Starburst #2

Read Also: Starburst #1

~Authors Note~

Well, I’m not sure how the science of this works but let’s see.

So imagine if a meteor were to crash into the Earth unimpeded; thousands of people would be dead before it even hit the ground. They usually travel at 30 kilometers per second, and to withstand the opposing drag in the earth’s atmosphere, it would be about 10km in diameter, that’s about two miles.

Its size will enable it cut through the atmosphere easily and the heat generated by the rock, especially upon entry should be enough to completely vaporize anyone within a 3 kilometer radius upon touchdown.

The impact with the earth will stop the projectile, but the force of impact will most likely destroy the rock and some layers of the earth’s crust will be flung into the air and blot out the sun. Some of that debris might fly right out of the atmosphere, but most likely, it’ll all rain down on the impact point and miles away from it. It will create a gaping crater that will rip through the earth at supernatural speed, and have resulting earthquakes of great magnitude.  As a result of the ripped crust, the atmosphere will start to overheat, triggering fires and frying anything that isn’t sheltered underground.

The ash, smoke and soot would fill the air and slowly kill off plant and animal life for about a year, but the initial impact will make the Earth’s surface uninhabitable after one day.

That’s just one meteor. Now, imagine seventy.

 

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Tonight was the night, I beamed at my siblings. I had watched Amya pick up the necklace I sent and pocket my note. As she stepped back into her house, I went along with my preparations. I flew over to the group of galaxies the humans called Abell 1689, and explained my idea to the audience of almost 200,000 families. They fell in love with it and seventy of the brightest stars in some families volunteered to help me, most of them male, wanted to see how beautiful the girl I was doing it for was. I was so grateful. We started the journey back to my home and rested there, while I explained what I wanted.

Each of them were to grab on to the largest meteor they could lay their hands on and at my signal, make their haloes burn as brightly as they could and give the airspace Amya was staring at a flyby. I explained that the meteors would help anchor them, as the Earths pull was strong.

I couldn’t wait to see her face as the meteors zipped across the sky, a beautiful star show for her birthday. She would be ecstatic. I walked about the entire time with a grin on my face, I polished my crown till it gleamed and put on my best robes, my halo burning bright blue around me.

It was almost time.

 

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It was 6:10pm and my phone had notified me that sunset would be at 6:49, so I grabbed a slice of the cake grandma had baked for me and went up to the roof. The tiles were so warm, I sighed as I laid down and closed my eyes. I felt in my pocket and found the mystery note from earlier on, my hand reached for the rose in my hair and moved down to the star pendant nestled between my breasts and I smiled.

A few minutes later, I heard someone screaming, I looked down to the kids playing in the grass across the street. The stars were starting to show, twinkling mischievously in the violet and orange evening sky. I let my eyes close again.

“Amya! Amyaaaaa!” I heard grandma yell from somewhere in the house “dinner is ready, dear.”

I got up, taking the slice of cake with me, noting lazily how the rose dropped from my hair, and went down to the back porch.

“Coming, ma.” I yelled back, sitting on the steps and looking up at the night sky, absently munching on the cake. I could hear her making her way towards me, so I started smiling.

Her footsteps stopped and I turned to look up at her. I froze, she looked terrified. “Ha-ha, gran, it’s not funny.” I got up, walking towards her. That’s when I noticed how hot it suddenly got, my neck was flushed with a searing heat. She started to scream, so I turned to face the sky to see what—

There was a blinding light and an ear-splitting explosion.

 

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My smile dropped, because Amya didn’t see my meteor shower, Amya wasn’t going to see anything anymore, no one was.

I knew something was wrong the minute the party had veered dangerously off course, and to save themselves, let go of their meteors. They headed straight into the earth, instead of beside it. It was too late to do anything.

It shook the heavens, the explosion. Everything stopped.

My sisters stopped their chattering and my mother froze in her tracks. My sisters rushed to my side, Ara placed her hands on my shoulder while Nyx started to wail. Soon, everyone was in tears.

I stared the puff of smoke in the distance, the Abell stars gave me their deepest apologies and started on their way home. I looked at the burning planet, searching through the dust and the flames.

I couldn’t find her.

I killed her.

I killed Amya, my little fire. With her silver freckles and glowing eyes.

I killed all of them.

I took off my crown and let it fall. My robes went next. I curled into a ball and started to cry.

 

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No one moved for a long time. Minutes went by, hours, days, weeks, months.

An entire millennium would have gone by and they wouldn’t have noticed.

One by one, Orion’s family extinguished their shine, the warm glow of their home vanishing. It was all over.

But Orion remained, trying to prove himself wrong and redeem himself, he didn’t notice the billions of stars disappearing. There were no more twinkling stars. Just the darkness and the moon.

What was the point of existing for no one?

“Do you ever wonder where the light beams end and there’s nothing in the dark except the moon?” I say to nobody in particular.