The two children run through the night. One, a small girl with her hair flowing free and wild behind her, the other a slim boy chasing after her. She stops and looks up at the stars above, her giggles filling the air. The boy halts beside her and turns to view the stars as well.

“Do you think we’re alone?” She asks.

“What do you mean?” The boy replies.

“In space. Look at all those lights. My book said some are stars, which are just like big fires, but it also says some are planets. Maybe there’s another boy and another girl just like us, looking at the stars on another planet.”

“I don’t know. Does it matter, though? If there’s life out there, it’s too far away to see. Why worry about life out there, and not life down here?” The boy asks.

A shudder goes through the girl, but not because of the chill in the night air. “Life down here isn’t great. I don’t want my life down here. I want to go away, far away. I can’t be what they want me to be.” She whispers.

~~~~~~~

I feel the cool grass between my toes as I look up at the stars. Tilly’s breath is quiet next to me, her eyes turned up to the stars as well.

“Do you think we’re alone?” I ask.

“What do you mean?” She replies, keeping her eyes on the stars.

“I don’t know. Just, us. Will we ever find that one person we’re supposed to be with? Do you think my true love is looking at these same stars? I hope she is, and I hope she lives far away.”

“You’re such a romantic, Jayden. There’s more than one person for everyone. There’s too many people in this world for there to only be one. Why does it matter?”

“Life here isn’t great. I mean, it is, and I love my family. But look at our history Tilly. All of my ancestors have done great things, warrior things. They fought and survived. I don’t want to fight Tilly. I just want to be happy. I want to find someone and love them and be happy. I don’t ever want to be in pain. I can’t be what they want me to be.” I whisper.

Tilly finally pulls her eyes from the stars and stares at me. “I’m sure your family wants that for you too. I doubt any of your ancestors wanted a fight. But sometimes, you don’t have a choice. Sometimes, you have to fight in order to be happy.” Tilly says. She can sound so much older than she is sometimes.

“I guess.” I reply, standing. With one last look at the stars, I turn and head towards the house, Tilly following silently next to me. I love my family, and I’m glad my dad came back, even though he wasn’t a super hero like in my comics. But I don’t want to fight anyone or anything and that’s all Belles seem to do.