Running After Stars

Surrounded by flowing green fields, covered by the glimmering night sky, little Oliver sat, staring straight above. He attempted to stand but his short stature seemed to lose against gravity as he tumbled back down. He watched as the stars shifted with his every movement. As his long blonde hair swayed, so did the stars. Just as his blue eyes contained the reflections of the bright lights, the stars contained his joy in the radiance of their glow. As he began to dance, they seemed to wink back at him, approving of his childish, enthusiastic movements. This silent conversation continued between the boy and the celestial beings above.

Then, came the main event. As the clouds began to roll in to cover the stars, Oliver braced himself.

“1… 2… 3… Go!”

At the signal of the rising determination within himself, Oliver began to run,

trying to outrun the clouds. He was running to preserve the clarity of his view, trying to maintain the light which he loved. In that moment, only one thought ran through Oliver’s mind.

“Don’t Go...”

He ran, pushing every ounce of energy through his veins, to power his legs and push towards the sky. He raced against the speeding clouds that were smothering the light. He chased after the stars. All of his effort was directed to this one goal. He pushed through pain and exhaustion, as the fear began to close in. He ran and ran, until his little legs gave in.

He crumpled to the ground, refusing to lift his head. He knew the lights were gone. With the fear of the impending darkness, Oliver began to cry. He thought of the ones he saw in the stars and the emptiness of a dark solitude without them by his side. He kept his eyes shut, trying to preserve the last flares of light he had branded into his retinas. In them, he saw two smiles, fading away. They were familiar smiles associated with warm embraces filled with love, and stern words filled with care and caution. They were the smiles of his parents.

Oliver poured his heart out onto the grass below him. All of the determination he once had in order to reach the sky, now sunk deep below the ground. He was too young to understand, but the loneliness of opportunities and love stolen from him, now brought the darkness into his heart. He remained this way until dawn struck.

As he watched the sun rise and come back down again, the initial scene returned. As though the previous night’s events had never occured, Oliver sat, in the middle of the field, staring at the stars, reaching up. He danced again. The stars winked again. The clouds rolled in. Oliver chased them down. Oliver came to the realization of loss.

Everyday, Oliver ran, cried, and rejoiced. He knew what the outcome would be and yet, he continued. It was not a product of madness.

Oliver had not accepted the loss, but he accepted the short time of love he could obtain. On those nights, his little fingers would rise up to the starlight and filter it through. For those short nights, he could obtain what he had tragically lost. It was okay to cry. It was okay to mourn. But Oliver never let the fear of darkness take away the moments he could still have. He took the darkness with him throughout the day and released it in his joyous dance with the stars. Oliver ran knowing he would never make it, knowing the stars would always be taken away from his sight. However, Oliver ran because he knew that despite the veil of darkness, the stars would still shine. He could not see them, but they were still shining, just for him. And as long as he remembered their light, Oliver could be seen running farther and faster--running after his stars.