31 Days of Halloween Tales - Star Light Star Bright

Be careful what you wish for… you just might get it…

Star Light, Star Bright

Star light, star bright

The first star I see tonight,

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Get the wish I wish tonight…

 Harper watched her brothers arguing over the ancient tire swing in the back yard and contemplated the scene before her. Josh would win the battle of course, he was younger, true, but he was meaner and bigger than his older brother James.

And it was obvious that she would have no chance of using the swing herself, not with those two.

"We don't have time to play tag this afternoon, Josh. Ma's gonna be calling us for dinner and I want a turn on the swing before she does."

Pretending he didn’t hear his brother, Joshua still refused to relinquish the rotted Firestone and swung himself higher, narrowly missing kicking his brother in the head.

James scowled but knew better than to try and force his brother from the swing. For one, Josh was bigger than him, but more than that, he was younger and his mother would always take the younger siblings side over his. He was the eldest and was supposed to behave like it.

He hated being the oldest and he hated his younger siblings. He was an only child for two years before Josh was born and then his sister came three years later. Now, he was a babysitter and was constantly being told to “keep an eye” on his brother and sister.  In addition to that, he now had to share everything he owned with them.

"Boys are so stupid, always fighting," Harper grumbled as she jumped off the steps and headed towards the woods behind the house. It was quiet there at least and no one would even notice she was gone.

And true enough, her brothers never noticed her leaving.

******

The blue afternoon sky had given way to the blackness of night, and the tire swing had long since been forgotten. James and Josh stood at the kitchen window, peering out into the darkness, waiting for some word, never anticipating the worse.

Josh was grinning at his older brother. "You'll be in trouble if she hurt herself. You were supposed to be watching her."

James glared at his brother wondering if it was possible to be that dumb. He had let their four year old sister wander off on her own when he was supposed to be keeping an eye on her and his stupid brother’s only thought was that James was going to be punished.

"Josh…" 

James shook his head. No point in continuing, his brother would never understand. He turned back towards the windows and the night that lay heavy and wet beyond the glass and wondered if it was possible for his sister to simply vanish because of a wish he made on a star.

And if it would work again.