Distant Stars Chapter Eight: Capella's Tears

Artwork by Ryky

The time is 3:00 a.m. right now. Capella has stood outside of the castle for the past three hours. To complicate matters, Rigel's sudden decision to not make his way to the castle yet can only make one wonder how long more does Capella has to wait...

"I'm so tired. This is taking forever, Antares." lamented Capella. "Can you ask Arcturus not to play games with me anymore."

"Capella, I understand how you are feeling right now. But I am just following orders" replied Antares.

Suddenly, Arcturus called for Antares from within the Castle.

"Antares, come over." ordered Arcturus.

"Yes, coming over right now" replied Antares.

"Ask Capella to rest at the grass patch, let her know that you will wake her up once the conditions are met." ordered Arcturus. "Keep this information to yourself, Rigel won't be here anytime soon."

"Yes, I will attend to it now." replied Antares.

Antares walked towards the gate and informed Capella as instructed.

"Are you for real?! Arcturus was the one who asked me to come and I have to continue to wait again?" raged Capella. "Fine, I will give in for now but just let Arcturus know that I am so mad now."

Feeling helpless about the situation, Capella decided to lie on the grass patch to admire the beautiful skies. The only ones keeping Capella accompanied were the whispering grasses as the winds breezed through them. It was so soothing that she fell into deep slumber soon after she lay down.

"There was no longer the rustle sounds of the grasses, or rather it had faded, and her ears were also adjusted to the low hum of chatterings and steady automated noises made by the sliding door movements. While her fingers danced skillfully over the plastic keys, the keys sang out like a chorous of doors on a faulty latch. Not far away was the smell of the broth of some kind, and tea, and she remembered that she had not taken her lunch. She was suddenly struck with hunger.

--- Let's go, let's go, her friends said, and she reluctantly left the seat with a pile of tabs showing on the screen. They headed out of the room, passing through the curtains, into a mini pantry. A teakettle, a mini fridge, and a frying pan were spotted. Towards the back of the kitchen was a glass window that gives a decent scenery view of the surroundings. A man wearing his uniform on the bicycle returned. Directly across the street was a multitude of private houses. And a huge convenience store was situated near the houses. Without pausing, the man dipped his hands into his shoulder bag and threw. She listened to the impact of the newspapers on each door and the ringing of his bicycle's bell. 

--- Come in, come in, she's at the pantry area, one of her friends said, and Capella became curious to find out who specially came to visit the consultation room. Behind the curtains, she could hear lots of teasing and laughters. The unwrapping sounds of the plastic bag. The unzipping sounds of a bag. As she decided to pass through the curtains back into the room, she felt a hand caressing on her head, and she said, I can go on a little longer, give me more time, and she resiliently got through the curtains. Her friends whistled and clapped. And she teared on the spot."

The pair of hands continued to caress Capella's hair. With the sunlight casting shadows on them, Capella finally woked up. She then quickly adjusted her eyes to see the person standing right before her. But she froze and was startled to see a man in a state of distraught with his ripped t-shirt and slightly torn pants.

"You are...? Are you okay?" worried Capella.

"I'm okay, Capella. I'm so happy to see you. Let's start walking into the Castle together." smiled Rigel.

Go to Chapter Seven | Go to Chapter Nine

Distant Stars Chapter Seven: When Our Journey Begins

Artwork by Ryky

Both Capella and Rigel are still clueless as to what awaits them. What lies ahead remains to be an unsolved mystery. But one thing for sure is that someone has been watching over each and every move taken by them. And that person is none other than Arcturus.

"I wonder what made Capella rejected the Prince. It is definitely unmistaken that the Prince has possessed qualities which Rigel genuinely lacked. In so many ways, I just cannot comprehend her decision." Arcturus opined. "Rigel will be so happy if he gets to know about this. Haha."

"Antares, ensure the gates are locked until you see Rigel and Capella are at the entrance together." ordered Arcturus.

Finally, Capella has reached the gates of the Castle.

"Yes, finally, this must be the Castle that Arcturus told me to find." smiled Capella. "Hello Arcturus! I am here already."

Suddenly, a solder-like figure was walking from the Castle towards the gates.

"You must be Capella, right? I've orders that I am not allowed to open the gates until the right conditions are met." Antares affirmed.

"If you refuse to let me in, where else can I go?! I'm so worn out from the happenings and the walk." Capella wept softly.

"I am sorry, Capella. But I will get you some water and food in the meantime. You can also enjoy the beauitful lights of our castle at the same time." comforted Antares.

"Fine...okay, thank you." replied Capella.

Meanwhile, Rigel continues to make his way to the castle but halfway through... 

"Woah, wait a moment, this building is so familiar!" Rigel exclaimed. "It looks exactly just like my secondary school!"

 "The lights are still on! I'm going to go in and find some friends for help." Rigel thought to himself.

Rigel walked into the school compound and roamed through the classrooms before reaching the classroom he last studied in. Along the way, he saw many familiar faces.

"Hey Lester! Hey Jenny! Hi Yiling! Hello! Hello...? Can you hear me?" Rigel babbled. "Okay, it seems that I can hear them but they can't hear me at all. I must still be stuck inside Arcturus' space.

It was at this moment where Rigel saw the younger version of himself.

"It's myself... oh wait, I seem to be writing down something on the notebook." said Rigel.

"Hi Capella, I am your secret admirer. If you wish to find out who I am... I will be waiting for you outside classroom 4-11 during recess later on." Rigel read the notebook.

"Wow, I cannot believe that I used such an unromantic and creepy way to confess my feelings. Haha. I got to see how Capella looks like!" Rigel exclaimed.

While waiting for Capella to appear, Rigel looked up the skies and realized that it was still night time. 

"Ah! I think I understood what's all these about. I am essentially walking through a part of my memories! Just that I don't recall having gone through these moments. Then, again, why these moments though?" wondered Rigel.

Suddenly, the young Rigel froze in anxiety when he saw Capella walking towards him from a distance. Not long later, Rigel's eyes also became watery.

"Arcturus, I get it. I remember everything now." murmured Rigel. "And if you hear me, I am not ready to go to the Castle yet."

 Go to Chapter Six | Go to Chapter Eight

Distant Stars Chapter Six: Capella's True Faith

Artwork by Ryky

With no other viable options, Capella heeded Arcturus's instructions and stepped out of the room to find the castle. To her bewilderment, she could not believe what was right before her eyes. It was a stairway made of crystal ice with the most intense blue colour that one can ever imagine. 

"Woah! It's so beautiful! I just can't believe it. I should have stepped out of the room earlier!" marveled Capella. "Helloooooooo, can anyone hear me?"

The only sound that Capella could hear was the wind flowing its way downward, which caused the air bubbles trapped inside the ice to be squeezed out and the size of the ice crystal to increase.

"Woah, okay, okay, is the ice even safe to step on? I don't want to fall" wondered Capella. "Maybe I should just return back into the room and wait for someone to save me. That is the most practical option I'm left with! There's even a bed for me to lie on."

Suddenly, the room behind Capella disappeared and a note read, " Capella, please proceed on ahead" appeared. 

"Eeek! What is this! Can anyone save me, I'm horrified!" squeaked Capella.

And a man dressed in a white tuxedo suit then called out to Capella and walked down the stairs. 

"Come, Capella, hold my hand and let's walk up the the ice stairway together. Don't worry, you will be fine" comforted the Prince as he held Capella's hands.

As the Prince and Capella walked up the ice stairways, the surroundings suddenly came alive! Out of nowhere, the birds were roaming through the clouds as their chirps rippled through the icy cool stairways. From those first few notes burst so many more, as if the birds have collectively been waiting for Capella and the Prince. Not only did the surroundings became alive, there were many more people walking down and standing along the stairways. 

"Don't you find this to be a sweet evening, Capella?" questioned the Prince.

"Yeah!! I love the atmosphere!! It's so romantic with the birds chirping and the light winds blowing at us." replied Capella.

Suddenly, a woman standing at the stairways, carrying a bunch of flowers called out to them.

"Excuse me, young gentleman, would you buy flowers for your beautiful companion?" asked the woman. 

"Sure, give me everything you have. I will buy it all from you." replied the Prince.

At this point in time, Capella blushed and was covertly smiling in her heart.

"Awww. You don't have to do that. That's very sweet of you." bubbled Capella. 

"These flowers should be the ones feeling honoured and thankful. They are being held by the prettiest woman in this universe." complimented the Prince.

"Thank you, hehe" cackled Capella. 

As they continued to walk on, there were many more people walking down the stairways. The prince pulled Capella closer to him as they braved through the crowds. At the end of the ice stairways, Capella finally saw the castle as instructed.

"Woah! The castle looks impressive too! I have to get going to there soon though!" mumbled Capella. 

"What, Capella? I am going to lose the prettiest girl in my life! Hahaha." joked the Prince. "Hmm, can I make a request that you do not go to the castle and accompany me? I will take good care of you for life!"

There was a brief moment of silence as Capella looked up the skies.

"The stars are shining so brightly... they are amazing..." exclaimed Capella. "I don't know why but I love the stars so much tonight and honestly, I like to play with the stars." 

"Hahaha, are you kidding me, Capella? You just dodged my question. Haha. Anyway, what sort of a comment is that? The stars are so high up and they look the same every night!" replied the Prince. "I can buy you an apartment high up and we can admire the stars together every night."

Then, Capella suddenly recalled Arcturus exact words to her, "You have to find your way to the Castle. Remember to use your heart to feel!"

"Thank you though!! That's really sweet of you and I got to admit that although the time spent with you is short but it is really fun! Hehe. But... I really have to get going this time." sobbed Capella. 

"Is that it, Capella? You really don't wish to consider once more?" questioned the Prince.

"Yes, I'm going." Capella reassured. 

All of a sudden, the Prince vanished into thin air and Arcturus's voice appeared.

"Capella, well done. Please make your way to the castle. There are more things awaiting for you" ordered Arcturus. 

Go to Chapter Five | Go to Chapter Seven 

Distant Stars Chapter Five: Rigel's Fateful Night

Artwork by Ryky

Without hesitation, Rigel followed Arcturus instructions and stepped out of the room and saw a huge waterfall right before his eyes. From a distance, the waterfall had been like a silent white stream cascading over the rocket outcrops. 

"Woah! I can't believe what I am seeing with my own eyes! And where is the castle?! Arcturus must be fooling me." exclaimed Rigel. "I remembered that I could see it from my room's view but I am nowhere near now!"

"Right now... I am stuck on this hill with no other paths at all. How does Arcturus expect me to get across?" wondered Rigel. "Hello!! Will anyone come and save me!"

As Rigel walked closer to the edge, the noise increased steadily until he could barely hear himself over the defeaning roar of the water. "Can someone just save me from this ordeal already, I don't even know why I am here to start with..." Suddenly, a strong gust of wind passed by which caused Rigel to lose his balance.  He tripped over the edge.

"Ahh! I'm surely dead this time! Goodbye mum! Goodbye Dad!" weeped Rigel. 

However, the flow of the waterfall suddenly surged rapidly which managed to engulf Rigel's impact from the fall. Rigel was in disarray and quickly attempted to keep afloat. But the plume of water vapor that hung over the plunge pool made Rigel breathless as well as losing sight of his surroundings. 

"Oh... oh my... my god, save me!! I can't breathe soon!" cried Rigel.

Suddenly, a tribal looking guy lifted Rigel with a big fishing net. 

"Oh my god! What now! I am caught in a net! Don't kill me please" pleaded Rigel. "Please just let me go..."

The tribal guy finally released Rigel at the bottom of the waterfall. Then, he pulled Rigel into the dark woods. The bare branches spiked into the sky with no signs of life to be found anywhere. It was so dark that one would barely able to see where one is going. The only sounds were rustling bushes and howl of the wind. At this point in time, Rigel was apprehensive about the journey ahead. 

"Young man, change into a new set of clothes first." ordered the Tribal man. "What brings you here anyway?

"Hey, thanks for the clothes man! I have no idea why I am here too." replied Rigel "By the way, where am I?"

"Young man, I have never ever seen a clothing like yours! I am deeply shocked! You are in the Wandering Oak Grove forest!" answered the Tribal man.

"Where on earth is that? I have never heard of it before! Anyway, have you seen a Castle nearby here?" questioned Rigel.

"What are you saying, young man. How can there be a castle in the woods?" laughed the Tribal man. "Anyway, I have been waiting for a young gentleman to pass by this forest for years. I have an important task for you"

"Huh. What? I just want to get out of here..." pleaded Rigel.

The tribal man forcefully brought Rigel to a hill and thereafter handed Rigel a pickaxe.

"Young man, this means a lot to me and my family. I'm already old. My wife is currently very sick. Behind this hill lies a hospital and by knocking down this hill would mean that my family need not travel such a long distance anymore." pleaded the Tribal man.

"Okay... I'm sorry to hear that your wife is undergoing such an ordeal... but I will be very frank with you. I will need a very long time to knock down this hill. By then... maybe traveling to the hospital via the longer route would make more sense to save your wife's life..." replied Rigel.

While the Tribal man continues to be in his own world. 

"Young man, I can see that you are very different. No man would travel to this forest on their own accord!" replied the Tribal man.

"Hey... you see, I have no intentions to be here at all... never mind. I will try my best." sighed Rigel.

Rigel picked up the pickaxe and began to chip off the big rocks. While the old man looked at him by the side. This went on for several hours. Surprisingly, Rigel did not back away and instead, worked harder as time passed by. 

"I could be saving one's life if I can knock down this hill." Rigel naively thought to himself. "Since I'm already stuck here, let's just make use of my time wisely."

Meanwhile, six hours have passed, the old man only continued to watch by the side and Rigel never stopped. When the old man noticed that he was about to black out, he spoke. 

"Young man, you used six hours and chipped off more rocks than I ever did in five years. I am very touched by your actions." smiled the Tribal man.

"Hey, it's nothing much man. Haha. I'm really glad that you are reciprocative towards my efforts! I hope all these will get to save your wife!" replied Rigel. "Anyway, I guess I am prepared to be stuck here forever..." 

"Young man, do retract your last sentence. Where has your confidence gone to? You are behaving very differently now! What I saw for the past six hours was a confident young man using only a pickaxe to chip away the rocks." the Tribal man retorted. "Alright, young man, stop chipping away the rocks."

"Don't you want to save your wife anymore?" wondered Rigel. 

"Young man, I really admire your naivety and faith in me. I'm thankful for your efforts, but my wife passed away several years ago." replied the Tribal man. "Rigel, these are your weaknesses - you have always been quick to trust people as well as always giving someone your best without thinking for yourself at all." 

"Wait, you know my real name all along?!" replied Rigel. "What is all this about?!" 

"I did it for your own good. I set these challenges to ensure that you realized your own weaknesses, Rigel. Do you still want to get to the castle? If that's the case, now, I want you to imagine that there's a castle behind this hill." ordered the Tribal man. 

"I am so angry with you but yeah, thanks!! I have wasted so much time here and I need to get to the castle quickly!" replied Rigel. 

Rigel's imagination made the entire hill disappeared into thin air. He was in disarray once more. Finally, the old man smiled and gave his parting words.

"Rigel, you have a strong mind and will. Your qualities such as determination and perserverance will get you where you want to be. Do remember that it can be a really lonely process. What I admire about you is that you will always see things to the end with your best. Just be careful of your weaknesses." cautioned the Tribal man. 

"Yeah! Thank you for the guidance! I have to get going to the castle now!" thanked Rigel. 

The old man walked back into the dark woods and disappeared into the thick fog. Suddenly, Arcturus's voice appeared.

"Rigel, congratulations. Please make your way to the castle now. I am sure that you want to find out the real reason behind all these." ordered Arcturus. 

But at this point in time, Rigel looked up to the skies...

"Hmm... it seems like I have something unaccomplished..." wondered Rigel.

Go to Chapter Four | Go to Chapter Six 

8427 Sheets Of Paper

Source

There lies a universal fact which we all know about the universe we live in. That is, time waits for no one. Time continues to move on regardless of the circumstances. Its significance is based on the sole fact that it accompanies us throughout our destined lifespan. Time and we are inseparable entities - time will move for as long as our existence lingers around in the world. Bearing this simple fact in mind, I shall write this post with the hope that you will find that your time spent is worth after reading it.

Who would have known what was your purpose in life when we were just born into this world? Yet, time continues to move on without sparing a thought to our circumstances. Time, viewed in this manner, is like a robot without emotions. That's why we all need someone to guide us in our lives and oftentimes, our parents will take up this crucial role. Had my parents left me to explore this universe on my own, I would have found it incomprehensible most of the time. Then, we also needed schools to further educate us on what is right and wrong in society on top of what our loved ones have already often advised us. While in schools, we made friends and even developed some feelings, also known as puppy love, towards some people. That was perfectly fine. The point is that we discover ourselves in different ways and varying amounts at each phase of our lives. Some just discover much more than the rest. Just remember that time still moves on unsympathetically.

Now, if I may have you to imagine that every day of your life was penned down onto a piece of paper, what would you have written? I know it seems really unrealistic as we consider these following considerations: what do you write when you have not even learned how to write? do you have the mental capacity and maturity to write even after learning how to write? All of these takes time to develop while keeping in mind that some learn much faster than others. Thus, the most intuitive answer which we all can relate is that these papers are left blank during those phases of our lives. Finally, the most practical consideration of all: how feasible is this idea? So here comes my point:

I am not certainly asking you to take a thousand pieces of papers to pen down your life journey. What I am trying to do is to have you all to conceive that life is just like a stack of papers piling on top of one after another. In short, the pile of papers represents your current wealth of experience, knowledge, and memories. If you were to factor time in, each piece of paper will then have a date and time. Many of us will probably begin life with a foundation made of clean sheets of paper and some simple moments. Then, as we grow older with time, the middle and higher stacks become more written and filled with greater complexities of life. One day, we will use this stack of piled papers to tell a meaningful and purposeful story. However, has it come across to you what happens when a portion of the stack is conscientiously removed? Papers are different from dominoes. The former will either fall silently back to the base or outside of the base while the latter will crumble and certainly fall outside of the base. Papers, although, run a 50-50 possibility of falling outside the base, the question to ask is, is the risk of removing it just for the sake of not getting reminded of unhappiness and setbacks worth taking? Once it runs outside of the base, you will not find yourself anymore.

Today, I have 8427 sheets of paper with me. I have decided not to remove any sheets of paper. As I want to be able to tell my children or convince everyone using the 8426 sheets of paper, and not just a part of it, that this is the kind of person that I hope to be or have become as a result. I want to write the remaining sheets of papers with purposeful events and doing more great things for the society. What about you?

The memories will forever be etched in my heart.

Thank you for taking the time to read.