FALLING INTO STARS

The eerie night still lingers in my memory, its details as vivid as if it occurred yesterday. I was eight years old, standing at the threshold of childhood and wonder. The early evening hours had settled over our community like a soft mantle, heavy with the promise of the traditional 'oro' celebration.

As I stepped outside into the hushed evening air, the silence was almost deafening. The streets, normally alive with the sounds of laughter and conversation, were quiet, save for the distant hum of quietude and the soft rustling of leaves. It was as if the very night itself was holding its breath in anticipation.

My task was simple; to dispose of the trash at the local dump which is situated across our house. But as I hastened to complete my chore, my gaze wandered upwards, drawn to the star-studded sky like a moth to flame. And then, I saw it!  Two stars, plummeting towards the earth like diamonds detached from the celestial fabric.

Time seemed to freeze as I stood there, transfixed by the spectacle transforming before me. My heart pounded in my chest, my very being infused with a sense of awe and wonder. It was as if the universe had conspired to grant me a fleeting glimpse of its magic, a reminder that I was but a small, yet vital, part of a much greater whole.

In that instant, I felt the boundaries of my small world expand, as if the universe itself was whispering secrets in my ear. The experience was both exhilarating and humbling, a poignant reminder of the mysteries that lie just beyond the reaches of our everyday perceptions.

As I burst through the front door, the suddenness of my arrival sent a ripple of surprise through the living room. The look of bewilderment etched on my face only added to the commotion, drawing the attention of my family like a magnet. Still reeling from the shock of what I had just witnessed, I frantically scanned every corner of the house, my eyes darting about with a desperate intensity as I sought reassurance that I was safe among my loved ones.

My father, a man not known for his patience, interrupted my dazed state with a gruff inquiry, his voice like a jolt of electricity cutting through the air. "What happened?" he demanded, his tone brooking no delay, no quarter asked or given. I struggled to articulate the incredible events that had just transpired outside, but my words faltered, trapped in my throat like a wild bird beating its wings against the bars of its cage.

But then, somehow, the words began to flow, tumbling forth in a breathless rush like a dam breaking under the pressure of its own weight. I recounted the extraordinary encounter, my voice rising and falling with the urgency of my emotions, as I struggled to convey the sheer magnitude of what I had witnessed. But to my astonishment, my family's reaction was decidedly underwhelming, their response a collective shrug of indifference that left me feeling bewildered and alone.

Instead of the shock, concern, or even curiosity I had anticipated, they merely hissed in unison, a soft, dismissive sound that cut through the air like a knife, before turning their attention back to the television screen, as if I had simply interrupted their favorite program, a minor annoyance to be endured before returning to the familiar comforts of their evening routine.

As the weight of fear settled upon me, a deep sigh escaped my lips, and I quickly retreated to the sanctuary of my room. I wrapped myself in the comforting folds of my sleeping cover cloth, a habit that was uncharacteristic of me, for I usually found the warmth oppressive. But on this occasion, the familiar texture and scent of the cloth offered a fleeting sense of security.

As I lay there, my eyelids grew heavy, and I succumbed to a deep slumber, carried away on a tide of exhaustion. But my reprieve was short-lived, for I soon found myself adrift in a terrifying dreamscape, where stars loomed like spectral sentinels, their twinkling light casting an eerie glow over the dark expanse of my subconscious.