BENEATH THE STARS

Look at the sky

Today also she was lying awake below the stars thinking why people said nights are dark... she never believed that. She always thought nights were peaceful, they were the only time one could experience true beauty of nature, the silence, the cold breeze and the amazing sky. But today she was not alone on the cliff.

There was somebody else, far away near the end of the cliff. It was a boy, she thought around her age. She stood up to get a better look to who it was. Indeed it was a boy nearly her age and he was standing at the very end of the cliff top. She thought if he even moved an inch forward he'd fall off from the cliff. Still he took a step ahead. She couldn't let him do that, she couldn't let him ruin this beautiful night. She ran towards him and pulled him back. They both fell to the ground hard on their sides. She got up and shot out a hand for him.

"I'm Kate, come on get up," she said.

He didn't take her hand instead he just sat there like a rock. She had never talked to anyone herself but she thought there was always a first time. She sat down herself across from him and stared at the stars above.

"You know, from the time my mother died I've always come here at night. These stars never let me feel alone. They give me all I need, the love of mother."

He was listening she knew.

"I'm sorry about your mother," was what he said.

She thought she shouldn't push further, he was a stranger but she couldn't help herself.

"What made you come here and end your life?" she asked.

He didn't say anything, just pulled his knees together and rested his head on them.

"If you think you'll jump from this cliff when I leave then that's not gonna happen. There is no big thing in the whole world than living a life. Don't you understand what this will do to your family, your friends?" she said.

She'd always thought about this. Why would people just give up and do suicide? Wasn't there a single thing in this world worth living for? She too had made an attempt of suicide when her mother had died. She had no one else but her mother. She'd also come here thinking she'd jump down the cliff and meet her mother. But when she'd looked up that night she'd seen her mother in the stars telling her she was right there.

"Which family?" He broke her reverie, "the one with people who think I can never do anything fruitful from my life? The ones who not even know I'm out of my bed here on the cliff about to jump? And which friends? The ones who not even give a shit if you tell them you want to die? Who just makes jokes about you and say that you're a coward?"

"Aren't you a coward? Do you seriously think jumping from a cliff is a way to solve your problems? And are you making anything fruitful from your life by doing this? Ending your life is not something which defines you're not a coward it tells boldly that you are."

"Yes then I'm a coward. I don't care what they say when I am dead. They won't even care if I don't show up again. What are you supposed to do when the whole world turns against you? When the only person who ever cared about you is dead?"

"Look in the sky," she said instinctively.

He stared at her.

"Look at the stars and find that person. My mother was the only person I ever had. When she died I felt like I should die too. But when I came here that night, I saw my mother in the stars. She said she was right there looking over me. How could I possibly have jumped down the cliff knowing that she's watching? I didn't. And you too should not. Don't ruin the only thing in my life worth living for, the nights, the sky full of stars."

She didn't know if he'd understood any of the things she'd just said but it didn't matter. It was the very first time she'd said these things out loud.

He got up and held out his hand, "I'm Josh."

She took his hand and got up. He led them towards a tree with massive trunk. He went and sat down, his back against the trunk. He gestured her to sit down beside him. She sat down. He took her hand in his and said, "I was really going to jump down tonight you know, but you pointed out just why I shouldn't. Thank you."

"Can I ask you why you came up here?", she couldn't stop herself.

"My brother, he died a few months ago. He was the only one who really loved me, he believed I could do anything if I wished to. After he passed away I didn't feel like doing anything. I just lay in my bed all day. Once I got out of bed and went over to the kitchen when I heard my parents discussing about me. They were saying..." He closed his eyes, "They were saying that I was a disgrace to the family, that I couldn't do anything other than grieve for the brother I'd lost. That they should think about telling me to move out and live on my own, that they wanted to disown me. Tell me what was I supposed to do."

She was shocked. How can someone disown their own child, their blood? Her heart went out to him.

She squeezed his hand, "But you can do anything you wish to. You can work and buy a place to live, or you can live with someone and pay them rent. You don't need your parents to be with you. You can be on your own... you know your brother is watching you right! He'll be proud of you. Suicide is definitely not an option. You know, every time I look up at the sky I feel hope. Each star gives me hope. Look how many they are. I believe these stars are people who have left our world, all of them looking over us and saying that life is important so live it up."

She held on to him firstly because she thought he'd jump down and secondly 'cause she had someone who shared the same agony, the same pain of losing someone dear.

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Hey guyss!!!

First chapter done!!! I never thought I'd do this, but here we are....

Tell me how do you like the chapter...

------ Blackwood Heronstairs.