Starlight

This is the first story I've written in a long while. It's been a tough couple of months for me creative-wise. But hey, not bad.

This story kinda came out of nowhere, I just found some quiet and thought of a story and setting came to me first. The characters just took on forms of their own. I initially planned it to be a harsher darker encounter, with the female lead considering suicide and such, but when it didn't really write itself out that way initially, I didn't try to make it and I just went along with it.

This actually took me about slightly less than 3 days to write(as opposed to my usual 20 min story, don't judge! They call it flash fiction for a reason, not just cause of the length), partly cause I'm distracted, partly cause I didn't really know where it was going and got stuck at several points.

I guess that means its slightly disjointed and if some parts don't totally make sense then sorry!

Still, I hope you enjoy it.

It's a story about understanding, struggle and that little ray of hope that sometimes just manages to shine its way through I guess.

Enjoy.

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Victoria ran out of her front door, leaving it open, the swirling maelstrom of emotion following her out, leaving its twisted trail behind as she slammed open the door to the stairwell and pounded her way up blind. Never, again, she told herself. Never.

7th floor, 8th floor, 9th, 10th, circling, thrashing her way upwards through the sea of red until she finally burst through the door at the 20th storey, the sounds of the eternal city instantly washing over her as the night sky opened up above. She ran out of momentum a few steps away from the door, gasping for breath as the cool air hit her lungs, and stumbled over to the edge, staring at the blaring noise from the traffic below her.

"So what brings you up here young lady"

The casual drawl startled her; vulnerable and raw, she spun around tensely. It was a man, his face full of stubble, on a plastic deck chair, gleaming white in the dim brown that was the roof. He leaned back into his chair and after drawing a deep breath from his pipe, unleashed a foul smelling cloud of smoke from his pipe.

She didn't know what to say,

"Stuff...I guess"

"Always is," he said sighing, "nobody just ends up here. Unless cos you're me of course."

Victoria stood there in silence as he sank into a silent depression, the quiet surface giving no hint of the turmoil that must have been within. Quietly he intoned, "Look up into the sky."

She looked up, above the city lights and light haze, and saw stars. Stars upon stars upon stars, twinkling, dazzling, winking stars. She looked away for a moment and saw the man had gotten up, his face now pale in the moonlight.

"Beautiful ain't it." he whispered, not pausing from his look into the heavens.

His eyes took on a faraway look, and she turned her gaze back to the depths of the galaxies as he softly breathed,

"Star light, Star bright

The first star I see tonight,

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have the wish I wish tonight"

Suddenly she felt dumb. What was she doing there anyway. Guilt and confusion washed through her as she backed away instinctively.

"I'm sorry." she said, realising who the real intruder was.

He broke and regarded the girl gently once more, and as Victoria stared into his eyes she saw an understanding there; the sense that the soul considering hers had known, had been and had moved on. Feeling self-conscious she looked away and saw him smile.

"You're alright kiddo," he chuckled to himself; seeing her confused face, he stilled his laughter. "Just realise you ain't alone, and find your own space you know what I mean?"

She sighed for the first time that night, his words sounding hollow to her; it wasn't that she didn't know, but realising that fact didn't make her problems any easier to deal with.

He smiled knowingly.

"Oh but Victoria, I do know."

"How did you know...."

He slipped off his trench coat as he unfolded his six foot wings, and shook them free as they shone, gleaming white under the light of the moon, taking on a ethereal glow, brilliance unlike anything she'd ever seen.

"Even angels have their problems, just remember; you ain't as alone as you think."

Weariness all gone, he tilted his head upwards, looking out into the sky.

"Someone's thinking of you, don't forget that."

And with that he was gone.

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*While writing this song I thought of the Drifters song Up on the Roof. It was a song that featured somewhat frequently throughout my childhood. (1962 oh gosh) It might've partly helped to inspire this story, the mood is kinda different, but hey I think its a pretty good song. Give it a listen I guess.

If not then thats enough drivel for now!

:/

-Ian