Catching Stars

Hands tightly clasped, the boy knelt in the wet dew which marked his jeans.

He could see the lights which shone between his fingers, the only solid thing in the dark world in which he lived.

As he watched the moving light, he felt the star buzz against his palm, looking for cracks. He smiled slightly at the familiar touch.

He remembered when he caught his first star, it touched his finger and he trapped it with his palm. He had asked Miss about it and she said it was a star coming to visit. She said they sometimes do, and they can be caught and held until they must return to the night sky. He was eager to show her this one.

Getting up he sprinted down well-worn paths back to the house, feet sloshing through unseen puddles and manoeuvring around age-old trees. He arrived at the door, his eyes scanning the room, hands reached out forward. He called for her, and she came, a dark flash followed by wind and warm hands wrapped around his own.

“I caught another star! Look!” he cried excitedly, opening his fingers just enough for her to see the little star shining through

“That you did.," the woman said, the smile leaking through her voice.

“Where did it come from! Which one is it!”

“This one comes from Ursa Minor, a small bear. It looks as if you have taken his eye and he might want it back.” She cupped her hands under his as the star was released gently into her care.

After flashing a smile he stumbled upstairs, eager to tell his roommates about the newest star.

The woman stepped outside, the ‘star’ she held in her hands brushing against her fingers as it buzzed in expectation.

Out in the evening light she opened her hands, The small ‘star’ unfolded its wings, its abdomen glowing. It then took off, sailing towards a nearby tree, where a crowd of others circled and danced in the darkening light. They then all collectively flew into the sky, just close enough to be the stars the boy so desperately wanted them to be.