And again you found yourself laying awake and longingly staring out the window, up to the sky where the stars were shining. And again you caught yourself hoping to spot the dark shadow chasing through the air.

A dragon.

That's what the stranger had called it.

Curiosity spread inside your chest as you thought about how it could look.

How many horns did it have?

Huge teeth and claws?

You did know that it had wings like a bird. Otherwise it wouldn't be able to fly up to the stars.

Only thinking about it was enough to make you feel jealous. You could only imagine the freedom that creature must feel every day. And having the privilege to be so close to the stars, close to a whole new world, was like a dream come true.

Tearing your eyes off the night sky, you turned around and tried to force your body to find rest. It was already late again, so late that it surprised you. Usually, you passed out from exhaustion or pain. Sometimes even both.

But the encounter from the night before had done something with you. It felt like the adrenaline that you had felt while taking to that stranger didn't want to settle down. It rushed through your veins with every breath you took and made the dangers outside seem even sweeter.

"Who are you?", you asked, eyebrows drawn together.

But before your imagination could go wild about the endless possibilities, you shook the thoughts off and squeezed your eyes shut.

But you couldn't help twisting and turning. The fabric of the blanket felt strange all of a sudden. It made your body itch and your skin burn. It was warm, yet your feet and the tips of your fingers were freezing. It felt like ice and fire tried to win the upper hand.

Groaning, you rolled back on your back and started at the ceiling. But the irritating feelings didn't go away.

"Maybe it's the air in here...", you mumbled, trying to convince yourself there was a proper reason to leave the cabin for a second time.

You glanced over to your mothers bed. She was sleeping as if nothing in this world could bother her.

Sometimes, you were jealous seeing her like this, jealous of the ability to enjoy a good nights sleep without any unwanted sensations.

"Fine...", with a swift movement you jumped out of bed and walked towards the door, but stopped once again before slipping outside. "Curse me all you want, call me naive... but I'm happy. For once. For once I am happy."

Hearing yourself talk like this made you smile about how much confidence one conversation with a complete stranger had given you.

This night felt different from the one before.

The wind was warm, but not hot, while the grass felt moist and fresh instead of dried.

As always, you bowed down to pick some colourful blossoms before turning towards the lake. But after walking halfway down the hill, your legs froze. A soft gasp escaped your lips as you faced the outline of a man, barely a few steps away from you.

Motionless, he stood between the field of showers and eyed you. His hands were clenched into fists, as if he was expecting to fight. But the way his shoulders tensed wasn't threatening. It only showed how unsure he was, so completely unaware of how to handle what was about to happen next.

It was dark and he was standing so far away that it was hard for you to see any details about him. His hairstyle, the shape of his face, his actual height and body shape, everything was hidden in the dark.

But as you looked up, trying to make out his face, a pair of bright, blue eyes pierced your gaze. Struck by surprise, you couldn't help but let out a soft sound of fear.

Those eyes were enough to make a shiver crawl down your spine.

"You're back.", you said, relief filling your words.

Surprised, his shoulders loosened and his head tilted to the side to get a better look at you.

"You're happy to see me?", he asked, confused.

You nodded.

"Sure. You're nice. And I enjoyed talking to you yesterday."

"You enjoyed talking to a coward?"

A chuckle made your chest tremble. But you had to stop as a cough was crawling up your throat.

"Are you a coward?", you asked and dared to take a step toward him.

He didn't back away, but his shoulders tensed again.

"I'm... a coward.", he said silently but sure.

With a soft smile, you took a look at the flowers that you carried in your arms and picked one that looked similar to his eyes in the dark. Without being afraid, you offered it to him.

"Would I give a flower to a coward?", you asked.

He shrugged.

But his eyes were glued to the closed blossom as if it was a gift worth more than gold. The shimmer inside the blue gave away that he wasn't just surprised but genuinely confused about the gesture. It seemed as if he had never experienced such a simple act of kindness.

"I... I don't know.", he said and slowly reached out for the flower, but stopped. "Why would you give a flower to a coward?"

For a moment, you thought about an answer. But nothing came to mind. There was just this feeling, no, the desire that grew deep down inside. You wanted to talk to him.

You wanted to keep him around as long as possible.

He was that one thing that the stars had given you that wasn't under your mothers control. And you enjoyed it.

And somehow, you needed it.

"I'm not entirely sure.", you said and had to smile shyly. "But I want to give a flower to a nice stranger."

For a moment, his eyes wandered over your face.

Then, carefully, he took a step forward, only far enough to be able to grab the flower and take it. But as soon as his fingers wrapped around the delicate blossoms, they were smushed.

"Huh...", he let the damaged flower fall to his feet. "I wasn't expecting anything else. Nothing else ever happens."