starfall

Star

   Star never  walked this slow in her life. It was like her new companion had never lifted a foot until now. Every other second they had to stop to take a break, just so it could regain balance or catch its breath. She didn't complain though, as it was nice to take in the scenery for once. Most of the forests she ventured didn't usually have lifeforms like her. She hoped she'd find even more. All the colors of the arch that visits the sky! She already was yellow, and Heart was red, so she needed...

   "What are you doing with your fingers?" Heart asked with curiosity. Star looked up from her hands and glanced at the rounded shape.

   "Counting. Don't you know anything?"

   "Not really," it said blankly. They walked in silence for a while again. Star was so used to having all the thoughts in her head that she wasn't really used to explaining things. She just did them. It felt like common sense, anyways. Like the way Star was a she, the most important creature of all. She had a name, an identity, a background. Heart is an it for now. It was the same importance of any organism other than she. Maybe even lower, considering how Heart dragged its feet so slowly. The sun was already setting and they'd be in total darkness soon, not having any shelter to stay away from the coldness of the night, or any dangerous creatures that might get curious about second helpings of dinner.

   "Where are we going?" Heart asked.

   "I was supposed to go home, but I'm afraid we won't make it because you're extremely slow. Thankfully there's a river leading back to my home so we'll be there in no time!"

   "Oh, uhmm... Okay," Heart replied, clearly confused. It seemed like it didn't want to ask anymore questions, but Star couldn't figure out why.

   The two of them finally made it to the river, the waters calmly travelling west, curving around a small population of hills. Star took Heart's hand, holding it tightly as she approached the waters. The red object pulled back in shock.

   "What was THAT?!" It asked.

   "We're going in the river! To go home!" Star exclaimed, taking hold of its hand again. Heart hesitated before following her lead, but before it knew it, it was in the rushing waters, stumbling and crashing into the rocks inside them. The currents were much faster than Star thought, but thankfully she could control herself pretty well in them. Although, swimming through the waters with another person on her was quite difficult. She could hear its desperate cries and pleads for her to hold on, but she couldn't process what was happening.

   "You can't swim?" was the only thing that escaped her mouth. The sounds of desperate splashing and yelling drowned her thoughts out, and now a new instinct came over her. She hadn't really formed a bond with Heart, but all she wanted to do was save it. She pulled onto its arm as hard as she could, trying desperately to yank it out of the water. Both of them were slightly out of control now. She held tightly onto its arm, but she felt her entire body crash into the seemingly raging river, and suddenly she understood the desperation to escape. As she arose from the water, she gasped, trying to catch her breath. She managed to grab onto a shrub on the riverbank, holding onto it for dear life.

   "SWIM OVER HERE!!!"

   "I CAN'T!" Heart cried, panic written all over its face. Star could feel the grasses and twigs breaking from her grasp, but it didn't matter as long as Heart got out of the water. She let go, attempting to grab all of Heart's weight out of the water. She pushed herself up, tossing Heart out of the river. The currents divided the two of them. As quickly as she met Heart, she lost it. She tried her best to fight against the water to reunite, but it pushed her the opposite way. Further. Apart. Alone.