Stargazer.

She tilted her head so she could see the stars. They were hanging quietly above her, gracing her with their light, shining and sparkling as if for her eyes only. It had been a while since last and she thought to herself that she ought to remember the stars, and go see them more often. They calmed her, and gave her that inner peace the world only ever took from her.

The stars gave her so much, and all they wanted in return was a bit of attention every now and then. For her to gaze at them dreamily once or twice a week, wishing to join them and spend the rest of her life among them, shining and sparkling. She couldn’t for the love of it deny their wishes. They were so beautiful and calm and gave her the perfect escape from a stressing world.

At first, she only went out to see the stars once or twice a week. That was enough she thought, and left it at that. The stars were of course okay with it for a while, but then they asked if maybe she could visit more often, like three or four times a week. “It’s only a day or two more”, they said. “It won’t harm you to spend time with us a day or two more every week. It’s not like you have anything better to do with your time, so you might as well spend it with us. We’re soothing, we make you relax, we’re pretty, and when you’re with us you don’t have to worry about the world, you can just pretend to be up here with us, shining and sparkling without a care.”

Not long after it had become three or four times a week. Then it was five or six.

As time went by, she stopped noticing time. It didn’t matter how many days a week she was there, as long as she saw the stars whenever she felt like it, or whenever the stars needed her attention. They were so fragile and beautiful, she was afraid it would break them if she didn’t come.

It was Sunday morning, or perhaps it was Monday, she didn’t know. All that mattered was to see the last star off into light of day and lie down to wait for them to reappear at night. Lucy didn’t move from her spot up on the hill. She just sat there and waited for the return of the stars. Waited for them to come back to sparkle and shine, only for her.

She would join them one day. One day she would sparkle and shine and grace people with her light and calming ways. Just hang there quietly, forever separated from the world