Urban System in America-Chapter 258 - 257: Under The Full Moon

The full moon shone brightly in the sky, its pure silver light draping the world in a mystical glow. It was the kind of sight that made the night feel alive, ancient, and beautiful. Yet, most people were fast asleep by now, missing out on one of the simplest and purest wonders in the world. And those who were still awake rarely had the time or even the will to stop for a few seconds to admire this ancient wonder. They were either holed up in their rooms, drowning under artificial light, glued to glowing screens, or locked inside towering concrete cages called offices, chasing deadlines that would only end with their demise.

Sometimes, during those late-night hours, they glance up from their desk or out a narrow window, catching a glimpse of the glowing orb hanging serenely in the night sky. And for a fleeting moment, something in their chest would ache. A strange yearning would rise, a longing they couldn’t quite name.

A sudden wild urge would whisper to them...to just... leave. To run away from the suffocating noise of the city, the constant hum of traffic, the choking crowds. To escape the cycle of stress and expectations. To run to a quiet wilderness, somewhere far away, where time slows down and life isn’t so loud, so heavy.

Lay down on a soft bed of grass, cool earth pressing against their back, while the crisp night breeze carried the scent of wildflowers. The stars would stretch endlessly above them, scattered like forgotten diamonds, while the distant song of nightingales and the soft hum of crickets formed a natural lullaby. And at the center of it all, the moon would shine down like an eternal witness; serene, untouchable, and free from all the chaos that consumed human lives.

And they’d simply gaze at the moon, letting its ancient brilliance wash over their tiered soul. Witness the silent grandeur of the world and simply exist. A silent reminder that the world could be beautiful...if only they’d stop to look.

But that yearning, that wild, unshackled wanderlust, would be quickly buried in the deepest parts of the soul. The moment reality came crashing in; the weight of responsibilities, the pile of unpaid bills, the faces of family members counting on them, that spark would be smothered. The dream of lying under the stars, free and untamed, would slip away like smoke between their fingers.

They’d sigh, lower their gaze, and return to the grind, pretending that fleeting longing never existed. Yet, a part of their soul would remain out there, lost in that imaginary wilderness, forever trapped under the pale glow of the moon, whispering of what life could have been if only they’d had the courage to let go.

...

The same moonlight spilled across the balcony of the grand mansion like liquid silver, bathing them both in its silver brilliance. Reflecting Monica’s beauty even more, her ivory dress looked almost unreal, like she wasn’t quite human, but something carved from moonlight itself, the cool night breeze teasing a few loose strands of her honey-blonde hair.

Their laughter and conversations breaking the quiet of the night, echoing faintly against the marble railings. It started as light drunken banter, little jabs and teasing remarks, but soon evolved into a ridiculous competition—who could tell the most tragic, absurd, or downright embarrassing story. Each tale grew wilder than the last, half-true and half-slurred exaggerations, until they were both doubled over, clutching their stomachs, the sound of their laughter mixing with the distant hum of the city below.

"You know..." she began, her voice lower now, "everyone thinks being the ’hot new thing’ is all glitz. Like it’s all red carpets and champagne. They don’t see the knives behind the smiles. The way people look at you like... like you’re a product. A thing to be sold."

Rex tilted his head, listening, his own glass still half-full. "Yeah. People think they know you because they’ve seen your face on a screen. But that’s not really you. It’s just a version of you that they’ve built in their heads."

Monica blinked at him, almost startled by the depth of that statement. "Wow. Didn’t expect Mr. ’Pretty Boy’ to go all philosopher on me."

He chuckled softly, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—a quiet loneliness, like the kind that settles in when you’ve been dropped into a world that isn’t yours. "Let’s just say... I’ve been around places where I didn’t belong. And you learn to see the masks people wear."

She stared at him for a beat, feeling that strange weight in his words. Then she huffed out a laugh. "God, don’t make it sound so depressing. We’re supposed to be drinking, not having an existential crisis."

"Right. My bad," he said with a faint grin. He raised his glass. "To masks, then. May they never fall off in front of the wrong people."

"Cheers."

By now both of them were really getting drunk, and what started as light drunken banter, harmless teasing, Rex making fun of Monica’s perfectly practiced diva smile, Monica jabbing at his "atrocious" dance skills—quickly spiraled into a full-blown competition... who could tell the most tragic, absurd, or downright embarrassing story. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Monica went first, telling a story about how she performed once with her extreme period pain "Please. I once had to sing live at a charity gala with period pain. Halfway through the song, I had to smile and pretend I wasn’t dying inside." She downed her drink and winced. "Your turn."

Rex thought for a second, then said with a straight face, "Once, I got punched in the face by a drunk mascot because I accidentally stepped on his tail."

Monica blinked, then burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. "What?!"

"Hey, it wasn’t my fault! The guy took his costume way too seriously," Rex defended with mock indignation. "He told me I’d ’dishonored the spirit of the squirrel.’"

Their tragic stories quickly spiraled into absurd territory. Monica shared a tale of an acting coach who made her pretend to be a chair for an entire workshop. Rex countered by claiming he once got chased by an old lady with a broom for petting her cat without permission.

"Please," She scoffed, slurring just slightly. "You’re acting like you could survive one night in my world. You’d be crying by sunrise."

She told a story about her audition, how the casting director told her she was "too pretty to look serious" and made her stand in the corner for an hour just to "think ugly thoughts." She downed her drink, her cheeks red hot, by now.

Rex squinted at her, swaying slightly. "Tragic? Please. Just standing for an hour isn’t tragic."

He puffed his chest out dramatically. "I once got stuck inside a bathroom for two hours, due to a couple making out in the bathroom. Can you imagine my plight?"

Monica paused. Then, she howled with laughter, doubling over and nearly spilling her drink.

"See mine is more tragic!" He declared.

"Excuse me?" She grabbed a passing waiter’s tray, plucking two fresh glasses. "Fine. Let’s settle this. Right here. Right now."

"Oh, you’re on."

And just like that, it became a drinking contest. They lined up the glasses they’d swiped from passing trays...champagne, wine, a cocktail that looked way too strong for its own good, and started downing them one after another.

By the third tray of drinks, both of them were leaning against the railing like they were holding onto the earth itself to stop it from spinning.

Monica’s cheeks flushed faster than she’d admit, but her eyes were still sharp and challenging. "You tapping out yet, boyfriend?" she teased, emphasizing the word just to make him squirm.

Rex slammed down his empty glass with a grin. "Please. I’m just getting started. Watch and learn, princess."

"You’re going to regret this," she said, but her competitive streak wouldn’t let her stop.

Each tale grew wilder than the last, their words tangled with drunken laughter and half-slurred exaggerations. Monica leaned closer with every sip, her eyes glinting like molten gold under the moonlight as she tried to one-up his "tragic" life story with one of her own. Rex, not to be outdone, smirked and leaned even closer, his voice dropping into that low, teasing tone that sent an unexplainable shiver down her spine.

They were both burning now...burning from the alcohol, from the heat between them, from the strange magnetic pull neither dared to name. The distance between them shrank with every ridiculous story, every breathless laugh, coming closer and closer, under the silver glow of the full moon.

(End of Chapter)