Clear. The night sky, with its beautiful scattering of stars. Small, bright and so far away.

Reach out. Could she touch it, if she tried hard enough?

Could anyone do anything if they tried hard enough?

Innocent. Lying on the damp grass, listening to the quiet stillness. The air bitter and cold, but enveloping her with familiarity. Silence?

Such perfect chaos it creates in her head.

Closed eyes, calm breathing. Her pain, her mother's pain, her father's pain, the pain of all the children of the world, reverberated in her chest.

One heartbeat. Two.

Do everyone's hearts beat at the same time?

She looked up, gazing up at the sky. Could anything provide as much clarity as the night sky?

Honesty. Sincerity. Love.

Do any of them come as close?

The cold touched her. The mist became a blanket, settling over her lightly, going almost unnoticed.

Almost like guilt. Like the cat she never had, never wanted, it nuzzled and wove around her legs. Creeping up and resting on her chest, so heavily and uncomfortably.

The moisture rested lightly on her cheeks, like halted tears.

Her breathing became labored. Sadness?

The tears, her own tears, began to fall.

Sadness.