Earthbound Starlight

They had all been right, he was crazy, he had been foolish, he was naïve and hardheaded and selfish, but more than any of these things, he was alone. It was quiet in Madigan’s head for the first time in weeks and sitting with his back against the rough wall of the cave, the boy was lucid and in pain. It was not so much the through and through wound on his right shoulder, stitched up and bandaged, protected from any more harm that hurt, it was that aching longing in the pit of his stomach that had returned again, as it always did.