Watching A Sunset

A Story by Kilyn

a short story

It was the absolute worst of days. The intensity of the mid day sun had us indoors, wearing nothing but shorts and ratty tank tops. Nevertheless, sweat drooled down the back of our necks and oozed down to our toes. The air conditioner was busted so we pushed the couch next to the plug-in fan. The flimsy blades projected to us the smallest bit of air. We had absolutely nothing to do expect lay around the house, watching grainy television shows and snacking on stale chips. At one point, we filled our biggest soup pot with chilling water. We took turns dipping our toes in it, exhaling like we hadn’t felt comfort in eternity. I didn’t think we particularly wanted to speak with one another, as you get to a point where all the topics you make up are recycled and all the stories you have feel less exciting. So we lay in silence and tried to tune into whatever sitcom, over the sound of the whistling fan. I was in the bathroom when you noticed. “Outside.”
We both slipped on our ratty sandals from too many summers and dashed to the streets. The world had began to dim, but the sky reflected a million colors. A absolute palette of paint shimmered down on us as I twirled in the street. We started up the trail to the park, where we stood on the park benches to try and get closer to an unreachable sky. The blue had evaporated and changed into the red of fire and the pink of a candy heart. I could taste a ripe orange and hear the violet of the night. The rest of the Earth fell into shadow and it seemed off putting; like we were part of a painting. Simultaneously, our heads decided we could run closer. Funny how something as simple as the sky can hypnotize you. So we kept jogging towards the most gorgeous sunset, in hopes of trying to catch it. Although we soon learned many other had marveled in this delight, it was only us that had really seen it. It was you who shouted out first. You yelled my name to get my attention, but the way your young voice sounded against the stillness of the earth sounded so crisp you kept repeating it. Then suddenly it was my best day and saying your name aloud was my favorite thing to do. I did not see a single car on the road or feel the pain that comes with running for too long. Instead I felt a bond form between this beautiful sky and this beautiful soul I got to share it with. Neither of us wanted to return home that evening. As the colors began to fade into a dim evening, we sat on the side of the road, huddled together like animals for warmth.
When the last hint of indigo had died out, we lay on the cool cement and watched as the lights of the night came out. We could count twenty seven all together. You told me somewhere in the world, you could see every single star in the sky and that you wanted to go there. I wasn’t so sure if I was enthusiastic about the stars or if I was just happy to share the sky with you that night. The hardest part of any good memory, is needing to leave, but the biggest star that night was tucked away in your iris.
To this day, I hope I am never closer with anyone than with you, watching a sunset.