MID-SUMMER DREAM

Chapter 10

"The moon remembers what we forget,

The tide whispers of debts unpaid.

Yet, under the blue glow, we dance,

Honoring what was, what is, what may."

---

Isla wakes up thinking it's just another morning but the blue moon festival was around the corner

Two weeks. That was all the time left before the most awaited festival of the year—the Blue Moon Festival. It was a time of lights, music, and tradition, where the entire town gathered to celebrate under the rare blue glow of the moon. Stalls would be set up along the shore, lanterns would float across the sky, and the sound of laughter would fill the night air.

For Isha, Isla’s younger sister, the festival meant excitement beyond words. For Isla, it meant preparation.

“Isha, slow down!” Isla called as she struggled to keep up with her sister, who was already pulling out festival decorations from a wooden chest in their home. “We have two weeks! There’s no need to start dragging everything out now.”

“But I want our house to be the prettiest one this year!” Isha pouted, holding up a string of blue and silver paper lanterns. “I already planned everything. These will go by the window, and the shells we collected last month will go on the table!”

Isla sighed but couldn’t help but smile. Isha’s enthusiasm was contagious. “Alright, alright. Let’s start with the entrance.”

Their father, unfortunately, wouldn’t be home for the festival. Business had called him away, and though he promised to return as soon as he could, Isla knew it was unlikely. He had missed the last two Blue Moon Festivals, and she had a feeling this year would be no different.

“It’s fine,” Isha said with forced optimism when their father had broken the news. “We’ll still have fun, right?”

And so, Isla made it her mission to make this festival special for her sister.

---

The entire town was buzzing with activity. Vendors were preparing their stalls, selling everything from handcrafted jewelry to spiced honey cakes. The docks were being decorated with blue banners, and the town square was being transformed into a festival ground.

As Isla made her way to Mrs. Moore’s flower shop to help with the floral arrangements for the festival, she noticed that the townspeople were in higher spirits than usual. It was always like this before the Blue Moon Festival—as if the town itself was alive with anticipation.

The bell above the shop door jingled as she stepped inside, the scent of fresh roses and lilies wrapping around her.

“Ah, Isla, dear!” Mrs. Moore greeted warmly, adjusting the floral wreath she was working on. “Here to help?”

“Of course,” Isla replied, setting her bag down. “What do you need me to do?”

Mrs. Moore handed her a bundle of blue moonflowers, their petals soft as silk. “These need to be arranged for the festival’s opening ceremony.”

Isla got to work, her hands moving instinctively as she wove the flowers together. As she did, Mrs. Moore watched her with a knowing smile.

“So… have you tried reaching out to that fine young man”

Isla nearly dropped a flower. “W-What?”

Mrs. Moore chuckled. “Oh, come now, dear. don't be like that I see the way you're lost in thought thinking about him and he is an Handsome, polite young man—seemed quite interested in you.

what's his name again?”

“Oh.” Isla muttered, focusing hard on the flowers in her hands. “His name is Leon. But I barely know him.”

“Mm-hmm,” Mrs. Moore hummed knowingly. “Well, stranger things have happened under the Blue Moon.”

Isla frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”

Mrs. Moore leaned in, eyes twinkling. “Have you ever heard the Legend of the Blue Moon?”

---

Mrs Moore's began the tale

Long ago, before the town had a name, a great storm raged for seven nights. The sea, once a friend to the people, turned against them, swallowing ships and washing away homes. The townspeople prayed, but no answer came.

Then, on the eighth night, the clouds parted, and the moon appeared—not silver, but a deep, glowing blue. The storm calmed, and from the waves, a woman emerged, cloaked in moonlight and seafoam. She was known only as The Tidekeeper.

She spoke of balance—that the sea and the land must exist in harmony. In exchange for peace, she asked for a promise: Every time the blue moon rises, the people must honor the sea, the sky, and the time they are given.

From that night on, the town held the Blue Moon Festival, celebrating their blessings, their loved ones, and the passage of time.

---

Mrs. Moore finished the story with a satisfied nod. “And so, my dear, some say the Blue Moon brings fated encounters. People meet their true friends, their lost loves, or even those they’ve forgotten.”

Isla hesitated, gripping the flower stems tighter.

She shook her head. “That’s just a story.”

Mrs. Moore chuckled. “Perhaps. But stories have a way of becoming real when the time is right.”

---

Later that evening, after helping Mrs. Moore, Isla found herself wandering toward the beach. The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. The waves lapped gently at the shore, whispering against the sand.

She picked up a smooth stone, much like she had the day she met Leon, and rolled it between her fingers. Fated encounters, huh?

It sounded ridiculous. And yet…

She had seen the way Leon looked at her, like he knew something she didn’t. He spoke as if he had known her for longer than just a single meeting. And then there was that lingering feeling she couldn’t shake—the feeling that their paths had crossed for a reason.

The wind carried the distant sound of festival preparations. Soon, the town would be filled with lanterns and laughter, and the Blue Moon would rise above them all.