The Window of the Stars
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I used to sleep in a small confined room in between the dark corners of an apartment, entrapped in a jungle of primitive grey obelisks. The purpose of these buildings, each with their own meager soul drowning in the sands of time, was a pitiful attempt at defying the sky and the stars.

That's why an intricate star-shaped window rested in the top right corner of my room. At day its utility was none, devouring all the sunlight that dared to pass through it. Yet, whoever looked through that same window at night would be welcomed to an invisible sea in the sky. Comets surfing rivers of brilliant space dust, dormant planets drifting on waves, and stars splattered all over the infinite ceiling.

I discovered myself escaping from monotony by letting my naive mind observe those inorganic beings swim in their realm, undisturbed and unaware of my gaze. There, no work, no creature, no lost soul could interrupt me and my dim peace. So, I continued admiring what the window showed me, to the point where the scenery it presented became a part of my room. Galaxies trespassing the cement walls, new colours painting the abandoned white canvas left on the floor. For the first time in years, I was happy.

One day, however, I woke up in the middle of the night. Everything was pitch black. Only some water dripping from the faucet could be heard. I stood quiet, unnerved at waking up at such hours, since it was uncommon for me.

Then, like a sting to the back of my neck, I felt a gaze coming from the window. I dared not to turn my back and look at It, since fear paralyzed me, yet I instinctively knew something was seeing me. My primal senses were shouting me to escape, to fight, to do something. But I did none, since I knew it was futile.

This…Thing, whose mere gaze managed to disturb my instincts, kept watching, inspecting, maybe even admiring, for what felt like hours. There, I could only hope It would leave soon, hoping It would forgive me for observing and invading its home, the starry sky.

And as if It suddenly realized I was awake all this time, I heard It slowly going through the window, somehow completely ignoring the complex panels of glass. It descended through the wall and continued to move towards my bed. While doing so, it sounded like It was leaving a trail of a viscous substance that burnt the wooden floor. It made a regurgitating noise that made me flinch. At that point I was trembling, knowing very well how defenseless I was. I tried to think of what to do, when I heard a bump.

It had reached my bed.

The Thing proceeded to start climbing the bed sheets. Its size and mass must have been around the same as my body since the bed trembled with its weight. Once It reached the top, its limbs started to patiently investigate me. I felt the corrosive substance that emanated from them dissolving my bed sheets away, reaching the flesh on my back. I tried to drown my scream in the pillow, but I couldn't resist more. In pain, I turned my head, and I saw It.

Even in the darkness of the night, the Creature shined like an old star. A star that experienced eons and eons. The red light instead of blinding me, or scaring me, it allured me. The shape of the Creature was similar to the window's, but it was always vaguely reshaping in imperceptible glimpses. On each of its 5 tips, antennaed-eyes looked at me. And in the center of everything, a mouth.

A mouth which slowly grew bigger and bigger, reaching my face and absorbing my head. I tried to scream, but my voice was muffled. I felt how It started to digest me. My ears, my tongue, my eyes. All gone. And then, my consciousness. Its gastric juices started mixing in my mind, giving me visions of an immense dark ocean up in the sky. An ocean surrounding the universe as we know, in which galaxies were mere cells. And then, my brain imploded on itself and I went unconscious.

Some time later, someone came to my room. I couldn't see them, nor hear them, but I could feel their screams of horror echoing in the walls. To that, I simply replied bursting in silent laughter with a smile. Because I was happy.

I no longer need the window to admire the stars in the sky. I am with them now.

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