She laid there, her black hair splayed around her head like a dark halo. Her emerald green eyes shined in the dark as she looked around, hoping to spot one thing and one thing only. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the dark night, even if you could barely see her skin due to the dark jeans and hoodie that were slightly loose on her frame.

She looked at the stars, desperately wanting to smile, but not being able to. She hadn’t been able to for a few weeks ever since it happened. She couldn’t help but stare at her new favorite constellation.

She remembered all of them. Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Taurus, Aries, Libra, Gemini, Virgo, Pisces, Cancer. But Leo was by far her favorite.

He acted like a lion, just like his namesake. He was a brave person, someone who was stubborn and determined. He was protective as well.

He wasn’t meant to die that way, she thought to herself. She sighed and rolled onto her stomach, knowing that she would get teary eyed if she continued to stare at the one constellation she would never forget. Even if she tried, she couldn’t since it was one of the most recognizable arrangement of stars in the night sky.

She couldn’t help but think of it as a metaphor. She had been trained as a young child to think in the most creative way possible; she was forced to spend hours analyzing beautiful paintings and talk about them until it became natural for her to express her feelings easily.

The black night was her. How she was before he came along. It showed her sad, depressed life from before he appeared.

The bright stars perfectly described him. He was the bright in her dark. He was the light that shined through during her bleak and dreary days.

Even if he was gone, he was still with her.

“Looking at him again?”

The girl burst upright, surprised by the sudden noise. When she realized that it was only her mother, she grimaced and nodded curtly. As she walked towards her daughter, the mother smiled sadly.

“I know you’re likely going to join him soon. And that’s not either of our choices. It’s not mine, it’s not yours. It’s Cancer’s. I just wish you could stay for a bit longer.”

Not saying anything, the girl nodded before standing up. She didn’t even so much as glance at her mother; she just walked into the house and right to her bedroom.

“I love you,” her mother called, knowing that her daughter would hear her, even if she didn’t respond.

The girl looked around in the new place she was in. It was bright, and it felt like she was floating. Not only that, but it was like she was… glowing.

My skin isn’t that pale, she thought. It must just be a trick of the light.

Despite her thoughts, she knew that she was wrong.

She began to walk and eventually reached a crossroad. She remembered learning about it, knowing that her life would be very different, depending on which direction she chose. She very quickly chose left, knowing that it was what he chose.

“Hello?” she said loudly. Her voice cracked, since she hadn’t used it in a while. Not since that one dreadful day. “Is anyone here?”

“Is it really you?”

The young lady turned around to see who had spoken to her. She then found herself facing a young man. His brown hair was messy on top of his head, and his chocolate brown eyes lightened with joy when he saw her.
“It’s great to see you again, Ly,” he said as he held out his arms. The girl ran and jumped into them, smiling widely for the first time in days.

“Is it true, then?” she whispered. “Does this stuff actually happen?”

He laughed slightly. “Yeah, it does.”

The girl nodded, still smiling. The two of them began to walk, and he brought her through the process, step-by-step. When they were finally finished, she was ecstatic.

“When will it appear?” she questioned eagerly.

The boy responded by holding up a finger to signal for her to wait, and after a second, a series of stars appeared on the screen in front of them.

“Like it?” he asked.

“It’s beautiful.” The stars took the girl’s breath away. She couldn’t help but stare at the new one that was soon to be released: LYRA.

As if sensing her thoughts, the sky began to shimmer, and when she looked up again, she saw one more constellation added to the sky. She looked back at the boy.

“Are we really dead?” He nodded. “And we get constellations?”

“To take care of for the rest of eternity,” he answered. “It’s great to see you again. I love you, Lyra.”

She wrapped her arms around his torso and leaned her head against his chest, her head tilted sideways towards the beautiful night sky. “I love you, too, Leo.”