I stared out at horizon just beyond the city of Regalia, the two suns beginning to set. Soon their brother would be coming out to envelope the world with its silver light, the moon. The air was frosty and chill, little bits of snow beginning to fall. I closed my eyes, trying to imagine myself back on Earth, enjoying the beautiful crisp, snowy weather that approached during winter.
“I think it’s Christmas…” I whispered, the wind tearing my voice from the air.
“What’d you say?” Andromeda asked, hooking her arms behind her to sit up.
“I think it’s Christmas time. Well not exactly Christmas day, but almost near.” I repeated.
“What’s… Chri- Chrismees?” She asked, attempting to reiterate the word. I chuckled a little bit to myself at her failure to pronounce a word that children at the age of 4 knew back on Earth.
“Christmas. It’s a time of giving, and happiness. It’s just a day to remember and be thankful for the people around you.” I answered. “What month is it?”
“Tweluary.” She answered. I held back a snicker as I took in the information.
Tweluary? What kind of a name for a month is that?
“And what month did I arrive? Well, wake up?” I was trying to calculate whether I was right.
“Well you woke up in Quinoa. It was literally the last day of school.” She answered. I groaned. I was getting no information out of this whatsoever.
“Okay, well what number month is Quinoa?” I inquired.
“It’s the 5th month. Tweluary is the twelfth.” She replied.
“Ah so it is Christmas time!” I exclaimed. Back home, Christmas was my absolute favorite time of the year. I know it sounds a bit cliché but, my father and I weren't the normal dad and son. Our presents would consist of, clues, guessing games, riddles, and mazes that would lead us to our gift.
“But really Noah, what is Christmas?” Andromeda asked once more, genuinely curious as to what this mythological holiday was. I wracked my brain, scavenging for a tiny piece of explanation that could describe what this holiday truly meant. That was when I realized how difficult it is to describe Christmas to someone who had no idea what it is. The idea hit me like a cannonball, and a smile began to stretch across my face.
“Well, why don’t you figure it out yourself? All you have to do is live your normal life, and I’ll do all the work. It’s the least I could do."
She looked back at me, genuine joy radiating from her smile. She looked like a kid who would finally be able to remember Christmas day. I couldn’t wait to make her wishes come true.
~
“Okay, so go grab a piece of paper.” We were sitting on the ground in front of the fireplace, planning out the next couple of days. Although we didn’t know the exact day of the holiday, we planned for it to be 5 days from now. Andromeda hopped up from her seat in front of me, and rushed into the living room, returning with a crisp piece of printer paper.
“Okay, now write down things you want. Like something someone can get in a shopping mall or outlet.” She sat there for a couple seconds, staring into the fireplace. I could see her idea pop into her head as she grinned and quickly jotted down a list of things.
“Hang on a second. Noah, you don’t have any money.” Andromeda said, worry etched into her forehead.
“Don’t worry, I have all of that under control. Now write to your hearts consent.” I answered. I would work a couple shifts at a local fast food restaurant each day and work up enough to buy her one present after each shift. She quickly began to jot down the rest of her wishes.
She handed me the paper, and skittered into her room. I looked down at the list, preparing to calculate how long I would have to work. I smiled as I skimmed through the words. She only had 5 wishes. I had 5 chances to make her wishes come true. However, a slight frown formed onto my face as I read the last wish.
1. Necklace
2. Sweater
3. Boots
4. You
5. Stay on Emera
I now had to pick whose wishes were more important to grant: My own, or my only true love, Andromeda’s.
YOU ARE READING
The Center Of Every Star
Science Fiction“Where the bloody hell am I? What is this place? Why am I here?" Imagine: You've awoken after 500 years of cryogenic preservation, and you have no idea where you are. All you remember is that you've been through this process along with your NASA cre...
