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Star Keeper
Death & Survival
I dreamed of that house every night. Wondered what it would be like to explore the beautiful wooden walls. Imagined the smell of the forest filling every nook and cranny while I walked through its two stories. Wished on thousands of shooting stars to get the life that came with living in a house like that. Now, lurking in my window, I watched the family’s bowed heads.
Every rumor was a lie, I knew that, but this was no illusion. This gathering before me was no rumor. The realness flooded me as I watched his granddaughter’s blue midnight mane dance with the grieving wind as she joined the family’s haunting howl. It was a sound that ripped my heart from my chest and shredded it. I could feel the tears swelling in my eyes and hoped that no one saw as I wiped them away with the sleeve of my shirt. I looked over at Deyanira and knew she saw the tears, as she put her hand on my shoulder. I could tell her mind was swirling with questions that I had been trying to answer.
After a while my brain stopped registering her questions, I was filled with my own. I was in my own little world, trying to make sense of everything when the heavy door creaked open, I didn’t wait for my adoptive mother’s words. She gave me a small hug before my adoptive father, The Chief Elder, and I walked from our home to join the crowd. Nothing struck me as odd about this moment, unlike every other moment when my ears received the horrendous rumors. This shot a pang of longing through my heart. My father said nothing as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I couldn’t be sure if he was stopping my decent into the crowd or if he was trying to comfort me. Neither worked. I looked deep into his eyes to find comfort in them like I have done so many times before, but all I saw was sorrow. It made my chest even more, knowing that the person who had raised me since my parent's passed away be in this much pain.
The crowd seemed to part as Luca made his way away from the house. He walked toward me with a smirk plastered across his face. I hated that smirk, I wanted to slap it off of his face. I wondered if he smirked because of me, or because he did something. “He went peacefully,” Luca reported as he leaned close to me. His smirk fell into a frown. “In his sleep.”
“What’s…” I trailed off as a tall man with sandy hair stood atop the stairs leading to the archway that held the door to the Protector’s house. His shoulders slumped forward while his eyes seemed to grow more bloodshot by the second.
“My father dwelled on the Star conundrum in the last hours of his life.” His voice was stricken with grief, and it cracked as shock overtook his emotions. His daughter, the girl with the midnight mane, placed a hand on his defeated shoulder as she stepped forward.
“My grandfather wanted to start a tradition with this house.” She spoke loud and precise. Her eyes were spared the tragedy of grief for the moment. “This house is supposed to go to the new Protector; however, we have two.” Her eyes scanned her surroundings, narrowing on Luca and me. Her father patted her hand and nodded his thanks.
“Are we getting a house?” Deyanira whispered close to my ear. Hope filled her words. I jumped slightly and goose bumps scattered across my neck; I didn’t realize she followed me, or clung to my arm until she spoke.
“Neither shall receive the gift until proven the true protector,” the man announced. He lowered his eyes from the crowd while his daughter watched us. Hatred filled her eyes as they met my Star.
“No,” I stated. Her disappointment washed over me. For a moment, I was grateful for the feeling, for her strong emotions. I wanted to lean into her grip on my arm as the sadness faded. The feeling didn’t last long. My grief consumed both of us before she leaned into me.
I left the crowd within the hour. My star followed me, even though we had nowhere to go. The heart wrenching howls continued long after the family fell silent. Deyanira’s eyes focused on me. For once, she didn’t open her mouth. ‘This is the real Star,’ I told myself. 'I just need to prove it'.
The night was long; the air squeezed my lungs shut. She made no effort to touch anything or ask questions. “We’ll leave before first light,” I informed her while I rolled onto my side, away from her. “Before the goodbyes.”
“I always hated those,” she whispered.
“Me too.”
She didn’t speak again. I didn’t sleep. Our breaths harmonized with the ticking of the clock. I could feel her eyes staring at me from the other side of the bed, I didn't look at her though. I could not face her. We both thought of death and prayed for survival while the minutes shoved us into the test of a lifetime.
Every rumor was a lie, I knew that, but this was no illusion. This gathering before me was no rumor. The realness flooded me as I watched his granddaughter’s blue midnight mane dance with the grieving wind as she joined the family’s haunting howl. It was a sound that ripped my heart from my chest and shredded it. I could feel the tears swelling in my eyes and hoped that no one saw as I wiped them away with the sleeve of my shirt. I looked over at Deyanira and knew she saw the tears, as she put her hand on my shoulder. I could tell her mind was swirling with questions that I had been trying to answer.
After a while my brain stopped registering her questions, I was filled with my own. I was in my own little world, trying to make sense of everything when the heavy door creaked open, I didn’t wait for my adoptive mother’s words. She gave me a small hug before my adoptive father, The Chief Elder, and I walked from our home to join the crowd. Nothing struck me as odd about this moment, unlike every other moment when my ears received the horrendous rumors. This shot a pang of longing through my heart. My father said nothing as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I couldn’t be sure if he was stopping my decent into the crowd or if he was trying to comfort me. Neither worked. I looked deep into his eyes to find comfort in them like I have done so many times before, but all I saw was sorrow. It made my chest even more, knowing that the person who had raised me since my parent's passed away be in this much pain.
The crowd seemed to part as Luca made his way away from the house. He walked toward me with a smirk plastered across his face. I hated that smirk, I wanted to slap it off of his face. I wondered if he smirked because of me, or because he did something. “He went peacefully,” Luca reported as he leaned close to me. His smirk fell into a frown. “In his sleep.”
“What’s…” I trailed off as a tall man with sandy hair stood atop the stairs leading to the archway that held the door to the Protector’s house. His shoulders slumped forward while his eyes seemed to grow more bloodshot by the second.
“My father dwelled on the Star conundrum in the last hours of his life.” His voice was stricken with grief, and it cracked as shock overtook his emotions. His daughter, the girl with the midnight mane, placed a hand on his defeated shoulder as she stepped forward.
“My grandfather wanted to start a tradition with this house.” She spoke loud and precise. Her eyes were spared the tragedy of grief for the moment. “This house is supposed to go to the new Protector; however, we have two.” Her eyes scanned her surroundings, narrowing on Luca and me. Her father patted her hand and nodded his thanks.
“Are we getting a house?” Deyanira whispered close to my ear. Hope filled her words. I jumped slightly and goose bumps scattered across my neck; I didn’t realize she followed me, or clung to my arm until she spoke.
“Neither shall receive the gift until proven the true protector,” the man announced. He lowered his eyes from the crowd while his daughter watched us. Hatred filled her eyes as they met my Star.
“No,” I stated. Her disappointment washed over me. For a moment, I was grateful for the feeling, for her strong emotions. I wanted to lean into her grip on my arm as the sadness faded. The feeling didn’t last long. My grief consumed both of us before she leaned into me.
I left the crowd within the hour. My star followed me, even though we had nowhere to go. The heart wrenching howls continued long after the family fell silent. Deyanira’s eyes focused on me. For once, she didn’t open her mouth. ‘This is the real Star,’ I told myself. 'I just need to prove it'.
The night was long; the air squeezed my lungs shut. She made no effort to touch anything or ask questions. “We’ll leave before first light,” I informed her while I rolled onto my side, away from her. “Before the goodbyes.”
“I always hated those,” she whispered.
“Me too.”
She didn’t speak again. I didn’t sleep. Our breaths harmonized with the ticking of the clock. I could feel her eyes staring at me from the other side of the bed, I didn't look at her though. I could not face her. We both thought of death and prayed for survival while the minutes shoved us into the test of a lifetime.