Star Light, Star Bright

• Amy Dai, Grade 8, Glen Waverley Secondary College
• Short Story
• 2011

Excellence Award in the 'Step Write Up 2011' competition

The stars burnt bright.
It’s like they were leading us in life. I traced a circle on the dusty wood with my finger. Perhaps they would guide me through this mess I called my life. I closed my eyes.
If only grandpa was with me, with us. Was he up amongst the stars, looking down at me? Was that what the stars were? People’s souls that have passed away? They were the ones guiding us in life, aren’t they? Maybe that’s why I felt so close to that star, the one that seemed to shine more brightly than the others.
All those astrologists, making up all those theories about stars being rocks far far away. Why are they hiding the truth from us? From all the children? Stars weren’t just rocks floating in space; they were all our loved ones, looking down at us, encouraging us every moment in life.
I tilted my head up dreamily. I could feel grandpa with me. From the far away place he is now, he’d be looking down at me, winking. From the second star to the right, the one that was burning brightly.
That was where Peter Pan lived, was it not? Did all the souls go there, or did each soul turn into their own star. Grandpa was special, I always knew he was.
He was always telling me stories about faeries that lived in the garden, about river nymphs with silver scales, about little fire-elves that danced on candle tips grinning devilishly.
Mother was always telling me not to believe grandpa, but she had a twinkle in her eyes, just like grandpa, and I knew she believed the stories, every single one.
Grandpa always told me to look for brownies hiding in caves. They came out for mushrooms, he’d say. They’d gobble them up quick, and rush back to their burrows. But there was always time to see their furry faces, their pupils dilated from being in the dark for so long.
There were sprites darting among the leaves too. At night, he said, if you looked closely enough, you could just barely make out their transparent wings. They shone like glow worms, and that’s what most people thought they were.
He’d always loved the stars, telling me grandmamma was up there. Now he was too, and I wondered if they were there together.
Grandpa was always there for me, looking after me, and I knew he was there now. Looking at me, smiling at me from the stars.
I touched my cheek, surprised at the silent tears trailing down my cheeks. I hadn’t cried for weeks.
I did now, releasing all the pressure, the stress, the grief. It’s like grandpa lifted all the burdens from my shoulders and they flew into the stars.
I looked up and smiled.
Star light, star bright,
Let him be with me tonight.