Entice the Moon to Fall

Water descended from the sky in minuscule drops that mirrored the light of the waning moon. Each tiny drop was a microcosm of the universe of alternating light and shadow, of shifting energies and swirling galaxies, gleaming like diamonds at one instant and then absorbing light and color in a moment. But in her eyes, the raindrops were the color of milk, like little pearls that floated in the night air and danced in the breeze before finally touching her skin. She felt the coldness of the raindrops and the chill brought about by the gentle breeze... and she shivered. Her breath formed a thin cloud above her face that quickly dissipated. Icy air entered her lungs as she inhaled, causing her to cough uncontrollably and making the pain on her left flank almost unbearable. She wanted to feel her side with her hand, but the rope that bound her wrists prevented her from doing so. She opened her eyes wide as she waited for the pain to subside and looked at the sky and its looming clo

“Can you let me pass, please?” asked Ella politely but with a slight edge to her voice. She looked at the man in black suit who was blocking her. He was wearing a black coat over a crisp white shirt that made him look like he was attending a business meeting.“Sorry, miss. The building is off limits for now,” said the man, not moving from where he stood.“What do you mean off limits? I just came here barely an hour ago,” said Ella, the tone of her voice rising slightly.“You’ll have to wait, Ma’am, like the other visitors.” The guard then pointed to a man and a woman, standing patiently at the side of the driveway under the shade of the trees. Ella did not recognize them and assumed that they have transactions with one of the offices in the building.Ella returned her gaze to the man who was still blocking her way. “But I work here,” she said.The uniformed man did not flinch and just lo

Ella gave Red a quick tour of the laboratory. At first, she spoke quickly and tried to shorten her description of the equipment they were using, thinking that the CEO did not have enough time. She also thought that Red might not appreciate the scientific concepts behind each equipment. However, Red turned out to be genuinely curious and asked her some detailed questions that sometimes also made Ella stop to think and remember.“I didn’t realize that you would be so interested in the works of a pharmaceutical scientist,” remarked Ella after describing how the laboratory equipment worked. “I hope I didn’t bore you talking about my work.”“On the contrary, I find you quite intriguing,” said Red, locking eyes with Ella.“You mean my work,” said Ella, bowing her head and looking away. She swept a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “My work is quite intriguing.”“I meant what I said,” r

The plump woman slowly came down the stairs, with a cup of coffee in her left hand and a handbag in her right hand. She could have gone down quicker but chose to take her time as she reflected at the scene outside her building. She wondered why there was a row of sleek black cars as well as a small group of private security men. As senior researcher and deputy head of the Biotech Laboratory, she often got emails and reminders from the university as well as the building administrator if there were important events that would take place in the building. The building’s spacious auditorium was often used by the different colleges or even government agencies to hold special programs and events such as conferences and symposia. Recently, the building administrator permitted students to rent the auditorium for their own functions such as when conducting inter-university competitions and special film screenings. The university, however, was very careful in holding events that mi

“What do you mean you’re not going?” asked Nancy once she had recovered from the shock. Matt bent his head to the side and acted like he was hammering himself with his fist.“Exactly what I said,” replied Ella. “I’m not going to dinner with him tonight.” She said it too plainly and without emotion that made it even harder for Nancy to comprehend what she was saying.“I don’t understand, Ella. He’s an extremely wealthy man and definitely not lacking in the looks department. What more do you want?” asked Nancy. She could not reconcile Ella’s objection to going to dinner with probably the country’s most eligible bachelor.“Goodbye, multimillion research grant!” Matt raised his hands as if in surrender, but did not look at his colleagues.“What is it, Elle? Tell me what’s bothering you,” said Nancy, a look of concern on her face.“Nothing&rsquo