Wisdom from the Young — Shooting Stars
Mika, in my young writer’s group, has written this beautiful flash fiction piece. I love the natural setting and young, owl wisdom.
‘Shooting Stars’ by Mika
The cold expanse of night spread out through the trees like the tide, coming in after a day away from the shore. Except instead of concealing what was underneath, the sky revealed its beauties, and the stars twinkled seamlessly above the small woodland. An ancient sycamore grew at the very edge, overlooking a field of corn. Perched on one of its branches was a young owlet, gazing up at the fresh night sky. Preening her feathers beside him was his mother. The young owl gasped.
“Ma, Ma, a star just flew!”
The old owl sighed, lifted her head and looked up. The stars twinkled, they blinked, but none of them flew.
“Don’t be silly. Stars don’t fly,” was the owl’s only response.
The baby owl was undeterred. “Well I saw it, I know I did.” He continued wistfully gazing at the beauty above him. “Look Ma, look! They are flying!” The owlet ruffled his feathers, little beak clacking open and shut in wonderment. The tired mother owl sighed for a second time, but looked up all the same. Then it was her turn to gasp. Never in the old owl’s life had she seen such a sight. The stars twinkled, the stars blinked, but they also danced! A star would whizz across the landscape of deep, dark blue, then disappear and another would take its place. Sparkling, dazzling and flying.
The owlet pecked his mother fondly, “You seem surprised, for an owl so old and wise.”
Mika is 14. She lives in Sussex and enjoys reading, writing, sewing and acting.
Mika also illustrated our Story Club book, including the cover art!
