It was that star that made her realize. It was that star that broke her out of a life-time reverie. She had been stretching on her tiptoes from atop her bed to reach the ceiling of her room when she finally understood.

                As a child, she had learned to fold paper stars as comfort. It was a tedious activity with no meaning, but it quickly became her way of passing the impossible moments. It became her source of escape and comfort.

                On her sixth birthday, she grabbed all of the money she had saved up to buy rolls and rolls of thin folding paper. There were stacks littering the entirety of her room, swallowing her petite structure up. Along with the folding paper, she bought several rolls of thick string and some tape.

                And whenever the world seemed too cruel, too harsh, too unforgiving—she would fold a star or two and attach it to the ceiling with a piece of string.

               Any visitors who would enter her room complimented the stars that hung above them, enraptured by their beauty. But to the girl, they were not pretty at all. They were a hideous evidence of her weakness.

                So the girl lay on her bed, staring at the mass of stars coating her ceiling. She had come to a conclusion that there were too many stars. Too many pieces of pain. Too many times where she felt so much less than nothing, and then some. And as she reached to attach her thousandth star, she knew what had to be done.

***

                She would miss her stars. Definitely. They might have been her prison, but they were her escape as well. Oh, she would miss them dearly. But it had to be done.

                She took one last glance at her house, which was the sort of white you would expect to find at a mental institution. She would not miss the old furniture, or the mold in the bathroom, or the paint-cracked walls, or her mother. No, she would not miss a single thing in that damned house. Except her stars. Those she would miss with all her soul.

***

                The girl pulled her scarf closer to her body in an attempt to preserve her body heat. The wind whipped mercilessly at her face, and she ducked down to avoid the aggressive force. It was times like this when she was glad for her long hair that retained at least a little body heat from the cold. She donned two large suitcases and a large duffle bag slung over her petite silhouette, weighing her down. In her cold, small hand, she clutched a paper in which she had written directions to her new abode.

She trudged to the front of an apartment in the middle of a busy Seoul, Korea. She was free from her mother and free from her stars. She would start anew.

She quickly pulled in her suitcases and stood in the doorway for a moment, reveling in the warmth. Then, she quickly pulled herself together and hauled her luggage into an elevator and jammed the button that read “4”. In no time, she was on the fourth floor and quickly making her way to her room, 207. She patted several pockets before coming in contact with the jingle of her room key. Shoving the piece of metal into the slot, she pushed open the door and quickly set her things next to the rest of the stuff she brought up beforehand.

Her room was simple. A cheap investment, really. Walking in brought you straight to the living room, which was conjoined with the kitchen. From there, was a short hallway with a bathroom to the right, a closet right across from it, a guest room a yard or two down, and her own bedroom at the very end.

She peeked in her room and the lights. She was relieved to see that her bed, drawers, vanity, desk, and nightstand had already been placed in the room. She would have to reorganize the room the next day, though.

Tired, she plopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. It was strange, not seeing any stars. And against her better judgment, she ripped the piece of paper she had written directions to her apartment on and made a quick star. Instantly, she cringed. Hadn’t she freed herself from all of this? She mentally slapped herself and threw the star across the room, letting sleep lull her away.

Sorry guys, short chapter!
I just felt the rush to upload something. I probably should have written a few chapters before uploading this fic..^^;; I'll probably bring Zelo in the next chapter, so don't feel too bad :0

Constructive criticism is welcomed~ Just be nice- I've never posted a story like this before. Especially without thorough editing.

Thanks guys~