ASTRA

V

A vast field spread out across the horizon, lush, green and full of life – roses and lavender spreading out for miles, their colours interchanging with each other; red and purple – dominant and powerful. I glanced up to see a sky full of bright stars, each one seemingly brighter than the other.

"Astra." They called and I frowned, the word familiar to me, and yet foreign. A gust of wind blew through my dress and I felt compelled to follow it, as if hypnotised. The wind seem to speak to me, softly as it beckoned me to follow, occasionally caressing my cheek.

"Astra." The word seemed to ease me, and I felt peaceful, flopping down onto the grass and staring at the sky ahead. I plucked one of the roses and then the lavender, inhaling both at the same time. A strong, sweet aroma immediately filled my nostrils and a lazy grin appeared on my face.

"Everything, Astra, everything belongs to you." The stars whispered and I nodded, once again feeling hypnotised.

"Everything belongs to me." I mimicked, closing my eyes.

"Isn't that awfully selfish of you goddess?" I opened my eyes to see Luke peering at me from the front of his car. Next to him Selena was snoring loudly, the moon seemingly to create a permanent spotlight on her fair features and I glanced down to see that Eos was still asleep on my lap.

"Oh no I didn't mean to fall asleep, I'm sorry." I whispered, voice cracking slightly as I tried my best to stretch without disturbing Eos. "How long did I sleep for?"

"About seven hours I think, Selene woke up some time ago to bring the moon out then went back to sleep."

"So much for keeping you company." He grinned as I observed our surroundings to see that we were well away from our town. We now on an open road, still close to the forest as Luke said we'd be.

"It's alright, since you're apparently so fond of talking in your sleep, I wasn't totally bored. Even though we've been stuck in traffic for like thirty minutes now."

"Oh god what have I been saying?"

"Luke is amazing, I'm in love with him but totally denying my feelings." I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"Please, if I liked you I'd tell you instantly. What have I actually been saying?" His entire demeanour seemed to change and he immediately stopped smiling, his mouth turned down into a frown.

"Astra, you kept saying Astra." And even through his hardened expression, the words came out of his mouth barely above a whisper, as if it physically hurt him to say it.

"Um what does that even mean?" I asked, getting the feeling that it probably meant a lot to him.

"It means 'from the stars', it's a name." he explained.

"Oh okay that'd explain it I guess; I was having a dream about stars and they were talking to me I think and all they kept saying was 'Astra' and how 'everything belongs to me.' Does that mean something?" Selene shifted in her seat and I knew she had been listening in our conversation. "Selene?"

She sighed, flickering her eyes open and turning to Luke, a look of pure sadness etched on to her face, before turning to me. "Nothing, it means nothing. Not unless Helios wants it to mean something." I glanced at Luke to see that he looked faraway and decided not to push it further.

"Alright. How long till we stop?"

"Just about two more hours, there's a little section of the forest we can camp out tonight, relatively far from the hunters I hope. And if not, well the moon is glowing bright tonight and I love to flaunt my powers whenever I can." Selene boasted. "Especially since I do have the coolest power in the family, right Helios?" That seemed to snap Luke out of his dazed state.