Chapter 36. Shadows

“You can’t sleep?” Moriah asked, walking to join me in front of the camp. She sat with me on the cold green grass with a tall metal can containing non-alcoholic beer. None of the soldiers were allowed to drink alcohol during this trip so that everyone would remain sharp and on high alert.

“Yeah, the night sky here is just too beautiful to ignore,” I replied with a smile, staring at the starry sky.

Moriah stared at me for a moment, then said, raising her metal can to her lips. “You like the weirdest things, my friend. That’s the sort of thing a girl would say.”

“Uhh, I… I like what I like, I guess,” I replied nervously, turning to her.

“It’s not a lie, though. Stargazing must be really fun on this side of the planet. I guess that’s how it should be since it’s the moon goddess’ side of the planet. Who knows, maybe all the skies of the earth were once like this; I bet it was really peaceful and beautiful back then,” Moriah said softly, staring up at the sky as w