To The Stars and Back

Episode 21

The night was cloaked in silence, the park bathed in the faint glow of distant streetlights. Catra sat alone on a swing, her form shrouded in the comfort of her black sweatpants and oversized hoodie. Her hood was pulled up, shadowing her face, and her hands were buried deep in the pockets of the hoodie. The swings creaked faintly as she gently swayed back and forth, her red sneakers rhythmically tapping against the ground in a nervous tick.

Catra glanced at her watch, the illuminated dial casting a pale light on her anxious expression. "He's late," she thought, the words echoing in her mind like a foreboding mantra. She closed her eyes, leaning forward slightly, her breath escaping in a slow, nervous exhale. Doubt gnawed at her insides. "Is he not even coming?"

Her mind drifted back to the moment she had left the note, stuck to Bow's car's window wiper. The memory was vivid, clear in the moonlit solitude of the park. "I left a note on his car to meet me here at this time. Maybe I should have given a more specific address..." she mused, a hint of frustration tinging her thoughts.

Catra's gaze hardened as she looked straight ahead, the grip on the swing tightening. One hand rested on her thigh, the other held an envelope, her elbow propped on her knee. "Why the hell am I even getting involved?" she wondered, her thumb fidgeting with the corner of the envelope. The paper crinkled softly in the still night air. "It really has nothing to do with me... Could it be for curiosity?"

She turned her head slightly, eyes distant. "But then, why do I feel bad for Adora?" The question hung heavily in her mind. She swallowed nervously, the movement almost imperceptible beneath the fabric of her hood. "Why is this affecting me so much?"

Catra's eyes fluttered shut, her mind a swirl of confusion and uncertainty. "I barely know her," she reminded herself, the thought an attempt to distance herself from the turmoil within. Yet, despite her words, the feeling of responsibility lingered, stubborn and unyielding. She sat there, hunched over, alone in the night, her hands tucked away, as if the physical barrier could ward off the emotional storm raging inside.

"It's not my burden to bear," she told herself, trying to convince her heart as much as her mind. "Why should I care about what happens to other people...?" She let out a sigh, leaning back slightly, her hood casting deeper shadows over her face. Her eyes closed again, seeking solace in the brief escape of her thoughts.

In the darkness behind her eyelids, a memory resurfaced unbidden. The melody of the distant radio played softly, the same tune from the dream she had a few days ago. The scene was vividly etched in her memory: a classroom, a radio sitting on a table, filling the room with its haunting melody. The familiarity of the moment sent a shiver down her spine.

Her eyes snapped open, a jolt of nervous energy coursing through her. The park around her seemed suddenly oppressive, the silence too loud. She glanced around, her heart pounding in her chest. The envelope in her hand felt heavier, laden with more than just the paper it contained. It was a weight she wasn't sure she was ready to carry, a burden of knowledge and decision.