"YOU ALL AT LEAST KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON! I'M THE ONLY ONE LEFT IN THE DARK!" I shouted, my voice trembling with more than just anger. "DO I EVEN KNOW WHO I AM? OR IS THAT A LIE TOO?" Silence answered me. Heavy. Cold. Familiar faces suddenly looked distant-too rehearsed, too guarded. "We did it for your own good, Izra..." they said, almost in unison. But what good is a truth kept hidden? What good is love without trust? ========== A message lit up my phone screen. Hey! The number was unknown. Unfamiliar. Unexpected. Hello? I replied cautiously, fingers hesitating over the keys. ========== I folded the letter carefully, placing it beneath a single orchid-her favorite. A quiet apology. One I hoped would be enough, to melt her up. ========== I spotted a shooting star streaking across the sky, its light brief but burning. "If it's true they grant wishes like she believed... then through this star-" My voice lowered to a whisper, "I wish for my star." And just like that, it vanished like most beautiful things do. ==========