Stars Shine Bright

                                                                            Stars Shine Bright

         Once upon a time there was a little girl, Elise who lived in a cottage with her father Michael, mother Sarah, and baby brother, Charles. Her father was a good merchant and traveled often and while her mother stayed home to take care of the house.
         Elise had always been a curious child and loved to wonder around the forest near their small home. When Charles was old enough to stumble along with her he did and together they would play. Charles would turn into a king and Elise would be his beautiful angle that came to his aid. That she was too in life. For she was a lovely and kind hearted child that could not stand any suffering, specially her beloved brother's.
         So it did not come as a surprise when Charles fell ill that his small brunette sister sat vigil with him until he was well again. Elise made him broths to sip and wet cloths to cool his fever. Unfortunately, this began to happen with regularity and it would take him longer and longer to recover from them no matter what Elise did for him.
         It was considered a miracle that Charles recovered and that no matter what ailed him Elise never became sick herself. Fate decided though that this was not to continue.
         The day came when Elise and Charles were playing in the yard, just after he had conquered a nasty cold, and Elise began to cough very hard and had to sit on a stump in order to regain her breath. Her brother wanted badly to go inside and get their mother, for he had never seen her sick before, but Elise did not wish to bother her with some so small.
         A few day later the cough returned but this time a fever and cold came with it. Her mother wished to send for a doctor but wasn't sure what to do because her husband was away on business. So instead of sending for him she labored over her daughter night and day with wet cloths and water. But nothing she did could break Elise's temperature.
         A week passed and Sarah decided to send for him no matter what her husband would think.  When he arrived he tried many different remedies and polyjuices but to no anvil. He would check her pulse and  pat her forehead , but could do nothing to ease her suffering. He turned to Sarah, gave a shrug, turned her money and left.
         Michael came back days after the doctor had felt and found his first born withering away before his eyes. The family had began to lose all hope of Elise ever getting better. Her mother would do nothing but sit in her rocking chair and weep, and Michael he'd never stay for more than a moment. But Charles was different, he'd sit beside Elise and tell her stories or make her laugh. Even though his parents were sacred he'd get, too.
         A month later Elise miraculously got better and was able to eat soup and sit up on her own in the bed. Chares was thrilled and bounced all around the cottage. Sarah stated to smile more and her father stayed home. But it was to last.
         Elise's cough came back worse than ever. She would shake uncontrollably and spit up blood on occasion. Everyone in town gathered to come and pay her their last respects.
         Chares refused to give up. Though he was little he knew that his sister was his whole world and if it was him in the bed he knew she'd be trying to help him.
         When his parents were asleep he snuck out and went from cottage to cottage  begging the adults for help. Every door had teary eyed people inside that would quickly shut their door on  him and snuffed out their lights.
         As Charles was returning home with red puffy eyes, and biting his lip to hold back his broken hearted cry, he caught sight of a particularly bright star. It seemed to shimmer and grow brighter than he moon. Chares felt as if this star could helped him and that if he simply walked far and high enough he could snatch it up.
         The little boy wiped his nose and walked straight into the dark forest, with his head held high. But once he had become surrounded by trees him started to worry if he would be able to find his way out. For what god would getting the star do if he couldn't return to his sister's side?
         Charles looked around for something to help him mark a path, but there was nothing. He looked up to the heavens and cried," Please help me oh great star for I know not the way!" He fell to the forest floor. Then he heard a tickle of water. It grew stronger and stronger with every passing minute.
         The little boy, now covered in dirt looked up from his lap and to his disbelief a stream had appeared to his right." Oh, thank you, thank you mighty star."  Charles jumped up with a renewed energy and ran alongside the flowing water to the top of the forest's hill.
         He arrived at the crest of the hill out of breath and sweaty. He searched out the star, but was unable to see it through the clouds. He began to panic and drew in very quick breathes and his knees knocked together. All of this searching for a dead end? " I can't believe it. I can't-"
         His voice fell through when a bright blue light shined through his closed eyes. He lifted his head and let his jaw drop. Standing in front of him was a beautiful young woman with dark curly hair wearing flowing light blue robes and seemed to be made out of blue energy, that  pulsed with life.
         She smiled down at him and put her hand on his shoulder. Charles stood up and followed her as she walked down into a lovely valley filled with adorable creatures are overflowing with brightly colored flowers.
         The star girl halted in front of a tall elegant tree with pure white petals that had a flushed inside and yellow pistols. She motioned for Charles to pluck one so he did. He breathed in deeply and exhaled the heavenly scent. The he noticed the girl was writing in the dirt. Take this flower to your sister and crush it in a bow. Then feed it to your sister. Hurry, Charles, your sister grow weak. Charles managed to stammer out a thank you to the blue girl, with her sad smile, and watched her sail back up toward heaven, and become a star once more.
         He rushed out of the quaint valley and found the star's stream, it was beginning to dry out. He went home s fast as his little legs could carry him, every now and then glancing up at the twinkling star.
         By the time he returned to his family's cottage dawn was breaking and his parents were moving around. He burst through the door with the flower held high and went to the cabinet to find a bowl, to crush the flower in. Then he went to Elise's side and force fed it to her.
         She opened her light blue eyes shuddering, and gave him a small smile, " I knew you would listen," she said quietly.
         "What? Do you need something?"
         "No," she took a breath and went completely still.
         "No, no, no, no!" Charles cried beating his fists on the bed. His eyes blurred over and he could hardly make his sister's soft brown curls and her drained face.
         "Son," his father tried to calm his boy, as his wife bawled, but Charles would not be soothed. He batted away his father's hand and wiped his tears. The blue girl had tricked him and he would know why.
         He slowly rose from the floor and stalked outside and back into the woods. Charles refused to believe that his had not been affected by Elise's death. Everyone had loved her and now she was gone. The person he had followed and looked up to was suddenly gone. He had to right this wrong. He had to make the star fix it. And bring his sister back to him.
          The climb to the top of the hill was more difficult and took him longer to find his way without the stream. By the time he got there it was early afternoon and Charles tried to go back to the valley, but it was not there. It was gone...like Elise. He balled up with fists in youthful rage and  decided to wait on top of the hill until night fell for the star girl to return. For she must and answer for her doings.
         As the day crept by his stomach would irrupt in loud growls and his throat was as dry as the stream before the star had filled it. Yet he would not move. Charles spoke not a single word and his face was frozen in a  straight line. He simply sat and contemplated all that he was going to say to her and he relished the fact that she may even cry.
         When evening fell, he stood and stretched, as the star floated gracefully dawn from the colorful sky. Charles scowled at the girl who was giving off even more blue light then before and almost seemed substantial with her joyous smile. "Why did you give me that awful flower? It took my sister away from me!"
         The curly haired star lost her smile and said clear crystal voice, " No, it did not Charles, she was already dying. There was nothing that could be done."
         "Then why give me the flower?"
         "To ease her out of this life and into the next...Charles, do you not know who I am?" She took a wary step back and spread her hands, palms facing him, out to the sides.
         "You are The Star that I followed. What more do you think I should know?"
         "Charles, you have not only just began to follow me. I am the one you have always followed, read stories with, and played in the yard with." She took a large step toward him as he fell to his knees. Then cupped his face in her hands." I am your sister."
         "You, you are my sister...Elise? But how...I-I don't understand." Charles grabbed at her hands in an attempt to take them off of his face, but went through them as if they were not even there.
         Elise went down onto her knees, also. " That's alright little brother. All you need to know is that I am okay and that I will always be near. "She stroked his hair with a hand and with the other lifted his chin, which had fallen to the ground, so that she could look into his eyes." As long as you believe in me I will always do what needs to be done, Charles." She whispered and gave him a ghostly hug as he wiped his eyes.
         Together they knelt that way talking quietly and murmuring reassurances. When the moon started to dip he asked Elise to stay with him. "No baby brother," She choked out," I cannot. I do not belong here anymore."
         "No, Elise please do not leave me. I will miss you." Charles sobbed as she began to lose her form in the first streaks of morning light.
         "I know, but you are a strong boy and you will make it through. Do it for mother and father."
         "But Father did not even shed a tear for you! How can I go on for him?" He exclaimed determined to not forgive him.
         "Run home little brother you will see that you are wrong." She was already thirty feet in the air and almost a stream of light when Charles next called out, "Can you light my way back home?" A sound of vibrating crystal came out, almost as if Elise had laughed, along with a small beam of blue light shone through the tree tops. Charles smiled and wondered if this would be the last time he would follow his sister.