Steemitbloggers Contest | Picture Prompt: Bedazzled!

photo in Spain by Evgeni Tcherkasski (@evgenit) from Unsplash

The fondest memory Jean has of her parents had to be this:

"Mummy, do you think we can reach the stars?" Jean asked her mom with her big curious eyes opened wide as they lied down on the grass above a hill gazing the sky, full of sparkling stars.

"Hmm, I am not too sure, beautiful. Why don't you try?" her mom gave her a very assuring smile.

Jean reached out her hand with her childlike faith, thinking everything is possible, at least whenever she has her family with her.

"I can't reach it, Mummy!"

"That's because I have 'caught' it for you, darling. Look what appeared behind your ears!" Her dad always doing his amusing magic, took out a star-shaped pendant from behind her ears.

"Wow Daddy! How did you do that? That's beautiful." Jean couldn't help staring at it.

"Glad you love it. You are always our starshine," her dad planted an endearing kiss on her forehead.

"Always will be," Mom snuggled in to the two of them and they continued to enjoy the sky and every sparkling ornaments it has with it.

"Look, it's a shooting star. I wish we will always be together," Jean wished. That night, they fell asleep under the beautiful sky.

Image Source - Pixabay

Jean was running as fast as she could. Her heart was racing and she wa desperate to get away. She ran and ran, not looking behind at all, with all her might, probably the fastest she had ever run.

Her new foster parents were monstrous. They had treated her the worst, making her do all the chores and cooking and now they wanted her to be sleeping with the guy they owed their debts to. They tied her up when she was reluctant. She managed to escape when she grabbed hold of her star pendant in her pocket to cut off the ropes. Wrapping her fist with her jacket, she broke the window glass and jumped out of it. Holding to her star pendant, she really wished this was just a bad nightmare. Sadly, it was not.

How did I end up this way? Why did you leave me? Jean stopped finally and started weeping her hearts out. She should be safe now that she had run herself to an isolated roundabout. Everything had become really quiet, so quiet that the loudest thing she was hearing is herself crying and all the thoughts of being abandoned became so loud. She had been lonely and desolated, ever since the day her Mommy passed away when she was just 10. Daddy suddenly disappeared after that incident. She was sent to foster homes after foster homes. All she had was just the star pendant and lots of unanswered questions.

I miss the both of you. Looking up at the sky, it was a night full of stars, just like that night. If only the stars could hear me and bring me to you...

Image Source - Pexels

There was this star which was shining extraordinarily bright. Its brightness was almost glaring to Jean's eyes. Was it her imagination or the star was drawing nearer? It continued to approach her, yeah it looked like it was alive and it was the one coming near.

Jean was puzzled and her immediate response was wanting to run again. But her star pendant pulled her body towards the star. It was responding to the star?! Jean opened her big beautiful eyes in disbelief. WHAT'S GOING ON? I am not being kidnapped by an alien, am I? The bright star became so near that Jean could hardly open her eyes. It was way too glaring for her.

Then, she fell unconscious. She felt like she saw the face of her father before she went totally unconscious. Was that really him? Why didn't he age? With those questions in mind, Jean still could not hold herself awake. She went into like a daze but she could see her memory with her parents kept replaying in her mind. Her 'body' was very light, so light that she felt her burdens, fears and stress were all gone.

"Hello starshine, it's me."

It can't be!!!

Image Source - Pexels

Jean struggled to open her eyes. She felt she heard her Daddy's voice.

"It's me, Jean. It's Daddy," he was saying that with a trembling voice, trying hard to hold back his tears. Someone from behind came to pass him a napkin, "For you, sir."

"It's okay, these are happy tears," he replied, still having his eyes fully fixed on Jean.

"Daddy, it's really you! Where have you been?" Jean threw herself into her dad's arms and sobbed.

"Mummy died and I was left alone. I was almost going to be in trouble and I ran with all my might. Then, there was this weird star and the star pendant you gave me pulled me towards it."

"I know, I know. I saw you all this while," he tried his best to console his daughter, one who has grown so much over the years. She looked really tired and worn out, he saw her in all of her loneliness.

"Why didn't you come for me? Where is this place?" Jean started asking all the questions of her heart.

"This is Stardom, darling. It is where I am from. I am sorry I have never told you. But now, I will tell you everything," Sentinel Gordon said, as he wiped off his tears too.

"I am one of the sentinels of the universe, whereby I now rule in Stardom. We are called to be the Keepers of the Universe, to maintain peace and harmony. In fact, all of the stars you see in the skies are persons who actually exist with our true spirits, even the Sun and moon are persons, each in our own role to strike an equilibrium for the universe. We travel on our own orbit with our own system. When your mom died, there was a huge rebellion in the alliance. My own planet was at stake, and the rebellious troops had to be stopped. I wanted to bring both of you back with me, but I failed in protecting your mom. The enemies found her and had her killed. I had to return here to stop further collateral damage, because I could not afford to lose you and Earth."

"The Star who came to you was me. That's why your star pendant responded to me. Remember I gave it to you when you were really young? It was also to function as a keeper for you when I am not around. Forgive me that I did not come to you earlier. I really wish I can. Because of who you are, you have my blood and you are half a citizen of Stardom too. Please stay here with me, Jean. This can be your new home."

"I.... I don't know what to say. This is so strange to me." Jean looked around. Everything looked very futuristic and advanced, nothing of what she had seen before. "But I am so glad to see you again, Daddy. I miss you."

"I miss you too, starshine and I love you. You are now safe here. No one can harm you anymore," Sentinel Gordon assured her. "You actually have a place in the universe too. You have a destiny here as a new horizon starts here."

Image Source - Pexels

Jean was still very dumbfounded and awed by what she was experiencing. This whole new world is just so foreign to her. Besides her daddy, she knew no one else here. She tried to just explore and walk around the place. Everyone treated her with so much honour and respect, it almost seemed like they have known her.

Jean smiled as politely as she could, thinking that since her dad is a high ruler here, she must maintain some manners. She wandered out from her resting place and saw there was this beautiful lake, one she had been with her dad when she was very young. Does that mean I have been here? Mom had been here?

"He built everything as to what he had experienced with both of you. He tried to bring them alive here, knowing one day you may return," someone said from behind her, almost like he read her mind. "I don't mean to startle you. I saw you wandering for a while and I am assigned to take care of Eden for His Royal Highness."

"Eden? What's that? How do you know who I am?" Jean turned around and saw a young man, one that almost bedazzled her. He looked so fine and alluring. She did not dare to look straight into his eyes, they are staring into her soul as if they are reading her.

"Eden is this place he built. He named it that way. Only the royal family wears the star pendants. Allow me to introduce myself. Erasmus at your service, my lady."

Here is my humble entry in submission to the latest @steemitbloggers picture prompt contest. Thank you for taking your time to read this fictional story.

_{created by @zord189}

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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://happycrazycon.vornix.blog/2018/10/06/steemitbloggers-contest-picture-prompt-bedazzled/

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