I watch the children running along the beach. The Sun was as bright as ever as it glistened against the water while sinking into the ocean. Everyone seemed to be packing their bags and beach towels as they make their way back to their cars. It was a good thing for me though, not having to deal with the crazed teens yelling and running around on the beach at two in the morning.

Walking up the stairs to my house I open the door. I let out a sigh and set my camera back down. It was quiet enough throughout the house to where I could hear the floor boards creak from underneath. Making my way into my kitchen I notice a small note set on the counter, assuming it was my neighbor Kathy leaving me another note.

It read,

> “Hey Scarlett,

> I’m throwing another party tonight. You really need to loosen up a little and come every once in a while. Just give it a try.”

I put the note back down on the counter and rub my forehead.

I wouldn’t call Kathy a friend of mine, but i don’t hate her. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to loosen up a little every once in a while. I go over to my room and open my closet to pull out my jumpsuit quickly putting it on. Thinking about it, the jumpsuit was probably the nicest thing I own in my closet, and its as close as I'm going to get to wearing a dress.

There wasn't much I could do with my hair besides clip back the small baby hairs sticking out the side of my head. Buns was usually what I immediately went for when it came to doing my hair, but I guess having it down for once wouldn't hurt.

I make my way back out the door walk over to my neighbor’s house and go in. The first thing I see is lots of people talking to each other with drinks in their hands. Sighing once more, I make my way through the crowd of people in the small house. Kathy was talking to a guy on the deck who I only assume to be who she’s flirting with. I think this will be the first time I've ever showed up to a party since high school. Even then I didn't interact much with people at parties and only went because everyone incouraged me to. This one was no different from the others.

Luckily, I found myself somewhere to sit and wait this party out. My loneliness didn't last too long before Kathy notices me and gets up. I hold my breath as she makes her way over to me.

“You actually came!” She yells. Smiling as wide as I could I give her a simple nod. She tries to grab my hand and stands me up.

“I wanna introduce you to my friend!” She beamed as she continues to drag me across the floor. Sliding the glass door aside, we stop in front a woman who was sitting on the deck staring out at the sky.

“Hey Sarah! I wanted you to meet my friend Scarlett!” Kathy sang. Sarah just turns and stares at me.

“Your drunk again aren’t you Kathy?” Sarah questions her moving her gaze from me to her.

Kathy let go of my arm and stands up straight. “Only a little bit,” she smiles.

Sarah turns her gaze back towards me. Her eyes were this shimmering green color, and her hair was dyed raven black. She was only a few inches shorter than me, and seemed to carry herself like she had no care in the world. It was like she was a goddess and we just happened to be graced by her presence.

“Nice to meet you,” I mumble under my breath.

“You don’t come to Kathy’s parties often do you?” She guessed with a raised eyebrow. I give her a small nod and sigh. Sarah continues to stare at me so much to where I wander if she was studying me. Kathy went inside and sat down drifting asleep. It was just me and this Sarah woman sitting out on the deck.

I break my gaze and stare out towards the ocean. The moon shining brighter than usual, but in a mesmerizing way along with the stars flickering like candle lights as they usually did. Yet all I could hear was the ocean beating against the sand. The new found silence was comforting.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I found out that I couldn’t keep my gaze focused on the moon for long before it made it’s way back over to Sarah. Something about her seem so eye catching. She was beautiful for sure, but that wasn’t it.

“I guess you don’t get out much at all then?” Sarah asks as she returns my gaze once again.

“No I don’t. My work is here as a photographer on the beach and then I just walk back to my house,” I reply. Sarah nods a couple times before getting up. She gets awfully close as she stands next to me. Now I almost feel belittled by her presence.

It makes me wander how Kathy managed to drag Sarah into one of her parties. She wasn't from our high school since we lived in a small town then and I knew everybody, so i'm assuming she's one of her online friends or family members.

At this point in time before anything else happened, the strangest thing that no one could have even fathomed occurred. Everything went dark. Everything went pitch black. It occurred so fast that you couldn't even blink once before everything seemed to disappear. I could hear the screams fill the air and the moon was no longer in sight. Sarah was still standing next to me, that I knew for sure. She leans into me and grips my hand. I’m not sure how to feel, but I don’t pull away from her.

I should be freaking out considering the moon suddenly disappeared and everything’s dark, yet I’m not surprised this even happened. If death was what awaited me after this very moment I was ready for it. It'd take me centuries to list even one good reason to live. Maybe if I still had family or friends around i'd have a new profound reason to change my mind.

A minute or two later the moon was back in sight along with the light. The first thing I saw was Sarah’s speechless expression. Her eyes were rounder than frisbees and her lips were trembling. Looking over my shoulder it looked like Kathy slept through it all. That drunkard.

“Are you ok?” I ask her.

Sarah lets go of my hand and takes a big breath. “Yeah. Yeah I’m fine. It’s just the first time I’ve ever seen the moon mysteriously disappear before my eyes,” she concedes. Slowly I nod my head in agreement. I think it’s a first for everyone. Or maybe we were the first to witness it.

“I want to go home. I’m worried about my parents and my birds,” she mumbles.

I really wish I knew how she felt. I didn’t have pets to worry about, or family, and friends. It’s been me almost my entire life since I was put in an orphanage. Honestly I could care less about not having a family or friends.

“I’m sure their fine. They might just be spooked like you are right now,” I reply. “ I should probably go wake up Kathy now. I’ll be right back,” I add.

Sarah nods her head as I walk back into the house to wake her up. Most of the people who were in here before either left or their sobbing on the floor.

“Kathy! You need to wake up,” I snap. Shaking her violently once her twice did the trick.

“Huh?” She utters. She rubs her forehead as she gets up and looks around.

Clearing her confusion I inform her, “While you were sleeping your alcohol off the moon randomly disappeared and it got dark. Then it randomly reappeared.” Kathy gave me a questionable look.

“Are you pulling my chain or something?” She asks. Pointing to the people trembling in the corner Kathy looks their way. “Maybe too much alcohol?” She shrugs. Rolling my eyes I leave her clueless in the house and make my way back out on the deck.

Sarah was staring out into the water intently and I must’ve been staring at what she was intrigued by. The waves weren’t crashing onto the sand anymore. They were crashing down hard in the opposite direction. Soon enough scientists and Astronomers will be able to explain this. Hopefully once it's explained everyone will calm down.

I open the glass sliding door and peak in. “Hey Kathy do you have a TV?” I ask her.

“Uh, yeah I do. I think I’d be pretty bored most of the day if I didn’t,” she remarks. Kathy pointed to the dresser sitting on the right side of the room and goes to turn it on.

“Come on Sarah, step away from the deck for a little while and watch the news. I’m sure they was an explanation,” I offer. Sarah nods and follows me inside.

Kathy was already sitting next to the TV with it set on the news station. Listening in I could hear the news reporter say,

"Right now is an unusual time for all of us right now and astronomers are now working on an answer. An astronomer from Virginia claims that the moon could have been knocked out of it’s original orbit and made a new orbit closer to the Earth and the South Pole. Other astronomers are exploring that theory now. It is hard to say what’s going on in certain places around the would with half of our satellites mysteriously offline. We’ll now take a fifteen minute break."

“I’m sure it wont be that bad. It’s just orbiting closer than it normally did,” I comment with a shrug. Everyone looked my way with blank stares. That probably wasn't the best thing to tell them.

I sit down next to Sarah on the floor as the silence begun to get louder. I pushed the hair out of my face and I look around. Beer bottles still on the floor and many stacked on top of each other empty in the kitchen. Clothes all over the floor, who's clothes I have no idea. If people drank to forget their problems before today their definitely going to need it now.