The sun was setting. Every color in the world seemed to be above me as they all melted into each other to form a perfect rainbow that covered the sky. On the bay was the reflection of all the colors as they slowly moved across the sky, sinking under the far horizon miles in front of me. Red, orange, yellow and even a small hint of pink seemed to fade into the purples and blues. I even saw green. All of them faded into a dark abyss.
When darkness at last had fallen, and the stars were all out shining against the black void of night, I realized that I had never before seen a more star-filled sky. As I looked up to the sky, I could hear the soft music that was playing while other members of the Relay of Life walked the track in Elberta Park. I could also hear the faint tapping of the walkers' feet as they hit the hard cement.
I looked out over Betsie Bay and saw the moon's reflection as it rippled across the water. I could hear the sound of the seagulls flying overhead and the quack of the ducks as they headed to shore. The lapping sound of the waves hitting the shore and the laughter of people calmed me. In the distance, I could hear the scream of a child playing tag with her friends.
My friends and I lay on a blanket spread across the cool grass already wet with dew. We looked up at the sky, waiting to see something special. The anticipation of that night was almost unbearable. We were going to see our first meteor shower.
While we waited, I could smell the fishy scent of the bay. The sweet scent of lilac and fresh linen from the blanked filled my nose. There was also the ever-present smell of the Axe cologne that one of my friends had put on. I could smell the pizza that had just been delivered an hour earlier and the delicious scent of baked goods.
As we lay there, we talked about the events of the day and about the jobs we would have to do the next day. Everyone was distracted but me. I was always watching the sky, so I was the only who saw it. The tiny speck of light flickered and then started to fall from the right to the left. It fell in a fury with a blazing white green tail behind it. It flew as if something were chasing it. It was so fast I almost thought it was my imagination. But then more fell. As if by magic, dozens of stars flew across the sky and seemed as if they would fall right into the bay. They seemed to fly so close to the ground I thought they would set the grass on fire. My whole world seemed to be nothing but my friends around me and the falling stars above us. Everyone was silent. We were all making our wishes.
That night I went to sleep remembering over and over again how the stars had looked. The first one was more beautiful than any others I had seen that night. So many stars fell, but it made me happy thinking that they all fell to make room for more stars to be born. Maybe one day I will see another meteor shower and maybe, just maybe, it will just as magical as the first: The one I had experienced on Aug. 11, 2006, at the Relay for Life in Elberta.
Ashley Tooley is an 11th-grader at Frankfort-Elberta High School.
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