The Moonlit Swing and the Silver Button

At the highest point of the night sky, a mysterious swing sways.

It is a thin, golden crescent moon, suspended by chains of stardust.

During the day, the swing belongs to no one. It melts into the sunlight, becoming invisible to everyone's eyes. However, when the city lights flicker on one by one and the curtains of night are drawn, it quietly reveals its form.

There is only one person in the whole world who can sit on that swing.

**"A child who has become lost in the night."**

One evening, a little girl named Lulu was crying because she had lost her favorite stuffed animal. As she gazed out the window while crying, for some reason, the floor of her room floated up, and before she knew it, Lulu was standing in the middle of the night sky.

Come here, little lost one.

From somewhere, she heard a voice like the sound of rolling bells.

When she looked up, right in front of her, a softly glowing crescent moon swing was swaying.

When Lulu timidly sat down, the swing began to sway slowly and silently.

​Cree-ak, clink.

Cree-ak, clink.

Strangely, when the swing swayed forward, the lonely feeling of being left home alone was carried away by the night breeze and vanished.

When it swayed backward, the tears of frustration from losing her stuffed animal turned into sparkling stardust and melted into the darkness.

This is a place where tears are turned into stars.

The owner of the voice was a small blue star tied to the chain of the swing.

When someone on the ground sheds tears, the moon thins just a little and becomes a swing like this. And when the sadness has completely melted into the night sky, it returns to being a round full moon again.

While being swayed on the swing, Lulu looked down at the city visible far below.

The lights of the houses looked just like stars on the ground. Somewhere among them were her mother and father, who were worried about her. Thinking of that, the depths of her heart began to feel warm and cozy.

“I’m not lonely anymore.”

As Lulu smiled, the crescent moon swing swayed even wider across the night sky.

In that moment, a single “silver drop” tumbled from Lulu’s pocket and fell down toward her room on the ground. It was the last tear Lulu had shed, hardened by the moonlight.

“Now, off you go, little stray. When you wake up tomorrow morning, something good is sure to happen.”

“...Lulu, it’s morning. Wake up.”

When she woke to her mother’s voice, Lulu was in her own bed.

Outside the window, the sky was a dazzling blue.

“Huh, was it just a dream...?”

As Lulu sat up and pulled back the covers, the stuffed animal she thought she had lost was sitting neatly at her feet. And in its arms, it held a shimmering silver button she had never seen before.

Lulu squeezed it tightly, looked up at the pale moon still faintly visible outside her window, and gave a small smile.

#Sparking imagination with 3 prompts
#Project by Mikan Katagiri

Mikan-san, I look forward to working with you.

Ai-san, thank you for including my work in your magazine.

Satoshi Yamanaka-san, thank you for including my work in your magazine.

Mikan-san, thank you for including my work in your magazine.

Tamausagi no Hime no Inu ni Naritai-san, thank you for including my work in your magazine.

Towa-san, thank you for including my work in your magazine.

Momiji Hiiragi-san, thank you for including my work in your magazine.

12340-san, thank you for including my work in your magazine.

Aru-san, thank you for including my work in your magazine.