Star
A short story I wrote, and one with a happy ending.
A man sits alone in a room, with red eyes and with a worried expression. His hands join each other, supporting his chin in order to fixate his view of the open window in front of him. It is night and the stars shine brightly, casting a soothing blue light. Cool breezes occasionally enter the room to lift the scattered pieces of paper, only to drop them in their original positions. An old face clock ticks slowly, making evident that time is not at a stand-still.
The man stares with grave eyes out the window, watching a particularly bright star in the night sky. When he blinks, tears gather around the lower edge of his eyes. These brown eyes that once looked so dark in the light, now seem so light in contrast to the redness that flooded them when fatigue became exhaustion; physically and mentally exhausted.
Forty ticks which were as forty years passed. He stood and paced, from his bed to the door. Back and forth. Many more ticks passed, and with round passing, his shaking hands touched the doorknob. Each time, coming closer and closer to grasping it. When he does grasp it, his strength leaves him, and it is impossible to turn. His eyes swell and the previously contained tears slide down his face, collecting on his jawbone.
He collapses on the ground, shaking tremendously. The door seems so far away now. In his weeping, he falls into a slumber that he cannot recognize as sleep. In this state, he dreams of himself and a woman. They are sitting in a tree and obviously in love. Her face is graced by the gentle breezes of summer and her skin is bestowed the beauty of the sunlight. They sit and laugh for many moments.
Suddenly, her face looks forward and without a moment pause, falls out of the tree. Her companion reaches out to catch her, but she slips from him. There is no sound as her body hits the solid earth. The woman whimpers softly on the ground. The man instantly decides to jump down to her, but now the limb he sits on is much farther from the ground than before. His eyes look for other options, but sees none. His mind is pushing him to help her, but his body freezes.
Suddenly, he is back in the room. The open window pouring another cooling breeze into the room. He stands with renewed strength and looks towards it. Step by step, he approaches the window; red eyes that were filled with sorrow, now with determination. With certain stride, he stands in front of the opening. Words escape his lips, but do not make a sound.
A breeze eliminates into the room again. Once more, words attempt to appear on his lips, but this time quiet and inaudible. Finally, he stands tall. The anxious look flees his face and now a confident one. Finally, he looks out the window and with a firm voice, he speaks "I am coming." With that, he throws himself out of the window and into the cool night air. He hits the ground with a smile, and with eyes toward the bright star in the sky.
The man stares with grave eyes out the window, watching a particularly bright star in the night sky. When he blinks, tears gather around the lower edge of his eyes. These brown eyes that once looked so dark in the light, now seem so light in contrast to the redness that flooded them when fatigue became exhaustion; physically and mentally exhausted.
Forty ticks which were as forty years passed. He stood and paced, from his bed to the door. Back and forth. Many more ticks passed, and with round passing, his shaking hands touched the doorknob. Each time, coming closer and closer to grasping it. When he does grasp it, his strength leaves him, and it is impossible to turn. His eyes swell and the previously contained tears slide down his face, collecting on his jawbone.
He collapses on the ground, shaking tremendously. The door seems so far away now. In his weeping, he falls into a slumber that he cannot recognize as sleep. In this state, he dreams of himself and a woman. They are sitting in a tree and obviously in love. Her face is graced by the gentle breezes of summer and her skin is bestowed the beauty of the sunlight. They sit and laugh for many moments.
Suddenly, her face looks forward and without a moment pause, falls out of the tree. Her companion reaches out to catch her, but she slips from him. There is no sound as her body hits the solid earth. The woman whimpers softly on the ground. The man instantly decides to jump down to her, but now the limb he sits on is much farther from the ground than before. His eyes look for other options, but sees none. His mind is pushing him to help her, but his body freezes.
Suddenly, he is back in the room. The open window pouring another cooling breeze into the room. He stands with renewed strength and looks towards it. Step by step, he approaches the window; red eyes that were filled with sorrow, now with determination. With certain stride, he stands in front of the opening. Words escape his lips, but do not make a sound.
A breeze eliminates into the room again. Once more, words attempt to appear on his lips, but this time quiet and inaudible. Finally, he stands tall. The anxious look flees his face and now a confident one. Finally, he looks out the window and with a firm voice, he speaks "I am coming." With that, he throws himself out of the window and into the cool night air. He hits the ground with a smile, and with eyes toward the bright star in the sky.
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