Day 46: Aria in the Nightless Sky

Today I wrote a lot and I’m tired :tired_face: Going to take @judygitenstein’s humble wisdom and trim down a lot of this so I can have something neat to present tomorrow! This story is based on this week’s prompt from my writing group, “ What Thing Could Surivive? ”

It’s here, it’s here, it’s finally here!

Day 48: Entry from the Diary of the Night Sky

“Look, Keir, Look! Another star has twinkled at you tonight! That means tomorrow is going to be a great day for you!”

On that night, just like so many other nights, I found myself laying in the grass alongside my childhood best friend, Akemi. We grew up together for no reason better than being neighbors, and that was all the reason Akemi needed to harass me everyday. She made excuse after excuse to come over and harangue me, but little did I realize that I secretly enjoyed her company. I was uncertain about everything: the world, the future, and myself, yet Akemi always pushed and prodded me to keep looking on the bright side. Pushed and prodded me to embrace the uncertainty as chances to grow. Pushed and prodded me to open up when I shut down.

Someone like her was wasting her graces on someone as pathetic as me. And it showed. As the years flew by, we grew apart. I said it didn’t make sense for her to waste even a single extra second on me. She disagreed, but decided to respect my wishes regardless. Eventually our paths diverged, and it was time for us to truly say goodbye. She elected for a career that would continue to give her gifts to the world, and I fumbled along the path of least resistance. An opportunity to leave my small town presented itself, and I gladly took it. I had nothing left for me here, but I had nothing to look forward to, either. — On that fateful day, the world took a deep breath, and paused. Life as we knew it screeched to a halt, and all the norms we took for granted crashed into yesterday. A pandemic raged across the globe, and to combat the spread outside, we retreated inwards.

But Akemi didn’t. She saw the world beginning to crumble, and instead of saving herself, continued to save others. Even if it cost her everything. — I came back to my hometown to pay respects to the lost star of hope in this pitiful world. After the burial, I returned in solemn silence to my parent’s home. I rifled through my old belongings, desperately searching for some sort of meaning to all this madness. Why did it take her? Why couldn’t it have been me? I had done nothing with all my life and continued to spiral into the void. It should have been me, I should have been chosen to leave.

Suddenly, I find it. A notebook I had long forgotten, the very same you are reading from right now. As my eyes sail through the pages, I can’t stop the tears from falling. I used to want to be somebody, and these entries from the abandoned me proved it. What the hell happened? Where had it all gone wrong?

Then… I realized.

It was because I had pushed her away.

I take the notebook and step outside into the backyard to air out my feelings. I glance over to the neighbor’s backyard, and repented over never making the effort to cross that steel-linked fence. Time and time again, Akemi made every effort to reach me. Time and time again I let her down, and never reciprocated her kindness.

I then glance up into the starry night sky. In the city where I reside, I see no such stars.

“Look, Keir, Look! Another star has twinkled at you tonight! That means tomorrow is going to be a great day for you!”

One more tear managed to escape from the ducts I assumed were already flushed out.

And in that moment, I decided. I knew what needed to be done, if I were truly to honor Akemi’s memory. I gripped the old notebook tightly, and with my newfound resolve, took the first step forward.

There was no more time to waste. I had a newfound dream, and I would see this through.

@dragon @homeroom11 @sabweld @michellebasey @eliturner @DerekDodds @sydneyquade @laurasanto