Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 19577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 78(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 78(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
"There was once a young male who grew up on a small, old station called Alos, off of Praxii Minor. The station was very old and its systems breaking down, so every day when the boy took a breath, it hurt his chest. His health suffered and when it came time for him to contribute to his family, as all honorable praxiian third sons do, he could not. Because he could not take deep breaths, the military would not have him. His parents tried to sell him into honorable slavery, but no one wanted a slave with bad lungs. He was removed from his family and shamed and left to fend for himself. He grew up unloved and unwanted and took odd jobs to make ends meet."
Bram whimpers against my chest. Estrella just leans against me, her big eyes wide and unblinking.
I give them both a little bounce and then continue, my voice low and soothing. "The male survived. He grew up, moving from station to station, but all of them hurt his lungs. The rooms he could afford were always in the cheapest parts of the station, where the air quality was the worst. He was resigned to never being able to draw a deep breath, never being happy. And then one day, his crew was assigned to a distant, privately owned planet to help expand a space port. He'd never been to a planet, but the pay was decent and he was curious. There were a lot of rules of conduct for this job, but he didn't mind. And when he got to Risda III, it was like the permanent fist around his lungs disappeared. His coughing stopped. He could take deep breaths of natural air. It didn't hurt to breathe anymore. He thought this place was paradise...and then he met a pretty female, and he knew it was paradise."
Against my shoulder, Bram burps politely. A small burp, so I know he has more in him. I continue.
"This female was a different species than him. She was short and loud and very drunk, but she was beautiful and wise. She pointed at the stars and told him that when they fall from the sky, you make a wish and you get everything you want. He thought for a moment, and when it came time to wish, he wished for this planet, with this beautiful female. He wished for every day to be spent in the sunshine, with the happy, loud female at his side. He wished for a family with her, one without praxiian rules. One where their children would be welcome to stay as long as they liked, and where they would be valued no matter how strong or weak their lungs were. Where they would be loved and happy all their days."
Estrella lets out a long, loud belch, startling me.
Bram spits up against my chest, then looks up at me, distressed.
I chuckle and go to clean us all up. "We'll finish this story another time, but just so you both know, my wish came true. All of it at once."
Shooting stars were very potent things.