Story-A-Day #37: Starburst

STARBURST

It was a quiet winter night, the kind where everything is subdued. Snow fell lightly from the sky and covered the city in a soft blanket of snow. It was beautiful and I had decided to take the long way home to soak in a bit of the tranquillity and really get in touch with myself.

Let’s face it, this is a busy time of year and one that is often full of stress and concern. It can also be a time of joy and peace, but putting gifts under the tree and food on the table can be a little taxing on the resources.

I had finished a long week at work, the second to last one before the holiday break, and things didn’t look to be lightening up anytime soon. There was a stack of paper work on my desk that constantly threatened to topple out across our office. I chugged away all day every day, even eating my lunch at my desk as a time saving measure, and yet it seemed like by the end of each day, the to-do pile was bigger than the done one. Bigger than when I had started even.

So here I was, decompressing a bit as I made my way home. My girlfriend would be waiting, so I didn’t want to be too long, but I needed to clear my head a bit before I settled into our long night of gift-wrapping.

So far, it was working. The snow crunched lightly under my boots and the soft breeze speckled the snow across my glasses. There were plenty of cars out tonight, but the sound of their revving engines and ice spinning tires, were oddly subdued. I stood still for a moment in the parking lot and listened to the sounds of tranquillity. It wasn’t quite silent, but it wasn’t far off either.

I turned my head towards the sky to let the fluffy snowflakes fall directly on my face. I had my eyes closed at first, but something made them open. Something had gotten my attention.

I looked around the parking lot, expecting to see another person passing by, or perhaps a car approaching, but I was alone. I glanced over at the building to see if maybe someone had stepped outside, or perhaps a custodian was clearing snow, but there was nothing.

That was when I noticed the humming sound, a quiet whir that almost faded into the white noise of the falling snow. I glanced around and was about to dismiss the entire thing when a bright light erupted above me.

I shielded my face with my arm and glanced skyward. I was near a lamppost and figured the bulb must have received a power surge, however, when I looked up it was clear that that was not the case.

A Shimmering light dodged just beyond the streetlight, sending out pulsating beams of pink and purple. I had never scene anything like it. The whirring sound continued, a soft purr that almost sounded like music.

With a flash, it was gone. I stood alone in the parking lot, surrounded by the still of a cool winter’s night. I felt at peace. I waited for nearly half an hour, then slowly made my way home. I don’t know what they light was, but I do know that it left me wanting more.