Summer, its blazing heats was always hated by me but what I loved most about summer were the cool nights.

I had been weary from a long day and what I needed the most was a moment to relax. You had invited me over with the plan to watch movies or perhaps play some video games. It was a good plan, I was determined to kick my feet up and take a well-deserved break.

Well it would have been a good plan if we had power. Half way through our match, the entire world turned black. Okay, well not the entire world, just your room and the entire town. I remember in frustration as the cool air from the air conditioner seeped away and replacing it was sticky humidity. I hated the heat because of the humidity, it made me sweat, it made me stick to things, I just hated it.

“Great,” I sighed as I dumped the controller beside me, already feeling my body heating up and forming beads of sweat.

“You really hate the heat don’t you?” you asked me as you smiled under the cover of night, the only thing that brought light to the room was the full moon outside.

“Yes,” I replied simply and added, “Do you think we can just sit in the car with the AC running until the power gets back?”

You laughed at my stupid request and settled our two controllers on the coffee table. “I have a better idea.”

It was dark and so I couldn’t quite see your face as well as I would have liked but I could have sworn I saw your eyes sparkle. I was grumpy at the heat as I growled, “Like what? Whatever it is, it better have air conditioning.”

“It doesn’t but I’m sure you’ll like it. Come on, let’s go.”

We ended up in a park near your home. It was strange walking under total darkness; I had grown so accustomed to streetlamps and store lights to brighten up my world. It was strange to have to depend on the moon to be my only source of light. It had given everything a mystical feel; it made me feel as though I was dreaming and not actually awake. Perhaps that was why my pace was quickening; I had never seen anything like it before.

As I continued to walk along side with you until you suddenly sat yourself down on a patch of grass. I looked down at you in confusion, wiping the sweat forming across my brow. You patted the turf next to you, expecting me to join you.

“What are you doing?” I asked in confusion.

“Sit,” you instructed, not really answering my question.

“No,” I replied simply. I wasn’t going to sit on a patch of grass, knowing the park sprinklers would be the moment the power was back again. I had lived in town long enough to know that every night, sprinklers were on.

You reached up and tugged at my wrist, ignoring my sweat lacing it. “Sit. Or is the grass not suitable for the princess?”

I rolled my eyes at you, doubting you could even see and sat myself down.

“So what do you think?” you asked, gazing up at the night sky.

I however found myself distracted. I hadn’t told you this, or anyone else this before but at that moment I wanted to run. I learnt in class that when faced with something threatening or fearful, it was human nature to have a flight or fight response. Pupils would dilate to allow more light in, heart beat would quicken to pump more blood around the body, digestive tract would pause momentarily, hairs would stand on end, all those things happened in the flight or fight response and that was what I had felt in that moment. I wanted to run. I didn’t know why, you hadn’t done anything to me. You were looking up at the sky but I wanted to run.

Back in your home I was distracted with the video game to take notice of my body but out in the open, just us two, alone. I couldn’t get myself side tracked anymore, I had to face reality. My reality was that I was afraid of you.

I didn’t know why I was afraid but my mind saw you as a threat and my body wanted to respond. I studied about it time and time again. It had made sense in textbooks but what was happening to me in that moment confused me. I simply didn’t understand.

What?” I asked foolishly as I my tore my eyes away from your lips and gazed up at the sky above.

You had said something but I didn’t quite hear as everything in my mind in that moment was simply flushed away. All words in my mouth were ripped right from my throat. I had seen the night sky since the day I was born. In all those years I had never really thought of it as something beautiful and majestic but in that moment, I saw something I never thought possible. The lights of the city had always plagued the night sky, polluting it, masking it from its true wonder.

Stars twinkled above us just like every other night but the numbers of them, they were immense. I had never expected to see an entire ocean of stars. The sky itself seemed silver with shades of black scattered across instead of the night sky being black with silvery stars. The full moon illuminated the streets with a dim silvery light and ignited the sky with all its glory.

My mouth had been open agape as you laughed at me. 

I punched your shin as I continued to look up at the night sky, finally seeing the true magnificence of it all. “It’s like something from movies.”

You pushed my shoulder to knock me over but I had managed to steady myself. “It’s not every day you get to see they sky like this. It only happens whenever the entire city is out.”

I crossed my legs and looked over at you lying half lazily on the patch of grass beside me. Your dark eyes glistened something, something I wanted to misread or hoped that it was the trick of light but for a moment I thought I had seen desire. But no, I had definitely misread or at least that was the lie I told myself.

“That’s a shame,” I sighed.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a shame that this,” I pointed up at the sky in all its splendour, “Is only seen when people are forced to go outside because the power’s down and even then, the power outage was probably an accident. So seeing stuff like this is purely accidental.”

You laughed at me and sat up. You were close to me, I could feel it. Your legs were splayed out and I found myself staring at the tears in your jeans. You always told me that was part of the ‘designer’ look but I always said it looked as if you couldn’t afford to buy anything new but of course I was always joking, partially.

“What?” you asked me after catching me staring at the rip at your knee for too long.

I entered that mode of panic and fear again. My heart began to thunder in my chest, pumping adrenaline throughout my body. My breathing quickened, my pupils dilated, my reflexes were on edge as my body prepared itself to run. To run and get away from you but I didn’t want to run. Mentally I didn’t want to run but my body told me otherwise.

“You need new pants,” I teased as I pointed over at his jeans, wanting to side-track myself.

You slapped my thigh and sent a jolt of electricity flash through my body. It had taken me all the willpower to not push you away and sprint all the way home.

“Whatever,” you growled, “You’re just jealous because you lack my style.”

“I have style,” I defended as I straightened myself up a little.

“Oh do you?” you smirked deviously.

It was only then did I realize how close we were. You didn’t seem to mind or perhaps you hadn’t noticed but I did and I was scared. I didn’t know what I was scared of but I was scared of something and I believed it was you.

You edged a little closer, testing the waters. You waited to see if I would back away but I didn’t. I couldn’t. It was a good sign for you because meant that I wasn’t afraid but oh how that was a lie.

“Himchan?” you whispered in a soft hum.

Before I could reply, ice cold water sprayed across our faces. The city illuminated in its golden lights and the sprinkler system had resumed its nightly routine. I leapt up onto my feet and wiped the water away from my face. It wasn’t as if I was worried about getting wet, it was just water but I needed to get away from you. I had to rely on my instincts and my instincts told me to run and so I did.