Night Nature

• Natasha Pietropoli, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2016

I'm restless. Every nights the same, and every night will be. I sleep roughly an hour and then get up and wander around until morning. But last night, last night was different.

I had slept right up to the hour and then went outside and started on the city. I walked down the dark and abandoned streets of my suburb, only the flickering street lights leaving eerie glows on the sidewalk and the stars to light my way. It was about two in the morning when I decided to go to the park to lay down and watch the stars dance across the sky. I took my time strolling the journey to the small park about ten blocks away from my house.

The park was dark as always with a few lights here and there. You could hear cars passing on the highway in the distance, but all I was focused on was the sound of crickets and the beauty of night nature as I like to say. I soon found my usual hill and climb almost to the top, laying down at the beginning of the peak so my body is laying on the slope of the hill.

I don't know how long I laid there, under the stars, ten minutes, maybe fifteen, twenty at most, but soon I heard footsteps, coming towards me. I didn't think anything of them at first, there are always park rangers roaming around and they knew me and allow me to be here because of what I am… but usually they don't bother me.

The footsteps continued to get closer and I stared getting nervous, the park rangers never bother me, the never usually get this close, but I decided to leave it alone.

About a minute later, I felt someone lay down next to me.

"So... what brings you here at this hour of the night?" It was a boys voice, maybe sixteen or seventeen, around my age.

I looked over to the source of the voice, and my guesses were correct as far as I could see. A light from the nearby pathway cast a glow on on his face. He had dark curly hair messily styled and green piercing eyes, basically, he was gorgeous.

"Um, I like to wander at night, I can never sleep." I respond

"Same here, you have it too? I hardly ever sleep these days, usually I just wonder around the city"

"Unfortunately I do and i do too, I find it very peaceful out here at night, it's my favourite place to come. I can just look out to the stars and think what it would be like to be anywhere but here." I said

"I'm Josiah" he finally says

"Aspyn"

He nodded and looked up at the sky, and I did the same. We spend the next few hours just laying there, under the stars both beautifully suffering the depths of insomnia.