Gazing Into the Heavens

                  Hazel gazes up at the sky, her violet eyes reflecting the cosmos as she stares in awe and wonder. Surely, there is nothing as beautiful as the stars, the perfect harmony in which they exist, she thinks to herself.

           She traces the constellations, imagining herself to be among the mythical and legendary beings in the sky…

           She is riding Pegasus through the galaxy, planets and stars flying by, the only thing she can focus on is what lies ahead.

           She is battling the mighty Ursa Major, the enormous bear roaring with rage as she fights her, a magnificent sword that shines as brightly as the sun itself her only weapon.

           Hazel’s chestnut waves bounce in the dark as she leaps through the forest, envisioning the mighty bear barreling its way through the trees in a crazed pursuit. She laughs and shrieks, scaring the great owls into flight. But she runs out of breath, and collapses on the soft, mossy floor, finally rid of the beast. She closes her eyes and listens as the world sings her and itself to sleep.

           The stars gaze down at the girl, the small creature lying prostrate in the forest. Humming to one another softly, they spin tales of the creatures she sees in her mind. Their bursts of laughter transform to the twinkling way in which they shine, and the moon watches her children light the night sky with their joy.

           The trees guard Hazel as she drifts off, making sure not a cold breeze nor a scavenging wolf comes her way. They whisper to each other their dreams for her future and their leaves brush against each other with their joy.

           The great owl watches the girl whose pure joy scared him from his roost. His large yellow eyes regarding her sleeping form carefully. When he is satisfied that she is asleep, he opens his beak and a long, low call, telling the whole forest of the young girl full of wonder, nestled amongst the leaves.

           The wind gently rolls over her, its tendrils feeling their way around the girl’s naughty curls. It whistles its approval, moving the leaves so she is lying on the soft, newly grown grass.

           The whole world watches the girl as her face shines in the moonlight. The whole world waits as she dreams of things untold. The whole world dreams of her future and prays for her success.

           The angels in the sky sing their praise to their Creator, and the girl sleeps. The owls call out as they hunt, and the girl sleeps. The wolves howl as they leap and bound through the night, and the girl sleeps.

           But, suddenly, there is a light, and she awakens. Her violet eyes widen as she gapes at the sky. Everything is alive!

           The stars spin and shoot across the sky, their humming escalating into a glorious song. Their light bounces around, illuminating the sky. The constellations move, they shudder, and they come to life! They begin to travel through the heavens, leaving trails of stardust in their wake. Pegasus neighs and spreads his magnificent wings, their light nearly blinding… nearly. Ursa Major and Ursa Minor bound through the stars, deftly avoiding Drago as his leathery wings carry him across the sky. Hercules’ arrows fly straight, exploding into bursts of stardust when they meet his targets. Scorpius scuttles swiftly, his stinger waving in the cosmos. Lupus raises his voice, and the stars that have no constellation to call their own organize into a pack of wolves and follow their leader.

           The trees lift their branches and whisper their contentment. A branch of a nearby pine sweeps out and collects the awestruck girl into its soft needles. It carries her up and away, and when it can rise no higher, the oak picks her up and lifts her higher. The owl lifts his wings towards the sky, his round eyes reflecting the glorious scene, a song of wisdom emerges from his beak. The wind flies around her, whipping her hair back and forth and lifting fallen leaves and needles into the sky, weaving them into the paths of the constellations. It whistles its song, while Virgo, the maiden of the stars, raises her delicate arms and sways to its melody. The moon stays in its place, but a band of stars spin themselves wildly around it, making it shine brighter than ever.

           Then the angels are in the treetops, their long feathery wings draped around their bodies of light. Shining hair cascades down their backs, flowers from the meadow entwined into intricate braids. Their eyes burn like coals and a song more beautiful than any song she had ever heard before escapes their cherry red lips.

           Then, the angels take flight, carrying Hazel with them towards the heavens. They carry her up amongst the stars and she gazes at the world below her. The angels sing, the stars sing, and the planets sing.

           Comets soar by, and her angel places her on the fiery back of one. Upon inspection, she discovers that the comet is a horse, its coat a brilliant white. A horse that gallops across the heavens so fast, a blue trail of fire follows. The horse carries her up and away, above the singing stars. It leaps from planet to planet, galaxy to galaxy. She watches as stars explode and black holes suck up their burning remains. Then, the horse shows her planets of gas. Planets where the only substance is a rainbow of soft colors, such as pinks and yellows, that drift forever. She listens as stars from other galaxies sing their songs. She wonders to herself if beings from other planets are watching her soar through their galaxies.

           The comet takes her home, weaving through Saturn’s rings and leaving shimmering hoofprints on Mars’ burnt orange surface. Little stars leap around the comet’s hooves as they shoot off, and she finds herself slipping.

The wind catches her. She is carried towards earth, but then the wind drops her on Lupus’ back. The great wolf howls as Hazel grips his starlit fur. Then, he bounds towards the earth, his pack following in a loyal pursuit. They soar across the treetops, then Lupus spots what he was searching for, the wolf pack of the earth. He howls and barks to the gray-eyed leader, and the earthling wolf lifts her stormy eyes to the heavens. Hazel is carried downward, and Lupus lands in the clearing where Gray-eyes and her pack waits. The star wolves bound amongst the earthling wolves, and Lupus and Gray-eyes nudge their noses together in a gentle show of affection.

Then, they are gone, and Hazel is with Gray-eyes. The wise wolf leaps gracefully through the trees, summoning her pack as she moves. Lupus is above, leaving a trail of stardust behind him. Gray-eyes calls to him, he dives, making a bridge of starlight into the heavens. With one clean leap, Gray-eyes boards the bridge that will carry her and her brethren into the sky. Gray-eyes’ pack yips with excitement as they climb into the sky.

Noctua, the ancient owl constellation rises from his perch and calls on his earthly kind. They raise their deep voices in response and the owl that guarded Hazel grows as he approaches the starry spectacle. He takes Hazel on his feathery back and sings to her of the past, present, and future.

Then Hazel looks towards the earth and she sees the Great Snake as he rises from the pits of her planet. She watches as he and his horrid minions battle the stars and the angels. She braces herself as he turns on her. He opens his mouth and a long string of lies and horror thread their way through the sky, intent on wrapping her up and dragging her down, down, down into the deepest pits of the earth.

His horrid servants cackle with glee as they cut down the creatures of the sky. Suddenly, Hazel’s sunlight sword is in her hand and Lupus appears beneath her feet. She charges the Serpent, the armor of the angels on her body. She pierces his writhing form with her sword of light, and a black scar stretches across his scaly hide. He hisses with pain, and his cowardly minions fall back. The creatures of the sky raise their voices and sing their songs of joy and the Serpent and his minions retreat to the earth, howling with pain as they clutch their ears.

She gazes at the stars, the wolves, and the owls and raises her sword in victory. Their song grows louder as they howl and hoot and sing their response.

Hazel is returned to the forest, her violet eyes shining with new wisdom and new joy. She folds her legs against her chest, her eyes following the owls as they return to their roosts. She watches as Gray-eyes and her pack retreat to their den. The trees pull their branches back. The wind’s whistle quiets. The stars’ singing slows to a gentle hum. The constellations move to their positions and freeze in place.

A comet shoots across the sky, returning home, wherever that may be. Her comet. She gazes yet again at the still sky. She will see his home. Someday. For now, she will watch the heavens as they sleep.