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Writer's pictureAngelina N

How the Moon Gets its' Glow - a short story


a texturized and stylized aesthetic iPhone photograph of the moon in July from Iowa
The moon on a particularly bright night...

She takes a long drag from the cigarette, looking up at the moon outside the windowed wall. Staring at its glowing surface, she exhales the smoke. Blinking slowly and laying back, keeping her face turned towards the moon, she revels in feeling the glow of it on her ivory skin. It imbues her with a feeling of radiance and warmth she always seemed to lack. She takes another inhale and exhales into the moonlight, focusing on how the smoke swirls and ripples in the beams. Reaching over to the bedside table, she puts the cigarette out in the crystal ashtray, her eyes lingering on the glowing embers reflected in the shards. She turns her head to glance at the man beside her and closes her eyes, beginning to softly hum to herself. The sheets around his feet rustle as she feels him stir in his sleep. Looking over again she sees him facing away from her, out cold, and smiles to herself. She quietly sits up in bed, rolls to her side, and stands, the only disturbance being the swish of the sheets falling from her moonlit body.


She walks to the wall of windows looking over the neon illumination of the city.

Knowing how badly the city lights wish to be the moon, she scoffs bitterly. Noticing the moon seemingly brightening with this thought, she turns to the chair where she had discarded her bag before letting the man tug her dress down and sloppily paw her all over. Rummaging silently through the dainty purse, she finds what she needs and pulls it out. Noiselessly, she flows back to where the man remains asleep and she drapes herself over his back, soaking up his warmth.


Pushing his hair back and then tracing her fingers gently over his face. She takes out the small bottle she had clutched in her hands and unscrews it carefully. Her red nails stand out against the stark black dropper-top of the bottle. Taking the dropper full of the gold-shifting liquid out, she brings it to his lips, seamlessly parting them. They were sweetened by the lingering liquid that got soaked up by her skillful red lips as she kissed him once more. After closing his mouth so the precious drops couldn’t escape she screws the top back on, placing it back in her purse. She moves her purse and sits in the downy chair looking over at his body as it glows brighter and brighter until he eventually dims all together. Silence fills the room completely as his breathing stops. A smile makes its way to her face as she looks back out the windows at the moon which is glowing brighter than before. The moon smiles back at her knowingly.

The city wished it could be as bright as the moon. But it never would be. Not as long as she was alive.


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