At the peak on Friday night, the subway cars were crowded like a can of sardine. Leo leaned against the car door, the light from his phone screen reflecting on his tired face. He sighed as new messages kept popping up in the work group and turned his phone to silent mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After leaving the subway station, Leo habitually looked up to look for the moon. Tonight is the 15th day of the lunar calendar, which should be the day when the full moon is in the sky. The sky was pitch black, not even a single star could be seen, let alone the moon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Strange, “he muttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When passing by the convenience store, he casually bought a can of beer. The TV in front of the cash register is broadcasting news: “Due to special weather conditions, moonlight will not be observed in the whole city tonight. The observatory says that this is a once-in-a-century ‘moon hiding’ phenomenon<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leo didn’t pay much attention to it. He had heard of this astronomical phenomenon, but it was just that the clouds were too thick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Returning home, he turned on the light, threw the beer into the fridge, and collapsed on the sofa. The room was too quiet, even the usual sound of traffic outside the window disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He picked up his phone to watch a short video, but found that the signal grid showed no service. WiFi cannot be connected either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can’t believe it, has the internet been disconnected<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He walked up to the window to take a look outside, but found that something was wrong with the scenery outside. The residential building opposite should have been brightly lit, but now it is pitch black. All the street lights on the entire street have gone out, not even the emergency indicator lights are on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The whole world seems to have pressed the pause button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leo suddenly felt an inexplicable panic. He dug out the power bank to charge his phone and turned on the flashlight function to shine outside the window. The beam of light passed through the glass and shone on the wall of the opposite building, but it didn’t go far as if it had been swallowed up by something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He remembered a story he heard when he was a child: if the moon disappears, the world will fall into eternal darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are you joking\u2026 “He smiled bitterly and shook his head, trying to convince himself with reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that moment, he heard footsteps coming from outside the door. Very light, very slow, as if someone is wandering in the hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leo held his breath and quietly walked to the door, looking out through the cat’s eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The corridor was pitch black, and nothing could be seen. But the footsteps continued, one after another, as if stepping on his heartbeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He took a few steps back and bumped into the coffee table. The beer cans rolled off the table with a crisp sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The footsteps stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leo froze in place, his palms sweaty. He slowly touched the kitchen and picked up a fruit knife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who is outside? “He tried to make his voice sound calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He gathered his courage, gently unlocked the door lock, and pushed the door open by a crack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is no one in the corridor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But he clearly saw a blurry shadow slowly moving at the corner of the stairs. That shadow has no fixed shape, it’s like smoke blown away by the wind or flowing water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leo slammed the door shut and leaned against it, panting heavily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He took out his phone to call the police, but found that the screen was completely black and there was no response no matter how he pressed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that moment, he heard a faint sound coming from outside the window. It seems like something is gently tapping on the glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He slowly turned his head and saw a pale moon appearing in the night sky outside the window. But the moon was not round, but like a bitten cookie with uneven edges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What’s even more eerie is that the moon is slowly rotating, like a huge eye, peering at him from outside the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leo feels like his blood is about to coagulate. He took a few steps back and knocked over the chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The moon is still spinning, faster and faster, making a subtle “click click click” sound, like the sound of a clock moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suddenly, the moon stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leo saw a crack on the surface of the moon, like a crack on porcelain. The cracks quickly spread, and the entire moon began to shatter, turning into countless dots of light that floated in from outside the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those light points hovered in the air, slowly converging into a human form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leo recognized that person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s him himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another Leo stood in the center of the room, wearing the same clothes as him and with the same tired expression on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who are you? “Leo clenched the fruit knife in his hand, his voice trembling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another Leo smiled and said, “I am you. Or rather, I am the self you don’t want to be<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What do you mean<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You work overtime until late at night every day, squeeze on the subway, eat takeout, swipe your phone, and then go to sleep. Day after day, year after year. You think this is life, but in fact, you’re already dead<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leo was stunned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The moon is on leave today, “said another Leo,” because it doesn’t want to watch you live like this anymore<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After speaking, the shadow slowly dissipated and turned into scattered starlight, drifting towards the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leo stood still, his fruit knife clattering to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He walked to the window and looked up at the sky. The moon appeared again, round and bright, as if nothing had happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The phone suddenly vibrates, indicating a message prompt from the work group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leo picked up his phone, looked at the dense text on the screen, and then pressed the power button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He walked to the balcony and took a deep breath. The night breeze carried the warmth of early summer, blowing on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the distance, the lights of the city still shine brightly. But Leo knows that some things are different now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The moon did not take leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The one taking leave is himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting from tomorrow, he will take a long vacation for himself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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