Junie’s Skyburst Challenge — Every evening, Junie practiced quick loops over the quiet spark yard, counting, “One swoosh, two swoosh,” while the air smelled like warm metal and fizzy powder. Read the full story →
Every evening, Junie practiced quick loops over the quiet spark yard, counting, “One swoosh, two swoosh,” while the air smelled like warm metal and fizzy powder. She wanted to finish her own challenge: fly through four skybursts before the last boom. One night, the big festival whistle shrieked early, and the first firework opened above her like a crackly flower.
Because of that, Junie zipped up before her fins were even warm. Because of that, the second burst popped on her left, then the third flashed on her right, and she had to wriggle between glittering stars. “This is my lane!” she cried. At the fourth burst, she lit her brightest flame and shot straight through the middle, not ahead of the show, not behind it, but exactly with it. Next time the sky goes pop-pop-boom, can you spot where Junie belongs?
