The Night of the Wishing Lanterns

     The moment Chun stepped out of his house that night, the world felt different. I can’t say exactly what, but the air had a kind of tingly, magical feel to it. Chun shivered with excitement and looked around. The town square was full of lanterns glowing everywhere, casting warm light across faces of all the families gathered together. It was the Wishing Lantern Festival, the one night of the year when everyone made wishes and sent them up to the stars.

     “Chun! Over here!” he heard his best friend Kit shout, waving him over. She had a giant blue lantern, almost as tall as she was, painted with silver stars and a little moon.       “Isn’t it amazing?” she asked, grinning.

     “It’s awesome!” Chun replied, running his fingers over the smooth paper. It felt cool, like the night air itself. “Did you make a wish yet?”

     She shook her head. “Not yet. I’m waiting until the clock chimes ten. That’s when the magic’s supposed to be strongest, right?”

     Chun nodded, remembering how his Grandma used to say that at midnight, the wishing magic was so strong, you could almost see it shimmer. “What are you gonna wish for?” Chun asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.

     Kit’s eyes sparkled. “It’s a secret,” she said, then laughed. “What about you?”

Chun looked down at his lantern, it is small and painted with bright, swirling colors. He wasn’t sure yet, but he knew it had to be something big.

     Just then, a loud gong echoed through the town. The first chime of midnight! Everyone around us got quiet, looking up at the stars as the lanterns started rising into the sky one by one. Chun held onto his lantern, waiting, feeling his heart thump louder with each chime.

     “Three… two…” Maddy counted down, her eyes fixed on the sky. “One!”

They both let go, and their lanterns floated up, gently swaying as they lifted higher and higher. Chun squeezed his eyes shut. “I wish… I wish for something magical, something incredible to happen,” Chun whispered, feeling the words float into the air like the lantern itself.

     Chun opened his eyes just in time to see their lanterns blinking out of sight among the stars. Kit looked at him with a grin. “Do you feel it?”

     And then, a strange humming sound filled the air, low and deep, like a giant heartbeat. Chun looked up, and his mouth dropped open.

     The stars seemed to be… moving. Twinkling and swirling, like they were rearranging themselves. Kit grabbed his arm. “Look, Chun!” she gasped.

     The stars were spelling something out in bright, glowing letters across the sky. BELIEVE, it read, twinkling and shimmering.

     “Wow,” Chun exclaimed. “Did… did we do that?”

     Kit's eyes were as wide as Chuns. “I think we did!” She looked around, but no one else seemed to notice the message, just them.

     Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the word faded, and one last lantern drifted down from the sky, right into Chun's hands. It was golden, glowing softly, and Chun could swear he heard a voice whisper, “This is for you.”

     Kit’s mouth dropped open. “What does it mean?”

     Chun looked down at the lantern, and inside, there was a small, sparkling key. He picked it up, feeling its weight in his hand, and he knew his wish had been granted.      “It means… something magical is going to happen.”

     They looked at each other, grinning and bursting with excitement, their eyes shining as bright as the lantern lights. That night, under the starry sky, Chun knew their wishes had really been heard. And in his hand, the key glowed, just waiting to unlock whatever incredible adventure lay ahead.