Collection of (Very) Short Tales

Stars

               "The stars sure are bright tonight." the voice said from behind me.

Without turning to look I replied, "They're always bright. Why do you keep pointing it out?" "Because tonight's special, I can feel it in my bones" the voice spoke back.

"You don't even have bones." I said, turning to face my friend, "Besides, you say that every time."

"This time I'm sure. This time they'll come back" my friend said, his face motionless.

We waited a few more minutes, the stars blinking in and out of view, constantly changing. That's the way it's always been, for as long as I can remember. My parents used to tell me about the sky. They said that we used to have our own star. They said that when our star came out it was like it lit up the whole world. They said that they met under a sky filled with stars. Real stars, not our stars.

"It's getting late" I said, picking up my friend. "Let's head to bed."

"How can you tell?" he asked. "Our clock broke months ago."

"I'm tired. People only get tired when it's late" I reasoned. "Besides, they aren't coming yet. They're still fighting."

I put my friend down on the table.

"When are you going to put my eyes back?" he asked.

"I need to find the string before I can sow them back on." I said

"Liar." he said, his voice almost a whisper. "You already used it, I saw you."

"I'll find some when I wake up tomorrow" I said.

"Where would you look?" he asked. "Besides, you say that every time."

"This time I'm sure. I responded. "This time I'll find some."

Tired, I sat down on my bed, looking up through the hole burnt in our roof.

"The stars sure are bright tonight."