Clutching At Stars

• Richard Shaw, Grade 12, St Luke's College -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Horizon of Dreams 2018' competition

“Quite the piece of equipment you have there, sir.”

“Ah, well I should hope so for what I’m paying for it. Only the best for the ones you love though, right?” he chuckles awkwardly while admiring the monogrammed case.

Satisfied with his purchase, the man left to pick up his son. Driving with a sense of purpose and excitement to show off their new toy. Chuffed and leaning to one side, the father stood there with the heavy box, waiting. The father loved watching his son with his friends; they were nice to him, hugging him as they said goodbye to each other. The father could sense their sympathy, and while he was grateful for it, he felt a slight pain in his chest.

“He’s doing so well Mr. Himmleston, we’re so proud of him.”

“Thank you Mrs Canning, I appreciate all of your help, bye-bye now”

His son’s eyes lit up as he spotted his father. Curious and excited, the son ran into his father’s arms, taking the breath out of his lungs. Bursting with energy he practically yelled at him,

“Dad! What’s in the box?!”

“Well son, you know I’ve always promised you we’d see the stars together, and in this very box-“

The boy gasps.

“A telescope!? You mean we’re really going to see the stars?!!”

The boy couldn’t hold in his excitement, bursting into a cheer as he ran with no sense of direction to find the nearest park. The father couldn’t help but smile and laugh.

“Hey buddy where are you going?! You know the telescope is still in my hand right?”

He yelled, smiling, as he started running after his son, trying to keep up. But his glasses began to slip. They flew from his face, crashing onto the ground. His vision was completely blurred. He lost sight of his son. Only seeing a muddled group of colours. He could hear his son freaking out, triggered by the crowd.

Rush hour.

Sprinting towards the sound of his son’s cry. The man ran blindly across the streets, through the park, and into the woods. The air thinned as the sky darkened. The man clutched at his chest, he could feel his heart beating rapidly beneath his palms, but he kept on running. Running with no sense of direction. Running towards his son. He ran over a hill, seeing only a blurry silhouette standing on its cusp.

Gasping for air, the father started to approach the silhouette. Going faster as he got closer. He reaches out to grab his son’s shoulder. But in that very moment all he felt was a cold, hard surface. His heart stopped.

Observing from a distance, a woman watched her husband reach out and hold onto their son’s tombstone. She watched, sobbing but never looking away as her husband knelt next to it and started burying a brand new telescope.