Eclipse

Hello everyone! The first Friday of each month, Story Empire offers a fiction prompt. Staci Troilo had this month’s prompt and I decided to participate. My story is based on the word, telescope.

To see the full prompt, click here. And now, here is my story:

Erin Daniels watched the full moon rise over the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Her camera was mounted on a tripod, and she had every intention of taking numerous photos of this rare event. Most people wouldn’t experience such an occasion in their lifetime.

January 31, 2018. A supermoon. A blood moon. A blue moon. All in one night. One-hundred-fifty years had passed since the last celestial trifecta event occurred in the Americas.

Yet she couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive remembering past events that occurred on during blue moons. One accidental death. Two murders. A man’s quest for revenge. Had it not been for Derek’s quick thinking, two more people would have been killed on the night of a blood moon.

Shivering, but not from the cold, Erin turned her attention toward the camera and snapped a few photos of the huge orange globe. As usual, when behind the lens of her camera, she soon relaxed. It was ridiculous to feel apprehensive. The murderer would spend the rest of his life in prison.

Stepping away from the camera, she heard Derek’s footsteps as he came up behind her and placed his arms around her waist. “You okay?”

“I guess. “This is the first blue moon since…” She turned in his arms.

He pulled her closer. “I know. But he can’t hurt anyone now. Try to relax and enjoy tonight.”

“I will.”

“What time is Kate coming over?”

“Probably around nine. Even Russell is getting into this. He bought a telescope to view the eclipse. He’ll be here shortly.”

At the mention of his name, her next-door neighbor appeared. True to his Native American roots, he moved swiftly and silently. He was a man of few words, but when he spoke, his words held knowledge and wisdom.

Erin smiled. “Hi, Russell. I see you brought the telescope.”

“I’m softening in my old age. Never would have bought such a contraption when I was younger.”

“But you’ve never seen an event like this one,” Derek said.

“True.”

Erin watched as Russell set up the telescope. As he did in making pottery, he paid close attention to detail, ensuring everything was in its proper position and alignment. Once he finished, he stepped back, took one more look at the device, and nodded in satisfaction. “That should be good.”

“So, Russell. I know the January moon is the Wolf Moon, and this is, of course, the blue moon, but are there any legends surrounding such an event?” Erin loved to hear his stories of Native American folklore.

He shrugged. “There are always legends. Some have truth behind them. In fact, several such legends are exclusive to the Rawlins area.”

“Oh yeah? I’d love to hear some of them. Why don’t we go inside until closer to the eclipse and you can tell me?”

A few minutes later, they sat beside a warm fireplace.

“What is the most intriguing story?” Erin asked.

Russell cleared his throat. “I would have to say the most interesting one came about when someone killed a man near the town hall. It’s said his lover still haunts this area…”

I hope you enjoyed my story. The prior events referenced in this post come from my story, The Blue Moon Murders. It is included in an anthology titled Unshod and is available for free by clicking here.

And in case you’re wondering about the rest of the story? Look for more information in the upcoming months.