Flash Fiction by Uncle_Lit

Shooting Star

It was already 11:25 pm and Mama, who was supposed to be home by 11' o clock, had not arrived yet. She always comes home late at night and Papa rarely comes home. I really wished to see them so I decided to shoot the stars.

Yaya, who thought that I was already sleeping, was already taking a nap in her room. She had no idea that I stole from her the key to my Papa's secret room earlier.

I was able to sneak in my Papa's secret room and I was awed by the sight of his different soldier's attire hanging in his secret room. I knew I would find a gun in one of his drawers. I took one and went outside the house. I aim for the stars. "Bang!"

"Bang!" I shoot one more time and all of the sudden, my six years old sister, whose room was just behind me, came running toward me.

"What are you doing, Kuya?" She asked.

"I'm shooting the stars so they will fall. I saw on the TV that if you see a shooting star, it will make your wish come true."

"Really!? I want to see one too. Shoot more! Shoot more, Kuya!" She said enthusiastically, while looking at the dark sky.

I was motivated.

"Bang!" I shot one more time.

Moments later, another loud noise was heard. "Thud!" It wasn't my gun this time, it was the front door slamming on the wall as it was pushed wide open. I looked at its direction and I saw Yaya furiously rushing towards me. I was frozen by the sight of an angry, young lady until she grabbed my hand and took away the gun from me.

"What are you doing!?" She screamed. "This is not something a seven years old boy should be playing with!" She pushed me with one hand. "Go back to your room! Now!"

I walked toward the front door with teary eyes but before I was able to get in, my sister suddenly collapsed and there was a lot of blood around her. I looked at her as I stood still. I was trembling as Yaya picked her up while calling someone on a phone. She glared at me and point to the house with her lips. I knew she wants me to get in. The quite house became suddenly noisy with the arrival of an ambulance and police cars.

Moments later, the ambulance left while I hear Yaya talking to men outside the house. Not wanting to sleep yet, I decided to turn on the TV. The TV opened up on breaking news. The news anchor said that there were two fatalities in my town due to stray bullets shot by a kid. One was my sister and the other was my mother. It was not what I wished for but I made two stars of my life fall.