In the Whispering Woods, a soft plink echoed through the trees. Lumeli crept toward a patch of glowing mushrooms.
Among the moss, something flickered — a tiny star, no bigger than a berry. Lumeli picked it up gently.
The star flared bright yellow — warm against her palms, like holding a teacup of sunshine.
She climbed the tallest ancient tree and held the star high, but the sky was too far.
From the hilltop, she tried again. The star sputtered and dimmed in her hand.
On the highest branch, the star only glowed a sleepy orange. She set it down on a leaf and stared up.
She whispered to the star, but it just blinked. She hummed, and the star hummed back with a wobbly bzzzt.
She jumped up and down, and the star bounced — boing — right onto her head like a tiny glowing hat!
Lumeli giggled so hard the star winks at her.
One last time, she climbed to the highest branch — but the star went completely dark in her hands.
She closed her eyes and breathed slow. When she opened them, the star glowed — brave, steady white.
The star leaped from her fingers, zooming straight up into the sky. Lumeli waved. The star twinkled back.
