The Umbra Star
Voltur | 2026-08-26
Every night, James would watch the stars. He would trace their paths and measure their luminance and, with meticulous care, he would write it in his journal. He would document their size, their shape, and their delicate dances as they flickered across the sky. But more than that, he would dream; He would lay under the dark sky in the cool grass and James would watch the stars.
Some nights the neighborhood kids would come and sit with him and he would tell them the stories of the asterisms and their stars and how they track across the sky. They'd listen intently, sometimes laughing at the funny stories, until one by one they'd get tired or hear their parents' voices carrying across the valley, and they would return home. Tonight was such a night.
"Did I tell you about the Umbra Star?" he asked. He had told them dozens of times, but they always listened when he did. "It's that dark spot right there," he pointed, gesturing to the south. "Right off the shoulder of Amalis. You can't see it, but if you watch, you can see it block the stars.”
"Cool! I just saw it," said one of the kids. "Me too!” another.
"And there, and there. You can see the path it takes. That's the Umbra Star. But do you know what I think? I think it's a place,” James said. He looked over to see the kids wide-eyed and smiling. "Maybe one day, we'll go there.” They loved this story. Everyone did. He continued sharing small stories and scientific details of dubious quality, often met with groans. Lost in the science, minutes turned into hours until eventually he paused.
"Who remembers Cratta?” he asked, peering over to see everyone's hands enthusiastically raised.
"She had a giant ox!” one of the youngest blurted out, immediately embarrassed.
"That's the legend! You know, in real life she was a bit like us. It's true! She used to lay in the fields, just like this, and stare up at the Umbra Star. I think she thought it was a place people could go, too. She wrote about it quite a lot,” he reflected and paused to look around at their captivated faces. "...and she had a giant ox." The kids burst into laughter. He told the ancient stories of Cratta and her people and when dawn finally peeked over the distant foothills and he stopped expositing, he was again alone with his journal.