Writing Championships #5

Purple Protags

Prompt: Stars (Fluff to Angst)

Iskall felt the branch underneath them sway gently. They struggled to resist grabbing hold onto anything else for support, their reflexes straining against their thoughts. The rocking of the wood continued, but they forced themselves to grow accustomed to it. It was rather calming, if they looked at the situation right.

Climbing up and between the branches of their omega tree had been fine. The tree had felt like an extension of themselves, since everything, down to the last twig, had been constructed and grown under their care. However, the injury in their side kept crying out. It hurt. They couldn't imagine even starting to climb down, but they decided not to worry about that at the moment.

The sky was inky and dark, a spray of stars splattered across the fabric of the night. Constellations beckoned, and pinpricks of planets in the far distance swirled and sparked. Iskall focused on these things rather than the blistering pain of Stress's sword in their side.

'It's my fault she got mad. I should have known she was overwhelmed and fed-up with everyone. With me.' 

Their own words haunted them, floating around in the abyss of their mind until they could almost see them there, behind their eyes.

A tiny swipe of motion caught their attention, dragging their gaze to a shooting star. It dove downward like paint being left behind my an artist's paintbrush.

'Huh?'

Iskall turned, seeing the star.

Usually, shooting stars are associated with wishes. Finally, they had a chance to wish for the one thing that they wanted.

"I wish that I was enough. For everyone. For myself, even."

They knew that they were stretching. Of course they couldn't be enough for every single hermit. Not when they were barely even able to make themself proud. No matter what they did. So they knew wishing for it would be too far. But it was worth a shot, right? They sighed, watching the star leave. So long. Now to wait.

They went back to getting lost in their head. The thought of how they were barely even able to look at themself without seeing an embarrasment coming quickly. After all, wasn't it true?

'I'm just simply not enough for the hermits to like.' 

 It seemed they were enough for something though.

The branch snapped, leaving Iskall free falling through the air, arms flapping aimlessly, desperate to grab onto something.

'It seems this is the end.' 

 A tear fell from their eyes as they fell through more leaves, coughing as they got caught in their throat.

'This is it,' they thought, as the ground drew nearer, their eyes shutting tightly as to brace themselves for the jarring impact that they were sure to meet on the jungle floor.

Iskall let out a final breath as they reached up to their mechanical eye, and shut it off for the final time, knowing it would never be on again.

They eased their breath as ground came even closer, calming themselves in their final moments.

'Guess I never will be enough.' 

The sound of fireworks startled them out of their thoughts, as they felt arms wrap around them, and their feet meet the ground safely.

Score: 9.5