Work Text:
A way home
(entry for LordCornwalls’ writing competition)
Two says it has been for me since me and Star got stuck in this desert. It was probably mid-day and the sun was at its hottest point, both of us were exposed to the scorching heat and with no shade, we were probably going to die here. Sometimes I do wonder why did I went with Star on adventures outside my dimension, Did I try to please her? Was I actually tempted to go outside my comfort one? Or did curiosity draw me in? Whatever the reason was, there was no going back this time. No, seriously, there isn’t a way back or even forward; we were stuck in this desert, with no way out, period. Now, you may be wondering: How did Marco Diaz and Star Butterfly got into this situation? Well… it’s kind of a funny story. You see, it all started almost… Uh… How long ago was it again?… Oh, three days?... Yeah, three days ago.
3 days ago
-GOOOOOOOD MORNING MARCO!!!- Star yelled as she jumped on top of me, -Why do you always have to do that every morning?- I asked in pain as I tried to get her off me, -aww, c’mon Marco- Star replied -it’s Friday!!! A day to be excited!!! C’mon, get up and get ready for this new day!!!-. She was indeed right, it was the beginning of the weekend, that time to relax and count the hours ‘til the next Monday; however, all of that will be available once you survive the last day of school. -Star, can you just please get off my back so I can get up and go shower?- I asked, Star immediately moved given my irritated voice and went back to her room, -Ugh, why is she so energetic?- I asked myself as I entered the bathroom and got in the shower -it’s like if even a drying paint is exciting for her! Can she just not tune down for like five minutes?-.
After a couple of minutes, I got off the shower and got ready to eat breakfast, and as expected, Star was waiting for me outside my door. -C’mon Marco!!! Breakfast is ready!!!- she yelled at me as she left my door and ran down the stairs, -Be careful! You’re gonna trip and fall!- I yelled at Star, but she was already at the bottom when I warned her, she was unharmed though; -I swear, one of these days she’s either going to give me a heart attack or just kill herself- I said to myself. Soon, we were both on the table and enjoying a bunch of pancakes my dad had made for us, I also grabbed an apple to balance my diet while Star sneakily added more maple to her pancakes, -So that’s why she’s always energetic- I thought -at least she hasn’t found my stash… yet-.
Breakfast done, we headed off to school; and Star’s sugar-fueled excitement now made her ask a barrage of questions. -You think you’ll try to talk to that skateboarding girl?- she asked me, and I immediately blushed; -Well… uh- I tried to answer, but Star asked me something else. -Or that girl with the beanie?- she asked, and that made me change from shamed to scared, -OH, NONONONO- I replied -I am NOT getting close to Janna-. -And what about the rich girl?- she asked, -Star, has the extra maple made your head numb?- I asked, -PFFT, nah!- she replied -I didn’t add more maple, what are you on about?-. I can’t really tell what other questions did she ask afterwards because they were mostly absurd and non-sensical, but she stopped once we arrived to school. We got into out classroom and the rest went like every other Friday: listen to Ms. Skullnick, complete some quizzes, chat on the break, more quizzes, a final lecture, and at last, freedom. Star quickly rushed out of the front door and went straight for Britta’s Tacos, I only arrived there a minute or two later while she was already using some of our lunch money to buy some tacos. -You… could at least… slow down… for once?- I asked her while I tried to catch my breath, -If I was to slow down, we’d never get the first tacos from the store- she replied with a smile as she gave me my taco and began to eat hers, -You do have a point there- I replied as I have a sip to a vase of soda that she had bought for me as well -I’ll give you that-.
Lunch finished, we went back to my house, and as expected, Ludo and his goons ambushed us just outside. -Surrender the wand, Butterfly- the angry owl guy yelled at us, and what he received in return was three minutes of butt kicking action. Technique was simple: Star set them up and I finished stunned them one by one ‘til she could make the finishing blow; however, while trying to set a fly goon up for me to dropkick, the fly dodged her blast from her wand and swooped over her, making Star stumble and slip. We both heard a crack as soon as she fell, but we didn’t pay that much attention to it as the fly circled back to tackle Star, I timed my jump and dropped on top of the fly. -UGH!!! You haven’t seen the last of me, Butterfly!!- Ludo yelled at us as his goon retreated through a portal, -You’ll get your butt kicked anyway!!!- I told him as he closed the portal. After the battle was won, we both went inside and discussed some stuff inside Star’s bedroom, and that is where the chaos began.
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-You really don’t like the weekends don’t you?- Star asked me as she fiddled with her wand, -Not really- I replied as I wandered around her room -I usually find them boring because there’s nothing to do outside, besides the dojo and the tacos-. Star then tried to think of something to change the mood, and came up with an idea. -Say, what about a little adventure?- she suggested as she took out her dimensional scissors, and that’s where I noticed something was off. -Uh… Star?- I asked her -is it normal for the scissor tip to be bent?-; Star soon noticed this detail, but it didn’t seem important to her, -Nah, I doubt this is something to be worried about- she replied -your mom told me that something damaged can still be useful, it just looses its value-. -Well… then where do you want to take me?- I asked, -Oh, that’ll be a surprise- Star replied, and my curiosity soon turned into nervousness. -Star, I’m not really a fan of surprises when it comes to this- I told her -last time we nearly got eaten by a gigantic worm, TWICE!!!-, -Well, that was last time- Star argued -this time, I know somewhere you may like!-.
Star then grabbed her dimensional scissors and opened a portal; -C’mon Marco! Adventure awaits!!!- Star told me with excitement, -Coming!!- I replied as I followed her to the portal. At the other side, a beautiful sight: a huge citadel in what seemed to be a tree, its inhabitants seemed to look like birds, and there was a sweet smell all around the place; this place was beautiful, I was glad Star chose this place to hang out and explore, but when I looked at Star to thank her, she showed confusion. -What’s wrong, Star?- I asked her, -Well, I know your face shows that you love this place- she replied -but… This isn’t the place I was taking you to-, -What do you mean?- I asked her, -Well… I was going to show you a place called “Quest buy”- she replied -but… I don’t know how did the scissors didn’t took us there-. Before I could ask what did she mean, a huge barn owl descended from a branch and intercepted us.
-State your business, intruders!- the barn owl threatened us as he gripped tightly to our chests, -We’re only visitors!- I tried to beg, -Tell that to our leaders- he stated before lifting us up and carrying us into a hole in the middle of the central branch of the tree. Inside, the barn owl dropped us in front of other owls, and they quickly surrounded us to give us an inspection. -What’s your reason to hurry soldier?- a snowy owl asked the barn owl, -Sir, I’ve found these creatures in the middle of town- he explained to his superiors, -Hello!- Star waved at the owls while I hid behind her, -They do not match anything that we know- a boreal owl stated as he quickly checked a book to identify what we were -these things could even be carrying diseases unknown to our society!-, -We shall execute them at ONCE!- a burrowing owl suggested, but before any other owl could make a statement, another superior rose her wing to ease everyone. -Let us all calm down, please- another snowy owl spoke -tell us, travelers, what are your names?-, -Oh, I’m Star Butterfly!- Star introduced herself -and this is my friend, Marco-, -Hi- I nervously saluted as I poke out of Star’s back.
-Well, greetings, Star Butterfly and Marco- the snowy owl replied -what brings you around here?-, -Oh, well, we arrived here on accident- Star replied, -On accident?- a boreal owl asked -one doesn’t arrive to the tree on accident, there’s always a reason-, -Well, my friend is right- I answered -we meant to arrive somewhere else-, -LIES!- the boreal owl insisted -destiny always guides everyone to the tree! How is it possible for someone to arrive here unwillingly?!-, -Please, old friend, let them argue- the female snow owl stated -now, could you continue please?-. -So, my friend and I were trying to go somewhere else- I continued -we used a pair of scissors to get there, but we got here instead-, -See what I mean?!- the boreal owl continued -they are naïve! They don’t know their reason to be here!-. -SILENCE!!!- the male snowy owl yelled at the boreal owl -even though you’ve somehow arrived here without guidance, you would count as intruders given your unknown origin-.
That last sentence made me shiver, did that mean we were going to be imprisoned? Or killed?!; before I could get an answer though, Star raised her hand to argue. -With all due respect, your owlness- Star argued -I believe we could just simply use the same scissors that brought us here to leave in peace, wouldn’t that be a much better alternative than locking us up?-. All the owls in the room stood in silence, trying to evaluate the alternative, but their thinking process got interrupted when another barn owl entered the room in desperation. -Pure ones!- he stated as he tried to catch a breath -they’re coming!-, -Pure ones?- Star asked in confusion, -Prepare battle stations!- the male snowy owl ordered -and take the creatures to a cell until the threat is gone-, -Yes sir!- the barn owl who brought us here replied before grasping us with his talons and carrying us away from the hole. As he took us away, we saw a big flock of different owls approaching in the horizon, from the tree as well a big flock had assembled and flew towards them, seemingly to clash mid-air. -What are “Pure ones”?- Star asked again, -Our enemies- the barn owl replied -owls that think only the strong can rule over all-, -Why can’t we then help you to defeat them?- Star asked, but the owl didn’t reply. Soon, the barn owl arrived at another hole and dumped us in, -Stay inside and don’t move- he ordered -I’ll bring you food and water if necessary-; he then flew off, leaving us unattended.
-Ok, why don’t we go home now, Star?- I suggested, but Star was walking back and forth, thinking of how to help the owls. -Marco, those owls may need our help- she stated -we could help them-, -How are we supposed to help when we don’t know what can those enemies do?- I asked -we can’t even fly!-, -I’ll think of something- Star replied as she tried to look for some sticks -now help me build a staircase-, -Fine- I replied, annoyed. We tried to build a staircase with the sticks that were scattered around the hole when a noise startled us; Star tried to reach her wand, but it was now that she realized she never had it in the first place. -Ok, maybe we should try and go home- she told me, -Why?- I asked her, and she only pointed at her empty pocket; -Oh, you forgot your wand- I replied -I assume once we get it we’ll be back here to help the owls-, -Yep!- she stated as she grabbed her scissors to open another portal. We both crossed it, but at the other side, nothing seemed familiar; it was a dense forest, and barely any light shined the floor. -Star…- I tried to ask her, -Well this isn’t right- she stated -why did the portal not sent us home?, -Maybe the scissors are broken- I tried to guess, -That’s impossible, Marco- she replied -breaking a dimensional scissor is like finding what you desire in Quest buy-, -And I thought magic could help- I stated -well, if you say it isn’t the scissors, then what is it?-, -I don’t know- Star replied in confusion -this has never happened to me before-, -Well, we should at least start to find some high point to figure out where we are- I suggested -we could just be on an untouched part of Echo creek park and we’re panicking about it-
Star and I began to look for ways to climb the trees and see where we were exactly, but after a couple of minutes of accomplishing nothing, we decided to take a rest. -I still don’t get the part of why do you think my scissors are broken- Star stated -do your scissors get damaged?-, -Well… they do- I replied -but only if you smash them-, -But yours are made of simple metal- she argued -ours are… almost sacred-, -Just because something is made of fine material it doesn’t mean it can be destroyed- I replied -except for something made out of diamond, those things will NEVER break-, -I still doubt it- Star continued to argue -your world has weak materials, mine are much stronger-, -Yeah, sure- I replied -I still believe on my statement-, -If we find a way home, I’ll show you- Star dared to state. An hour later, we decided to keep going, and soon enough we hit water; this was definitely not Echo creek park. -Your park looks more like a swamp- Star stated as we began to move through the murky shallows, -Yeah, I’m beginning to feel like we aren’t home- I agreed. The more and more we ventured into the water, the deeper it became, and soon we had to turn back as the floor disappeared and we began swimming instead of walking, -Should we just try and use the scissors?- I suggested as we swam back to shallow water, -You really gave up on the search after we hit deep water, don’t you?- Star asked me, -We’ll, we can’t climb up, nor we can’t look up to see what time of the day it is- I replied -do you really want to swim until we tire and drown?-, -Incomes your pessimism- Star stated -I’m sure there is land somewhere if we cross it-, -But what if we use the scissors to open another portal and risk our luck?- I suggested -is not like the scissors can run out of energy if damaged, can they?-, -I’m not sure, Marco- Star replied -I feel like maybe we should keep going-, -Ugh, fine- I complained -but if we die, it’s your fault!-
We both were about to head towards the deep waters again when the water began to move, -What was that?- I asked; a fin suddenly rose from the deep water, and soon, the thing spy hopped to visualize us. -We gotta move!- Star shouted as the monster dove down and then lunged out of the water; I managed to boost Star up a small tree and then tried to find a way up as well, but the monster soon caught up; now I was running for my life. -Marco, watch out!- Star yelled as whatever was chasing me threw a log towards me, I ducked and hid behind a rock; Star tried to throw a branch at it, but it only made the creature switch targets. -STAR! CLIMB HIGHER!!!- I yelled at her, and she immediately tried to go for higher ground, but the monster rammed the tree in an attempt to knock her off it; I desperately looked for something to distract the monster with, and then I had an idea: I quickly stripped some big leaves and tried to build a megaphone; then, I took out my phone and… played my ringtone. -MARCO, WHY ARE YOU GETTING A CALL RIGHT NOW?!- Star asked in desperation, but the monster did pay attention to the ringtone and went straight for me; how was I going to dodge it?... I honestly hadn’t thought of that at the moment I put the plan to work.
The monster charged at the rock and flung me in the air, I landed in a deeper part of the swamp and immediately tried to swim towards the shallows; the monster then dove down and tried to attack me from below, but instead it lunged towards some vegetation. -It must be blind by the looks of it- I said to myself in relief; I then tried to slowly make my way out of the water, but just as I was close to the shore, my pants got caught on a branch. While all of that unfolded, Star began to get down from the tree and tried to go on my aid; -No! Star! Stay there!!- I told her, but I had literally forgotten about the monster, who in turn started to make its way towards me. -never mind, HELP MEEEE!!!!!- I yelled, Star ran towards me and tried to pull me off the branch as the monster bolted towards us; -HOW STRONG ARE THESE PANTS FOR CORN’S SAKE?!!!- Star yelled as she tried to pull me off the branch. As I tried to help Star set me free, the monster suddenly disappeared from our sight; both of us stopped moving for a second, fearing from what direction it could strike. -Where is it?- Star whispered to me as she nervously continued to find a way to release me, -I don’t know- I replied in a low tone -let’s just hurry-. After a couple of failed attempts, Star finally managed to set me free, and we made our way ashore as silently as possible, which was kinda hard given it was water; before we could make it however, the water stirred, and a wave formed. -GET DOWN!!- I yelled at Star as the wave approached us at fast speed; I got ready to get hit by the wave, but Star pulled out her scissors and used them to cross through another portal.
Star and I emerged to the other side in a rush before the wave hit us, but we hadn’t thought of where we were going to land as we crossed, and as a result, we both went down a hill at high speeds; I can’t really remember what happened afterwards as I probably hit my head on the fall, because when I woke up I saw myself in a bed, with Star sat down on a chair next to me. -Oh thank corn! You’re awake!- Star stated as I tried to stand up, and that’s where I noticed Star had sprained her ankle on the fall; -Star, we need to get you to a hospital- I stated as I tried to stand up, it was kind of difficult given I was still dizzy from the hit, -I’m OK Marco!- she replied to me as she tried to stand up, but it was pretty obvious she wasn’t, as she hissed in pain while trying to reach me. -Oh, you two are awake- a sudden voice stated, I tried to look around to see who it was and saw someone, but my dizziness didn’t allow me to clearly see who it was, all I knew at the moment was that the guy was small and had a child’s voice; it was only when my head stopped hurting that I saw our savior… and I immediately fainted again. I probably regained consciousness a minute or two later, but… that person did not look like a person at all.
-Marco, that was very rude of you- Star scolded me -what’s wrong with seeing a living puppet?-, -I’m not a puppet, I’m a REAL boy!- the puppet stated, only for his nose to grow like a branch. -Well, apologies for my reaction- I apologized -I’m not very used to seeing weird stuff… this often-, -Weird?- the puppet asked -I thought I’ve seen you already in town-; -Wait, there’s a town nearby?!- I asked -oh thank lord! There’s people here!-, -Marco!- Star punched me -stop being rude to the puppet!-, -I’M. NOT. A. PUPPET!- the puppet yelled at Star, and his nose grew once more; -I think you’re being the one being rude to the puppet- I stated -also, do you need help with your nose?-, -Oh fiddlesticks, I lied again- the puppet replied -I do need help with it, please-. I searched for a saw or anything sharp to cut the puppet’s nose, and while I was doing that, Star got to know more about him. -So… do you live alone?- she asked him, -I do- he replied -my dad died some few years ago, and then Sebastian, and then Spazzatura… but that’s what death told me-, -Death?- Star asked, surprised by his answer; -Yep- he replied -it told me that… while I may be… immortal, I think that’s the word, those around me are not. It told me that it was a terrible burden-. While the two of them continued chatting, I had finally found a saw to cut the puppet’s nose, -Star!- I stated as I made my way back to her -I found a… saw?-, I found Star sobbing and I quickly tried to assess what was wrong; -Star? Are you OK?- I asked -does the ankle hurt too much-, -Oh, Marco- she began to cry as she hugged me -this boy really went through a lot!-, I was confused as why did she say that, I mean, he looked fine to me, asides from the nose, but then she told me his story, and I too felt sad for him.
-I… I’m sort for what you’re going through- I said to the puppet, -Oh, it’s OK!- he replied -while they may be gone, I do have the memories of joy of when they were with me-, -Oh, you poor thing!- Star cried and hugged the puppet, and he hugged back at her, -It’s Ok, that’s why I do tell others to enjoy the moments around your loved ones!- he replied, this puppet was really an angel, a wooden one but still an angel. After I cut and reshaped his nose with the saw, Star and I once again discussed about all of what’s happened so far, -Well, at least the place we landed on has people- I stated -we should probably get some bandages and then try again-, -Yeah- Star replied -I feel like this has been a good journey so far, even though this wasn’t where I wanted to take you to-, -It’s OK, Star- I replied -maybe we could come back here or to that owl tree… but definitely not that swamp!-, -Oh that’s for sure!- she agreed and we both laughed, -But how will we even know if we’re close or not?- Star asked -it’s not like we have a map of every world out there-, -How about using your instinct?- the puppet interrupted as he brought in some bandages -that’s how I usually find my way home-, -It’s not like that in our case- I stated -also, thanks for the bandages… uh… what’s your name by the way?-, -Oh, I thought I told you already- he replied, confused -I’m Pinocchio!-, -Well, thanks for your help, Pinocchio- I thanked him as I began to wrap a strap from the bandage roll to Star’s right ankle, -Wait- said Star all of a sudden -the scissors always opened portals where I wanted to go before they were damaged!-, -Scissors open portals?- Pinocchio asked -I thought those were only to cut stuff like Marco is doing to you-, -Oh no, those are ordinary scissors- Star replied -the ones we use open portals, but never mind that, maybe Pinocchio is right!-, -Oh, really?!- Pinocchio asked in excitement, -Yes!- Star replied to him -maybe the scissors open portals where my instinct wants me to go!-, -So… you’re saying that… you’re not thinking straightforward?- I asked -I doubt it-, -Oh, c’mon Marco!- Star argued -the scissors are always follow where I want to go, so maybe if I try and believe we’ll get home!-
Before I could even argue, Star stood up and took out her scissors, -Please, get us home- Star whispered as she closed her eyes and opened a portal; I was a bit skeptical over this, mainly because I still believed the scissors were damaged, -Well, this is it- Star stated as she held my hand -thanks for the advice Pinocchio!-, -No problem!- he replied before we went through the portal, and as I expected, it wasn’t home. -OK, maybe I wasn’t believing that much that time- Star stated before trying again, we arrived at another world that wasn’t ours and she tried again, and again, and again… but no matter how much she tried, we were still far from home. -Ok… let’s try again- Star stated, optimistic but tired, -Maybe we should at least rest for a minute…- I suggested, but she pulled me through another portal, and as expected, it wasn’t home. -I DON’T GET IT!!!!- Star yelled -WHY IS THIS NOT WORKING?!?!?-, -because the scissors are BROKEN!- I kept on arguing -why don’t we at least try to re-bend the tip to see if that helps?-, Star however didn’t listen to me and attempted to open another portal, but unlike the countless times she did, this time no portal opened. -Weird- Star stated -maybe if I try again-, Star tried to open a portal again, but nothing happened, she tried again and again, but nothing.
-WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!- She cried out loud -WHY. IS. IT. NOT. WORKING.-, I grabbed the scissors and tried to fix the bend, but I also noticed the scissors had lost their reflection, it looked like they were out of energy. -Well, I found a new problem- I stated in sarcasm -they’re empty now-, -What?- Star asked, -Well, think about it- I replied -You’ve literally pulled us through so many portals you probably overcharged it-, -But dimensional scissors don’t have batteries- Star argued, -Oh well, maybe if we at least tried to FIX the scissors instead of RUNNING we’d probably be closer to home!- I replied, -THEY’RE NOT BROKEN!!!- Star argued, -YES THEY ARE!!!!!- I snapped -LOOK AT THE TIP ON THE SCISSORS DAMMIT! IT’S BENT!!! BENT!!!-, -THAT’S NOT THE PROBLEM!!!!- Star yelled back, -THEN WHAT THE F*CK IS IT?!?!- I yelled at her, and this time Star had no way to argue back, -Now we’re stuck in a desert! The worst of places!- I argued, -And what’s bad about it?- Star naively asked, and that drove me even more mad; -what’s wrong with a desert? WHAT’S WRONG WITH A DESERT?!- I asked angrily -let me tell you: there’s NO water, NO food, NO shelter from the sun, we’re basically going to DIE here!!! And it’s all YOUR fault!-, -MINE?- Star asked, -YES!!- I replied -if you HAD checked your scissors before taking me through countless worlds with no sense of direction we wouldn’t be going through this!-. A minute of silence soon followed before Star said something, -I… I’m sorry- she replied -I… I always want to make stuff fun because I see you bored of everything-, I wanted to say something to her, but instead I ignored her; -You even said that when we first met, that you wanted something “thrilling” in your life, some action… And… I just wanted to give you that-, that last part finally made me turn my head and feel sad for her.
-I know you want to make my life fun, Star- I replied -but you’re careless every time you try to. I know that you’re always excited to show me stuff, but you never measure the risks before taking action-, -I’m sorry- she apologized -I guess I get excited too much, I won’t try to go blind again-. I hugged her tightly as she started to sob, and she in turn hugged me back, -I’m sorry for yelling at you- I said, -I forgive you, Marco- she replied -but.. how do we get out of here?-, -We probably won’t- I stated -but there could be a lifeline somewhere-, -You mean like a line you draw or…?- Star asked, -No, I mean like a watering hole- I replied -an oasis basically-, -But where could we find one?- Star asked, -Well- I replied -guess we’re going to find out-. And so, we started to walk along this never ending desert, with Star still limping from her sprained ankle; a day passed, and then another, and then the third day came. At this point, we both knew we we’re probably going to collapse from heat, it was kind of obvious, but when I felt like it was our final moments, I remembered those words Pinocchio had tole me and Star, and honestly, I feel like that was my way forward, because Star was my friend after all, and if I was to go, at least I spent the last days of my life with her; soon enough, the inevitable happened: Star collapsed. I quickly rushed back to try and wake her up, but she was so tired she couldn’t even stand up; I decided to then carry her on my back, it may be much more weight for me, and in turn, more energy spent, but I wasn’t going to give up on her.
Hours passed, I was still going, but I kept of thinking the worse for Star, because she wasn’t moving at all; at this point I even wanted to just give way and fall to the hot sand, but then, out of nowhere, I heard bellowing. I didn’t trust the noise at first, as it could probably be another monster, but I also knew that if there was something in this desert, it meant that it was probably looking for water too; I took my chances and followed the bellows. With each step I took, my legs wanted to give up, but I tried my best to keep going, even under the relentless sun; and soon enough, I caught up with whatever was bellowing: it was a herd of humped-back animals, I didn’t knew what they were, but they soon picked up pace, probably because they got scared of my presence, but I could hear more bellows as I tried to catch up to them. I decided to run, with what little stamina I had left, and I miraculously caught up; ahead of me, there was a crowd, and as I tried to move through the animals, I saw the most beautiful thing in a desert: water. I tried to walk towards it, but my legs gave up at that point; I was so close to that precious resource I could even smell it. -C’mon Marco!- I said to myself as I stood up and carried Star -just.. a few… more steps!-. Finally, I managed to get close enough to sip that delicious, fresh water; I tried to wake Star up so she could drink too, but she wasn’t responding. -Star, please!- I cried -wake up, we made it!-, but nothing; I then tried to pour water over her to see if that made any effect, but it didn’t work. At this point, I was so desperate I poured more and more water over her, but nothing; I didn’t knew what to do anymore, I wanted to give up.
Dusk gave way to evening, and the sun finally hid over the horizon, the animals pressed together for warmth, for the desert became cold through the first hours of night. I was still trying to wake Star up, but still nothing; however, I soon had a glimmer of hope, because Star started to shiver from cold, she was alive at least. I tried to fit her inside the hoodie too so she could be warm, and soon I sensed her hugging me, -Hey… Marco- Star tried to speak, -Oh thank corn! you’re alive Star!- I said as I hugged her back, I then gave her some water so she could regain some strength, -Are… Are we home?- Star asked me, -Not yet- I replied -but I’m glad you’re still here… with me-. The cold soon withered down as the moon placed itself in the middle of the sky; all the animals soon moved on, as they had already filled themselves, leaving me and Star behind. -Alright, let’s fix your scissors- I stated as I took Star’s scissors, she in the meantime was drinking water to recover strength -Hey, Marco- she called me, -You OK?- I asked as I joined her on the lake’s edge, -Thanks for carrying me- she replied, -You don’t need to thank me- I replied as I tried to bend the tip the scissors -we’re in this journey together. I’d never leave you behind, no matter how angry or pessimistic I would be-, -Aww, you dork- she joked in reply. I soon managed to bend the tip on the right position, and I was ready to tell Star the news, but Star seemed a bit tired after all, so I decided to wait until the morning to tell her the news.
The next morning, Star woke up earlier than me and tried to drink some more water, but instead she saw nothing. -Marco!- she yelled to wake me up -the water is gone!-, -What?- I said as I woke up, and she was right: the watering hole was no more; it was probably better to just tell her about the scissors. -Star, I fixed the scissors last night- I told her, but Star wasn’t paying attention, -Marco, don’t move- she told me, -there’s something behind me, isn’t it?- I asked, and Star nodded. I turned around in a dime to see what it was, and it looked like a massive reptile. -RUN!- Star yelled at me, I quickly moved to get away, but the reptile fired its tongue, grasping me and pulling me into its mouth. -STAR! HELP!!!- I said as I tried to not fall further inside its jaws, the reptile tried to vomit me out as I was causing swallowing issues while Star tried to find a way to release me; -STAR! HURRY!!- I said as I struggled to not be swallowed. Star tried to find some high ground to seek a weak point, but there was absolutely nothing, but then, she had an idea. -Marco!- she yelled at me -forgive me for this!-, -WHAT ARE YOU PLANING TO DO?!- I yelled at her; Star took off my hoodie and used it as a matador cape, -Hey, you big lump of scales!- Star yelled at the creature -come at me!-. The reptile once again fired its tongue and grasped Star; now, we were both going to die. -What was the point of that?!- I asked in desperation, -So I could do this!- she yelled and used my hoodie to clog its trachea; the reptile now was struggling to breathe, and in response, it threw up and ran away. -STAR! YOU DID IT!!!- I said as I hugged her, -I thought about it before I acted!- she stated, at least it seemed like she learned her lesson… this time. -Ready to go home?- she asked as she pulled out her scissors, -lead the way, Butterfly!- I replied. Even though the problem was fixed, Star did the same thing she had done before we got stuck on this desert, she opened the portal and we crossed it; I had my eyes closed in hope that we actually made it this time, and when I opened it, I saw Star’s bedroom. -WE MADE IT, MARCO!- Star yelled in excitement as she hugged me -WE’RE HOME!!!-, I did hug her back but we soon noticed we were still covered in reptilian saliva. -I think I’m gonna need a shower- I sarcastically stated, -Just you?- she joked. I called dibs on the shower first while Star simply used her wand to clean herself. -Hey, Star!- I called before I left for the shower, -Yeah?- she asked back, -Thanks for the trip- I thanked her -reckon we should travel somewhere else in the future?-, -Marco, you don’t need to ask twice? She said as she placed her scissors on a table. I only smiled back at her statement before I left for the shower, and I must say: I’ve never felt so good after that, after all, you don’t usually meet someone who can make you travel through different worlds and places beyond your imagination, don’t you?.