Stranded Star

Chapter 4

Just when Astrid's heavy eyes were about to close, the door opened and a wave of cold air came sweeping in from outside. She sat up to see that the loft bed was empty so she put on her boots and sweater to head outside herself. There, leaning against a tree overlooking the clearing just beyond the house was Cal. His long silver hair had been pulled down completely and it blew gently in the breeze. She approached quietly and stood awkwardly with her hands in her pockets, unsure of what to say.

"I guess you couldn't sleep?" She asked nervously.

"You shouldn't be out here," he replied, his gaze at her feet.

"Are you okay?"

He breathed out a small laugh but the pain on his face was evident. "Festus is right, you know."

"Listen I don't know anything about what you two..."

"He may seem like a prick but he has done nothing but selflessly protect me for as long as I can remember. He was telling the truth when he said I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him," he crossed his arms and looked away. "It's all my fault he's even here in the first place. If I had been stronger, I could have kept him from all of this pain."

Astrid sat down against the tree and the frozen ground sent a chill through her body.

"In my last memory, I saw the two of you together. I can see how much you both care for one another. What happened?"

Cal ran his hand through his long gray hair - "We've known each other since we were young. When Zeke and I were eighteen, we got into an altercation with our dad and Zeke got really hurt. We had nowhere else to go so we just showed up at Festus' apartment. We were there for a few months when Zeke and I were arrested by the shadows on some bullshit charge that we assaulted a shadow leader, our dad," Cal stopped to take a breath.

"I'm sorry you had to grow up around someone like your father," Astrid said, letting him know that she was present and listening.

"I'm very protective of Zeke ever since that particular day. We had to listen to our own father testify against us with nothing but lies and we were sentenced to come here. The very next day we were released for an unknown reason and when we went home, Festus was gone. He had offered himself to the shadows willingly to go in our place," his voice wavered. "From day one Festus looked out for me, he was my protector, my comfort, my safe space. And I loved him. Although at the time I didn't know how to tell him. Aside from Zeke, no one had ever fought so hard for me." Cal turned his face away, clearly trying to hide what he was feeling.

"He's still fighting for you," Astrid thought this would be reassuring.

"That's the problem! He needs to stop fighting for me!" he slouched down the tree, now seated next to Astrid on the cold snowy ground. "When I found out that he was here I was so lost. I was angry at my dad and the shadows but I was absolutely furious with Festus. How could he just give up his own life for us?" He ran his hand through his hair. "Instead of just being grateful for what he had done, I tried to get him back. I thought I could just waltz in with a knife and some poorly trained elemental ability and somehow save him. Of course I couldn't and that's how Zeke and I both ended up here. I messed everything up for all of us and his sacrifice means nothing now."

She didn't know what to say. No words that came out of her mouth could have possibly eased the guilt and pain he was feeling.

"And when we found you, everything changed. At first I was only focused on how we could get out of here. I wanted to be the one to save everyone else for once. But then...my heart was pulled to you and I didn't know what to do," he turned to face her. "I care about you, Astrid, I really do, but a lot of time goes by when you aren't here. Sometimes we aren't sure if you're ever even going to come back." his eyes glistened with tears.