paper eclipse.
Helena Sai


        A single paper star fell to Earth, slow enough to slip through layers of cloud. Though Bulan's fingers were bruised she folded another, the lilac colored paper gently pressed into a delicate form. She inspected it for perfection before tossing it, watching as another star descended upon the land below. A smile spread across her face as she cracked her knuckles. Only ten more to go, then she'd finally see. Though Bulan only had until dawn to complete her task, she was sure she'd complete it this month. Below her feet thousands of paper stars littered the sand, scattered by the constant push and pull of the waves. In the morning, when Tesni awoke from her slumber and looked upon the land, she would see Bulan's present. She had to; dawn and dusk were the only times when they were together. Bulan had tried to get her attention many times before, but she'd never been able to complete enough paper stars. Too little meant they were washed away, unseen by Tesni, who only had eyes for the land. She rose the light and sent Bulan to sleep, but never took the time to talk. This dawn would be different. Filled with hope, Bulan went back to her task.
        When dawn was due Tesni arrived, miles of shimmering cloth trailing behind her every step. Bulan slowly stepped beside her, hands clasped together as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "There appears to be something on the coast."
        Tesni raised a brow, her gaze dropping to the sand beneath her feet. Her eyes widened as she discovered the over abundance of paper stars around her, each glittering beneath her light. "What is this?"
        "I made these for you. I figured it would be a good way to initiate conversation."
        Tesni went silent, her gaze sweeping over the paper covered coast. "I didn't think you wished to speak. We are opposites, after all."
        "Well I thought that at first, but it's been thousands of years," she explained, "we should know each other by now."
        "I see," she looked from Bulan's bare feet to her face before averting her gaze to the paper stars once again. "Well, we have an hour before the light fully sets in. Tell me about yourself."
        Bulan looked up in surprise, "Really?"
        "Yes," Tesni responded as she moved to sit on a fallen log. Bulan lowered herself onto the sand, carefully brushing paper stars out of the way so she wouldn't crush them. Tesni's eyes were immediately drawn to the bruises that covered the taupe stretch of her skin, "What happened to your hands?"
        "Nothing, really. I just spent all night folding and dropping these paper stars. There's just over a million of them," Bulan replied with a pride-filled grin.
        "Why?"
        "I wanted to get your attention, all of my last attempts ended in you shooing me to sleep."
        Tesni looked regretful, "I'm sorry."
        "It's alright," she replied, "I can see how you wouldn't be interested in talking. You're very dedicated to your job."
        Tesni smiled, "And it seems you dedicate yourself to your tasks. It takes a lot of devotion to do all of this for a person who's never even spoken to you." Together they sat, a comfortable silence held in the air between them. When light began to cover the ground beneath their feet, Tesni stood. "You should sleep."
       "I should." Her eyes felt heavy, and though she wished to spend a little longer by Tesni's side, she knew she could not.
       "But I'll see you at dusk."
       "At dusk."
       As Bulan walked away, a smile spread across her face. Tesni watched until she slipped out of sight before leaning down to grab a soft pink paper star. She stuck it in her hair, making sure it wouldn't fall before grabbing another. By the time dusk was near, her hair had a small crown of paper stars. Though it was only a small fraction of the full amount, she hoped it was enough to impress Bulan when dusk arrived.

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