across the sky. Though my grandparents thought he had been seeing things Pa believed what he had seen and told us kids stories about it during the winter. He always said he wanted to see them again before he died. Then the winter before he died he came in from checking the stock he was talking about seeing the lights again. Those lights were exactly how he described them."
"They were different, almost scary in how they changed colors, but beautiful at the same time." Spot said in awe.
"Yeah I know, I wish Pa was here to see them again. But I am glad you saw them." Kit said as she snuggled close to Spot.
Spot kissed the top of her head, "Me too. So you ready to go back to the house? Jeremy and Josh are here but I am sure they are all already in bed."
Kit sighed as she stood up. "I guess. Which one do you want?"
"I think I could take on Jeremy." Spot said seriously.
Kit giggled, "I am sure you could but I meant which of the twins did you want to carry."
"Oh well I'll take which ever one is right here. I'll get the blanket too."
"No leave that here. I think I want to come back out after I put these two into their room."
"Do you want to be alone?"
"No I've been alone way to much lately. Come on lets go put them to bed and grab another blanket incase it gets cold." Kit said picking up the boy next to her. The two teens made their way back to the house using the light of the stars.
AN: First off I would like to say that I am a big star freak and I think that is why I like being at home so much. I can see stars forever and there are a lot of them, my advice is that if you live in a city. Leave the city at least once until you are out of the light pollution and just look up. The view is awe-inspiring. Also my last experience with the Northern Lights, which is what Kit and Spot saw, was when I was about 9. Those are beautiful also and my little description can't even come close. Hopefully the last of this story will be coming soon; but with my muse who knows. Sorry I have kept you waiting so long. Hope you enjoyed my starry night. Please Read and Review.
As they slowly made their way back to the farmstead. Bait slipped a hand into Kit's free one. "Kit why do you have so many more stares than in Brooklyn?"
"Cause we don't have the building blocking your view." Kit said as she gestured to the sky in which stars seemed to touch the horizon.
"But even on the roof there aren't this many stars." Bait protested.
"But the buildings are still there. Plus we only have the light of the lantern to see by. But in Brooklyn you have al the street lights and the lights from the windows. I bet if you were to go to the roof late at night you could see a lot more stars." Kit explained. Bait seemed to accept her explanation and was silent the rest of the walk back to the house. Though Kit wasn't talking her mind was whirling with an idea. When they reached the yard Kit took her hand from Spot's arm and held Bait and Jolly back as the rest entered the house. "Mills can I get that blanket? I am going to show the twins the stars." Mills handed over the blanket with a questioning look.
"Youse sure you'll be okay out there?"
"Yes, there isn't anyone for miles. Plus we are just going over that hill." Mills nodded as Kit took the two young boys' hands and led them to her star spot. "As we walked back I realized that you to have probably never been out star gazing. I used to do this will Swan and Cray all the time when we were little. We'd sneak out and meet back here and spend hours just looking up. I think we spent the entire fall before we became newsies trying to count the stars."
"Why did you do that Kit?" Bait asked as he and Jolly helped lay out the blanket.
"Because we were sure we could. Here why don't we lay down with our heads in the middle and I'll point out some pictures."
"You can see pictures in the sky?" Jolly asked incredulously.
"Yes, you have to draw them but they are there. Here follow where I point. See those four stars that make a square? Follow that one up and you have a handle. That's the big dipper and there is the little dipper."
"That is cool, what about those three stars in a line there?" Bait asked. "Those are part of the Indian. That is the first picture my dad pointed out to me one night as we were coming home from town. He said that the Indian is only a hunger for part of the year though. The rest of the year he is hunted by the rabbit." "The rabbit? How is he hunted by a rabbit?" Jolly asked
"See those stars there in a V shape? Those are the rabbit's ears. Some times they follow the Indian and others the Indian follows them. It depends on the time of year."
"Hey what's that?" Bait asked pointing quickly, almost smacking Kit in the face.
"What's what Bait?" "A star thing flew across the sky see there is another one." "Oh quick make a wish." Kit said excitedly. "Why?" Both boys asked at once. "Because it's a shooting star, if you make a wish it will come true. But don't' tell me or anyone else." Kit said quickly.
The twins lapsed into silence for a while and Kit thought they might have fallen asleep. As she watched the sky trying to pick out the constellations her father had taught her an amazing light show unfolded above them. An eerie glow of green and blue danced in sheets of light moving back and fourth like sheets on a clothesline waving in a summer breeze. They rippled and changed color at random. The colors jumped and moved as if alive. The light show lasted for what seemed like an eternity and only mere moments at the same time as Kit lay mesmerized by the lights.
"Kit what was that?" A gruff voice from near Kit's feet made her sit up suddenly.
"Whose there?" Kit asked her voice shaking in awe at the light show and in fear.
"Me Spot." Spot said coming to sit next to her on the blanket, mindful of the two sleeping boys.
Kit sighed in relief, "When did you get here?"
"Right before the lights in the sky started up. When you didn't come in I asked Mills what happened, she said you took the boys off to star gaze. So I to help you bring them back incase they were asleep. So what were those lights?"
"I am not sure. My pa told us about seeing something like that when he wasn't much older than the boys are. His family had come out here in the wagon trains and he said that he had been up late one night and had seen colored lights dance across the sky. Though my grandparents thought he had been seeing things Pa believed what he had seen and told us kids stories about it during the winter. He always said he wanted to see them again before he died. Then the winter before he died he came in from checking the stock he was talking about seeing the lights again. Those lights were exactly how he described them."
"They were different, almost scary in how they changed colors, but beautiful at the same time." Spot said in awe.
"Yeah I know, I wish Pa was here to see them again. But I am glad you saw them." Kit said as she snuggled close to Spot.
Spot kissed the top of her head, "Me too. So you ready to go back to the house? Jeremy and Josh are here but I am sure they are all already in bed."
Kit sighed as she stood up. "I guess. Which one do you want?"
"I think I could take on Jeremy." Spot said seriously.
Kit giggled, "I am sure you could but I meant which of the twins did you want to carry."
"Oh well I'll take which ever one is right here. I'll get the blanket too."
"No leave that here. I think I want to come back out after I put these two into their room."
"Do you want to be alone?"
"No I've been alone way to much lately. Come on lets go put them to bed and grab another blanket incase it gets cold." Kit said picking up the boy next to her. The two teens made their way back to the house using the light of the stars.
AN: First off I would like to say that I am a big star freak and I think that is why I like being at home so much. I can see stars forever and there are a lot of them, my advice is that if you live in a city. Leave the city at least once until you are out of the light pollution and just look up. The view is awe-inspiring. Also my last experience with the Northern Lights, which is what Kit and Spot saw, was when I was about 9. Those are beautiful also and my little description can't even come close. Hopefully the last of this story will be coming soon; but with my muse who knows. Sorry I have kept you waiting so long. Hope you enjoyed my starry night. Please Read and Review.