The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)

Chapter 31: Feeling of Despair

Part 2/2

Aurora paused, realizing how much she had just revealed, everything that was going on between her and Borealis, everything would be known by Samuel. Samuel’s eyes darted around, and he looked back at Aurora.

“Everyone’s gone to sleep already,” Samuel explained, “You don’t have to worry anyway. But just think to yourself…”

“Who do you love?”

“And, if you don’t know the answer to that, what type of person do you want to love?”

Aurora stared off into the distance gloomily, her shoulders dropped and her hair fallen to disgrace. She shrugged.

“I-I don’t know.”

“Maybe you’re just lost,” Samuel suggested, “Borealis is gone, and you need to accept the fact. We can’t do anything about it. No ma’am. But you really need to reflect and ask yourself if Borealis really loved you.”

Aurora turned away, looking into the fire again. It was dying, the flames subsiding and the gentle breeze of warmth fading away from her body.

“I suppose I should, huh?” Aurora said with a chuckle. She laughed to herself, rubbing her eyes and getting up from the log, “Oh I’m such a fool, Samuel.”

Aurora walked off to her hut, but before she did Samuel called out to her.

“Hold on just a moment!” Samuel hollered, “You haven’t forgotten something, haven’t you?”

Aurora turned around, her hair flowing gently as the wind carried it across her eyes.

“And what would that be?”

“A good night,” Samuel replied, “You forgot to say good night.”

Aurora smiled, and waved at him.

“Good night!”

Aurora turned around and opened the door up, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. As she did, she felt her heart hammer against her chest.

“Maybe, maybe I was wrong,” Aurora thought as she walked over to her sleeping bag. She dropped down to the floor and snuggled her way in, tugging the cover up.

“Maybe things really can work out between us.”

~

Samuel was inspecting the strange sheet of paper Star had given him. The fire had died down already, but Samuel didn’t feel cold at all. Oddly enough he felt just at home.

“I’m going to figure this out, Star,” Samuel announced out of the blue, “Don’t you worry. Nothing and no one is going to get in the way of that.”

Star didn’t respond, only wobbling up and hopping onto the log, planting her feet firmly on the rotting bark. Samuel looked up at the night sky, the stars twinkling like fireflies in a dark forest. It really was a pretty sight, no matter how many times Samuel looked at it.

“It’s even more beautiful than down below,” Samuel muttered. He glanced at Star, who was staring at the stars too. Her namesake.

“You know who I named you after?” Samuel asked. Star didn’t look back, her focus shifted toward the stars in the night sky.

“I named you after a woman named Nova,” Samuel sighed, “She was my best friend. I don’t know what was so different about her compared to anyone else but-”

Samuel clenched his fist.

“She made me feel… alive.”

Star’s ears perked up, her feathers ruffling and her tail wagging like a dog.

“Don’t even know why I’m telling you this,” Samuel said, “You might not even understand what I’m saying. Maybe you’re just a dodo bird who’s really smart.”

Samuel relaxed his fist. He sat up from the log and stretched his limbs. He walked over to the grass and lay down on it, looking at the night sky with wide eyes.

“It really is pretty,” Samuel said, “It really is…”

Samuel spent the rest of his time staring at the night sky, the stars slowly moving east as the moon’s might glared upon the camp. As he felt himself drifting to sleep, he felt something soft and fluffy rustle on his arm, the night sky twinkling one last time from his vision.