The Cosmos’s Darling Pupil

There is a girl who is travelling, far above the sky. Everywhere the universe greets her, as she rolls through it like a pinball. She is known by gods and creatures alike, As the cosmos’s darling pupil. But her journey, like many, started deep, on her Earth, in the soil.

There was a girl who lived on a goat farm, hundreds of years ago. She had a lazy eye, the doctors said couldn’t be fixed, and an eager hum in her soul. Mirrors seemed to hold an uncanny jeer, and so too did all of her peers. And what wasn’t derision came in condolence, as the teacher sighed, “What can she do?”

There was a starry night in July, the terrible loss of spirit had struck, as the girl lay awake in the dewy blades, her very being felt stuck. The girl yearned to see more than nature had allowed her, for all her life she was taught to Shelter, fear and cower. But what could she do, besides turn her head, and let the wool of those goats be her drain?

There was suddenly a bright light that seemed to permeate, and a loud crash of a cymbal that caused the ears to vibrate. And the goats could only shriek, as there before their eyes, appeared a lady named Jupiter, who whispered, “Come here, child!”

There was then a golden wagon, with eight of her goats in the front, tied in by reins thread of starlight, wheels carved of meteorite, and at the seat, a plush, violet cushion. The girl sat in gingerly, but away she soon went, and her trusted goats took off, to the vast distance, and other planets.

There was a bite to the skin from the dark matter around her, and a blinding sensation from the lights that seemed to fly past her, but the girl had never seen such a sight. And all at once, her muscles lost their tension, as she witnessed her new height.

There was a horrid smell of something molded and the soft sound of crushed powder, as the carriage had landed down into a large, grey crater. The girl’s head peeked up, and met the curious gaze of a million lanky, white creatures, who crept closer amazed.

There was a silence between them, spare the occasional bleat of a goat. And the girl, in quiet dismay, waited for them to gawk at her wayward look. Til one of the creatures knelt down, and with a bony fist, grasped the grey dirt, a mound handing it to her- a gift!

There was then a twinkle of surprise, and a jingle of her laugh, even amidst their dormant stare. But as the girl was about to show her gratitude for their care, the goats began to ride off into the air, almost by signal, and met with a groan, as the girl chided her erratic engines, but snapped the reins, in vain, to a forward direction.

There was a yellow hazy mist, that slowly clouded around, as the carriage rode on. Shrill laughs of joy and vibrant squeals of glee, that grew louder, urged her to pull the reins tighter. And when the girl looked further, then she saw layers of bright rings circling an orb of amber. The source of the noise: a gang of mirthful skaters, sliding atop those rings like ice, Feet perched on boards of rock the color of spice.

There was a force that was pulling the girl to join the riders, as she watched them glide with delight. And when one of them dared to gesture a hand that said, “Join us!” she didn’t put up a fight. She guided her goats, their hesitant hooves slipping onto the tracks, and she let the carriage sail the ring, And as the other riders cheered her, she tugged the rope, yelling “Faster!”

There were then groans of agony, from the goats that had grown restless of the race. And despite her protests, they whisked her away, once again, from her new companions. The girl had enough at that moment, and let out an indignant shout: “You dumb goats don’t listen at all! Why do you always have to drag me out?”

There was a newfound fire inside the girl, as she yearned to see more and more. Tightening her hold on the reins, greedily, she steered towards what lay in store. But as she veered farther, the darkness seemed to grow even dimmer, and matter caved in onto itself. The fabric of stars revealed a puncture, that swirled inwards into doubt.

There was the dark iris, beckoning her to see what was held within, and the girl couldn’t resist eagerly steering her carriage in. But to her chagrin, she felt the balking pull of hooves locking back, as bleats turned to warning shrieks, and travel ceased despite her push.

There was a shattering of patience, and the girl could not be held back any longer. All in an instant, the carriage lost a third of its weight, as the girl shot out and into the shadow, like an arrow from a bow. Lashes fluttering closed, and arms spread wide, she dove into the gaping tide.

There was a tearing stretch of flesh, that began at her fingers and toes. Her bones pulled at themselves, expanding to twice the size, and when she looked down, she saw her atoms being kneaded like dough. The pain of being stretched took over, as a grotesque scream tore from her throat.

There was then a flash of gold among the dark swirls, and a familiar whine filled her ears. Her body, now stretched like taffy, felt weightless. “My goats, they’re here!” With the force of eight, the void fell far behind them, and rubber limbs sank back against the cushion.

There was a moment of tender quiet, when the girl’s hand lifted up to find soft wool, The reins lay still beside her, and for a while, they just wandered, and drifted through those stars again for miles.

There is a girl who is still travelling, far above the sky, with an eye that sees what others miss, and eight trusted goats by her side. Everywhere, the universe greets her, as she rolls through it, soft and slow. She is known as the cosmos’s brightest star, the girl who rose from the soil below.