"i'll watch over you from above. i'll be the brightest star up there, and i'll illuminate the sky. just for you."
"...thank you.."
!MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING!
Calex was a guard in a maximum security prison. he dealt with murderers, thieves, and everything in between. he treated them like they deserved to be treated; criminals. that was his job. so today was no different, as he approached the new cell, sliding open the little metal trap door, and tossing the tray of food in there. bread and rice. "eat up, sterling." his tone was mocking.
sterling sneered, "eat up, fucker." he threw the stale piece of bread and hit calex in the face. he grumbled and slammed the metal trapdoor shut. another guard approached him, "oh, you got the new guy?" calex stood and nodded. "unfortunately." he nodded, "yeah.. i feel ya. must be awful dealing with such a traumatic situation."
Calex couldn't help but raise a brow, "traumatic for the victim? like any other case?" the guard sneered, "as if." calex sighed, "i guess im confused then." the guard hummed, "you didn't hear?"
"clearly not."
"the woman he killed was his rapist."
Calex's eyes widened as the guard continued, "she abused him everyday, since he was like seven, according to his statement." calex stayed quiet, trying to contain his surprise, "....oh." the guard nodded, before his walkie talkie buzzed, "ah. gotta go." he gave a wave and left. calex weakly returned it.
he looked at the ground as he thought. he sighed. he figured he could atleast apologize for being such an ass. he headed back towards the cell, and opened the metal trapdoor.
"hey, uh. 'm sorry for-" sterling interjected. "'s fine." calex blinked, "..huh?"
"i said 's fine."
"but uh.. why?"
sterling shrugged, "why not." calex was a little confused but nodded along. "okay then.. well.. i'll come get you for field time later."
"'kay."
calex returned a few hours later, still reeling at the earlier interaction. he opened the cell and led sterling to the field. the sun was setting. once they were far enough away from the others, calex sat on the grass and hummed, "so.. uh.." sterling sat next to him. calex continued, "i wanted to apologize earlier because i.. found out what happened." sterling nodded, staying quiet. calex spoke up again, "im sorry that happened to you."
sterling shrugged. he seemed to do that a lot. "it's whatever. it already happened. can't change it now."
the sunset made the sky a gorgeous shade of pink, orange and blue. calex had a soft smile on his face as he looked at the sky, "the sunset is pretty.." sterling nodded, "i have 29 more."
calex understood the weight behind his words. only 29 more sunsets, and he was gone. he looked young.. "how old even are you?" sterling hummed, "19. and you?"
"24."
"what's your name?"
"calex."
"that's nice." sterling ended, looking back up at the sky. a few stars began to appear. he laid back. calex eventually did too.
he smiled softly, his eyes glimmering in the starlight, "wanna hear something?" he continued after sterling nodded, "my mom used to tell me something as a kid and i've been thinking about it a lot lately." he paused for a moment, "she used to say that when we die, our souls go to become all the lights in the sky, so we can guide others. those who are lost." he fell silent, his voice gentle as he continued gazing at the stars, "it's... comforting to imagine."
sterling listened, ending his series of nods with an even smaller smile, "maybe when i die, ill become a star. i'll watch over you, and guide you. i'll light up the whole sky. just for you."
calex stayed quiet for a moment before answering, "i'd like that.."
"will i be a pretty star?"
calex nodded. he had tears in his eyes. sterling was a sweet kid. just starting life, and he only had 29 days. "the prettiest.."
29 sunsets.
the rest of the month flew by, and now, it was the night before sterling's execution. the two sat, the only divider between them was the wrought iron bars of the cold, lonely cell. the two talked through the night, until the warden sent calex away.
he sighed, "i won't see you after tonight..?"
"no, you won't. im sorry."
"it's okay. i knew this was coming. i guess i didn't expect it to be so soon."
"goodbye, calex. see you soon."
"yeah.. yeah.. see you soon." he began to leave when he heard the voice say, "i love you." he froze. time seemed to stop. the boy he'd grown to love, like the younger brother he'd lost.. was almost gone. he didn't want to admit he'd grown fond of him too, yet as the realization he'd never see him again dawned upon him, he returned the words.
"i love you too, sterling."
when Calex awoke in the morning, his gut told him it was a dream. he headed to sterling's cell as soon as he could, and was heartbroken to find it empty. they had taken him. there were a few guards in there, cleaning it up for the next inmate to use.
once he was finally alone, only then did his walls break down. he couldn't bear it.
he avoided the field for days, finding it impossible to go out there, to where sterling had lain all those nights, talking about his dreams and ambitions, his interests and dislikes.
when calex eventually went out there days later, he found the exact spot they had always lain, and sat. he laid back and stared at the sky, and sure enough, a new star had appeared. brighter and more beautiful than any other star in the sky. sterling had kept his promise.
he illuminated the sky, just for calex.
and he was the most beautiful star in the sky.
