Wormwood, the Sorrowed Star

She was formed from stardust fallen off a nebula, sparkling brightly as her veins formed out of silver powder. She was as white as the moon when newly waxed, and twinkled through the galaxies for many, many light-years.

She first was an oval; spinning and swirling as a shadow in a dream, though instead of being an absence of light, she shone through as all other stars were wont to do. But as she glided through the eons, signals and sounds bounced from her, and ears were formed so that she may hear, and her head formed so that she may think on the things she heard. Then she came very near to another star, and eyes opened so that she may see what lay before, and her mind developed to take in the serene meaning of what was occurring. She was slowly shaped into the form of a human being, though that was long before their time. She was lonely, as the other stars stayed stars while she excelled to other things. She cast herself into a deep sleep, from which she would awake when there were other happenings around her to experience. Somewhere nearby, a planet began to form…

*

Earth, the blue, inhabited planet, awoke with a life that was gifted to it by God. Its people followed God, until evil entered the world through a snake, and all was doomed. The people of God deterred and lessened, until most of the world was filled with hate. It was prophesized that in the end of the earth, Wormwood would fall upon the earth and destroy a third of the earth, along with many other tragedies. But there seemed to be no star in the sky named Wormwood, and at this the evil ones laughed.

Kalmia, in all of this, was a girl who, unlike most, loved God.

She had always been small for her age, at 14 standing at four-foot-three. She was, however, not frail. She had light silver eyes, with reddish-brown hair thriving and taking over her head in large, unmanageable curls. She played the harp most of the time, and sketched for the rest of it. She was a dreamer, and none could change that. Everyone wanted to, though. Her head always seemed above the clouds, or maybe further, and she loved to hear of the apocalypse because of the dragons and fire and heaven, and in particular, Wormwood, the sorrowed star.

She often chased through the vast woods beyond her backyard, and it was on one of these days that she saw the treasure of her heart.

As she whisked around the trees, she found herself in a clearing with what seemed to be a silver, magical orb, as big around as a car, and taller than that. She had to strain her neck to look up to the top of it. She walked round and round it, until the orb seemed to falter and fade. Within, a form became more distinct, and she saw an all-silver-and-white woman, so bright she had to shield her eyes at first. But then the woman seemed to dim, and the light ebbed from her. Her skin was Ivory white, her hair as white as snow, and her irises a pure liquid silver. She looked upon Kalmia, and nodded.

“So,” said the woman, “what has transpired as I slept?”

Kalmia jumped. “I, I know not of which you speak.”

“Forgive me,” the lady said. “I am Wormwood, and I was formed eons and eons ago. I put myself to rest only to awake when I had something to do. Pray tell, what have I come to?”

“Wormwood?... My lady, you say you were formed? Are you then a star?”

“Yes, my dear, I am a star, but one much different than the others. I am the only star to move through the galaxies without revolving around one point, and I am the only star to become a sentient being. Tell me, then, what are you?”

“I’m a human, a girl, and my name is Kalmia. You have woken near the end of our world, when a star is supposed to fall and destroy much of the earth.”

The lady laughed, a tinkling laugh like small silver bells. “Why, my dear, no star can fall from the sky but me, and no star would leave a speck of earth but me. No star…oh dear…”

“But ma’am, the star that is to fall is supposed to be called Wormwood, yet there is no such named star in the sky. It must be you--”

The lady cast a look around. There were birds whistling, twittering while gliding from tree to tree. The ground was covered in a soft heather and mountain thyme. “But, why would I destroy the earth? It is so beautiful, so serene here. I shan’t do it.”

“Yes, this place is pleasant, but there are other places that you have yet to see that are mostly destroyed, and the people here are absolutely horrid.”

“You seem nice enough.”

“I mean not to brag, but I am uncommonly nice compared to most,” Kalmia said blushing.

“I don’t believe it. I shall see the rest of the world.” And with that she flew from the ground, sweeping Kalmia with her before she had the chance to gasp.

They soared over the autumn forest, breathing the fresh breath of pine, floating over Kalmia’s house and along the road, until they came to her city, polluted and trashed out as it was. There, Wormwood set Kalmia down, and then walked up to a man with a briefcase in his hand and bags under his eyes, hurrying to his office. Kalmia tried to protest, but swiftly, the lady said, “Hello, I am Wormwood, the star, and I wanted to be sure that this world is not all that bad--” but the man still only scrambled off.

A blind, crotchety old lady was clutching her purse to her while steadying herself with her walking cane. “Hello, my name is Wormwood, and--”

“BACK OFF, HOOLIGAN! I’LL CALL THE COPS!” the old hag cried in an alarmingly loud voice.

Wormwood retreated, looking dismayed, just as a greasy man walked by and smacked her rear in passing.

“EXCUSE ME?!?” Wormwood roared. The greasy man stopped and turned around.

“Just expressing that you are one sexy bitch,” he said, disappearing in an alley.

“What is the problem with these people? I have waited to experience life only to experience this? This is a waste!!” And with that, she turned and flew high into the sky, among her sister stars, and crashed down toward the earth in a mad fury. Just before she struck, she saw that it was Kalmia that she would crash into, and she tried to stop in horror, but it was too late.
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