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He is so removed from the world. He was born as a star, simply watching the silly people walk around the Earth with fascination. He grew to love the people and wished he could help them.

He felt happiness when the small ones would ooh and aah at his sparkle, sometimes shifting to get an extra gleeful noise from them. He felt sadness and grief when he saw loved ones killing the other, or killing others for revenge. He felt rage when innocents died and when mothers left their children and when husbands didn’t keep promises.

One day, another star passed by. He had never seen another star pass him by. He was much too far away from the others. All of his companions were old and died off long ago. He studied her glow and saw that she was doing good. What exactly she was doing, he didn’t know. He heard a single gasp from the Earth.

”Look! A shooting star! Make a wish!”

A little girl clasped her hands together and whispered, ”Please send us some food.” The little girl’s mother heard her daughter’s wish and she put her soft hand on her daughter’s head. The shooting star whooped with delight and went out with a poof.

He was intrigued and continued to watch this family of three. Over the next few days, neighbors began to notice the poor family and brought them home cooked meals and invited them over for dinner. In time, the entire community was brought together for the first time since the houses were built.

He paused in his brilliance. He had never thought that he had that kind of power. Maybe he didn’t. He wouldn’t know until he tried. But he was scared that he would fall out of existence for nothing. What was waiting for him on the other side? Is there another side?

Then… he decided it didn’t matter. He shifted farther than he had ever shifted before and slowly started. Soon, he picked up some speed.

A tail! Here comes Earth! What am I doing?! I can’t do this! I’m insane! What was I–

”I wish that he will come home to me.”

In a split second, he knew who she wanted home. Far away, in a place he had never paid attention to, a man was sitting alone in an airport. He was scared to be home, scared as to what he might find after years of not seeing his wife. He held his ticket home. This was the decision. To throw it away, or face his fears.

The star screamed, ”Go home! It’s where you belong! Go to her! She needs you!”

The man gripped his ticket and with a new hope, disappeared into a crowd of people.

And so, the star sighed and blinked out.