The Goddess and her Little Prince

Flowers Blossom

Starry's POV:

The world around me is bright and full of life, and my eyes are drawn to a girl who stands amid a courtyard surrounded by vibrant flowers. As I walk towards her, the cherry blossoms lining my path seem to light the way. The wind rustles through the leaves, and the warm spring air caresses my face as I take each step forward.

As I approach the girl, who now looks more like a woman, my gaze is fixed on her. She wears a white dress like a wedding dress, her skin is velvety brown, and her full lips are transfixing as she speaks. I strain to hear her words, which are unclear and quickly forgotten, like a fleeting memory. I stand still. Tears stream down my face as a bright, white light fills my vision, and I am left with the memory of this moment forever etched in my mind.

There was dampness on my face as I looked at my phone and checked the time. It was 8 in the morning, and class just started. My head had been on my desk, and I'd fallen asleep waiting for class to begin. My hand brushed my cheeks, feeling the slight wetness.  "Hey Starry, you okay?" My friends sitting next to and behind me held puzzled expressions. Why am I crying? I shook my head. "I think I'm good; I just had a bad dream." I put my head down once more.

Still shaken up from the dream... or memories of sorts, I gazed out the window. The sky turned a shade of gray right as snowfall began. The classroom felt empty today, a little soulless, as most of the class had left for the holidays. Looking out once more, I saw people smiling and happy, walking through the snowy streets. They wore coats and hats, holding hands and laughing while enjoying the dark, snowy morning sky. It made me think about the joy of the winter season.

The snowflakes on the window melted to water, but we were comfortably warm inside. Our English teacher told the class the story of "Romeo and Juliet." The story of star-crossed lovers... It made me feel a warmth inside my chest, like a reminiscent feeling of the past. I started to hunch at my desk, hiding in my hoodie. Maybe I was someone's star-crossed lover in the past, I thought as my eyes closed again. A love that crosses the stars...

Like snow in an hourglass, the time passed as the movie "Romeo and Juliet" continued to play. The few of us huddled together, talking and thinking of our moments through the school year so far. Then, my closest friend Mia shook me a little while holding a picture of her on her phone. "You remember that sleepover at your place Starry?" Her face was soft with memories of friendship and love. Knowing her from a young age and growing up with her made me smile. "Of course I do..." Then I thought for a moment. We did it when my parents weren't home. It's not like they're ever home anyway. A tiny bit of sorrow was hidden in my words, with a yearning to see my parents, but they are always busy on a business trip, so it was just Mia and me most of the time. All alone in my parent's apartment complex, it's not too bad, although it gets lonely.

The bell rang, concluding the short school day due to the snow piling up. We headed out the door. I gave my happy holidays to my friends and teachers. Exiting through the primary school door with Mia, we were met with the dimly lit sky, even in the early afternoon. Faces passed us by as we lifted our feet and took short steps through the snow. The streets were hung with decorations, and window displays were full of clothing and branding for the winter season. Instead of going straight home, we took a slight detour into a bakery.

As she walked to the counter, the shop owner greeted us with a warm, familiar face. "What can I get for you two?"

"Hi, just two hot chocolates, please." Turning to Mia, I saw her nod slightly before handing the owner some cash. Mia's cheeks puffed with anticipation. Walking back to the drink machine, the owner started working as the smell of chocolate filled the cafe.

My gaze fell back to Mia as I softly rested my hand against the window of pastries. I got distracted as my past dream came back to my mind: the cherry blossoms and that beautiful girl in my view. I shook my head. Looking back at Mia, I asked her a question. "Do you ever think we lived a past life before coming to this one?"

She gave me a strange look. Her lips were bare and thick as she reapplied her red lipstick before answering my question. "Anything is possible, Starry. But are you sure you're okay? That's a little bit of an odd question." I  gave her a tender look into her warm hazel eyes that matched her light complexion.

I placed my hand on my face, gently rubbing my pinky against my lips. "I'm sure I'm okay. I've been so sleepy recently, along with having these weird dreams, and they feel so real." Quickly stopping myself, I didn't continue talking about my distant dreams. Feeling a lump form in my throat, I swallowed my feelings, forcing a smile.

Mia's expression faltered, turning a little neutral, and her hand reached my shoulder. A caring touch just as her words dimmed down to a slight whisper. "How do you know those memories are real and not some dream you thought up? You can't keep holding on forever." I knew she was right.

"Happy holiday, y'all have this on me." Extending our holiday greetings back, we exited the cafe's warm atmosphere into the brisk winter cold. Looking down, holding my hot chocolate, and hearing the snow crunch on my feet, I think back to what Mia told me in the cafe. "How do you know those memories are real? " I don't... but they feel real enough to me. "You can't keep holding on forever."

My eyes fell to the ground as my heart ached. "Fine, you're probably right." But moving on from that distant memory felt so hard. I pondered to myself as we continued walking down the wintry avenues.

We passed by a subway. A strange melody, a soft hum, came from the entrance to the underground. It was beckoning me to come. It snapped me out of my thoughts. Torn between going home with Mia or looking into the subway entrance, I sucked in my lip, thinking, looking at the hot chocolate in my hand.

Swallowing my fear and trusting the warmth in my chest, my mind was made up. "Mia, I have to check something out. See you at home." Handing her my hot chocolate, I jogged toward the entrance, unsure what to find.

Little did I know this was when the daydream started. Down below into the dark...