That night, the stars twinkled brightly into the clear night sky and lost its light in a few moments. I saw them wink at me and run away into the never-ending cosmos.
That night, the stars that danced by my unblinking eyes died.
"They were always dead, silly," my older sister told me. She sat next to me on the open field by the river, the water reflecting the moon and its accomplices - many stars, many bright lights, in the perspective of the waves blown gently by the east wind.
"I want to wish upon a star," I said. I looked at her smiling face. She was contented. "Things that surely give you hope will make your desires come true."
She closed her eyes and felt the breeze. I stared at the reflection of the stars on the river. Distorted, and yet...
"So pretty," I said. "The stars are so pretty."
"You're way too obsessed with stars, jeez!" she exclaimed without opening her eyes. She took a deep breath. Eyes opened, she continued, "Stars are millions of light years away. If you wish upon a star, your wish may as well be dead."
I brushed my short hair with my fingers. I looked back up at the shimmering night sky. We were lucky the weather was so clear tonight. "You know," I said, "when we die, we become stars."
She listened.
"Our loved ones have already turned into stars," I said. "I think, maybe," I pointed to the brightest star, "That is mommy."
"Boy, you really are 13," she said, but she laughed. Her eyes filled itself with youthful vigor, and slowly, slowly, it faded away. She remembered.
"I want to be a bright star," I said. "I will make the wishes of people come true!"
No matter how far...
No matter how old...
No matter how self-destructive...
I think, maybe,
I might make it come true.
"I wish," Eyes closed. "To be a bright star."
And millions of years later, perhaps,
A child would look upon me, and he would feel my companionship, and he would feel my presence, and he would be so joyful; his wish would come true!
My sister chuckled, and held my hand tight.
"Then," she said, "let us both be bright stars."