Wishing On Dead Stars (ON HOLD)

Discovering A Kingdom

I woke up hearing the birds chirping in the distance, singing to me their morning song. Slowly opening my eyes, the brightness flashed and then I immediately closed my eyes shut. The flash gave me a slight headache. The light told me it was time to travel again.

I sat up, my legs still wobbly from sitting down so long. My back was sore because the tree I leaned against wasn't so comfortable. My sleep wasn't exactly so comfortable either. I continued my trek through the woods searching for a town I can settle in. I saw one nearby and sprinted through the trees.

I recalled the dream I had last night causing me to wake up at midnight. The mere thought of it depressed me. I don't remember every detail, but I remember it had something to do with my book. My sprinting was worsening, thinking about it. I ended up stumbling over my own feet.

I tripped over a root, falling to the rocky floor and scarring the side of my leg below my knee. It stung, real bad since I haven't washed up today. I continued on even though every step hurts. I was able to stop at a clearing and wash my knee with my leftover water. Now I have nothing to drink and it was unusually hot today.

I examined the wound and it looked about four inches long, but it didn't seem too deep which was a good thing. I put the bottle back in my bag and stood up, but my wound opened a little causing it to lightly bleed.

I continued sprinting, getting ever so thirstier every breath I took. I licked my dry, chapped lips. I was started to feel dizzy, but I tried keeping a hold of myself. I was finally able to reach the town. The dirt path sprinkled with tiny patches of grass led me through the town. It was actually a kingdom.

The hustle of the townspeople was nostalgic. I remember those times when people surrounded you and you knew everyone, greeting people as you walk by them. They actually had better clothing than me. Probably because I only have rug-like worth clothes.

I saw a beautiful castle in the distance, but I couldn't make out much of it. I was starting to get dizzy again. Not just from thirst but also from hunger. My legs gave and I thought I'd collapse on the ground. Someone caught me though. He stood around 5'9" or so and had midnight black hair with a streak of blonde on his quiff. His eyes were a precious hazel brown. He also looked around my age.

"Are you alright?" He asked helping me back up to my feet. His beautiful voice rang in my ears, probably because I haven't heard any other human voice in a while. I told him I was fine, but he saw through my lie. "Come to my house and we'll get you something to eat." I followed him into a blacksmith's workshop.

The clanking of the metal and the heat filled the room. I was sweating even more. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. I'm the blacksmith's son, so that's why we're going through here." We left the workshop into this calm house. It had a hospitable aura.

He took me to the couch. "Are you alright back there? You should be more careful." He told me. He then grabbed a piece of bread, handing it to me sweetly. "I'm Leo." He told me as I ate the bread. When I was done, he handed me a glass of water.

After taking a big gulp, I wiped my sweat with my ragged, dirty sleeves. He was looking at me, like one would look at a wild stray. I suddenly felt self-conscious. He sensed my uncomfortness and looked away a bit embarrassed. I was looking down at my lap, playing with my dusty pants. I felt like a peasant next to him.

There was an awkward silence. "um... Today is a hot day, so..." He said thinking what he'd say next. "You should drink a bit more water." He said as he held my hand with one hand and used the other to lift my chin to get my attention. It surely did.

I blushed. I shifted a bit in my seat, but the sharp pain in my leg reminded me of my minor injury. He noticed the pain in my face. "You're hurt. Let me see it." Before he could go and check, I told him I didn't want to be a burden so I had to leave. I ran through the blacksmith's workshop and before I was able to take one step out of the house, he grabbed my hand.

"You'll come back right?" He said, his brown eyes beaming, awaiting for an answer. I thought about it. I had not met anybody else so he was my only friend, only person I could trust. "Yes... I will." I said. He let go and smiled. He was so adorable.

I looked around the town taking it all in. I found it very stupid that he'd trust me. I'm just a disappointment and an accident. I was never made to live here or live at all. I wish I didn't say yes... I might just break his heart...and his hope...