What is one thing that everyone has but none of them are the same? The easy answer is a story. Where can a story be found? It can be found anywhere, as Callie found out one night long ago. Callie was a quiet child up until her parents' divorced. After that, she became angry and aggressive. After attacking a bully for taunting her, Callie was suspended for a few days. As her father was out of town, her older half-brother Ryan was asked to watch over her.
Callie mostly did not like Ryan. He was older than her by about 12 years and they had different mother's. Ryan's mother had died two years before Callie was born, but she loved hearing about her. To keep her busy, Ryan had asked Callie to write down a story to help get her mind off of her frustrations. She attempted to fool Ryan by copying a section of Great Expectations, but Ryan had seen through her trick and asked her to try it again. She was not happy with Ryan. She refused to try again and decided to go to bed early instead.
Late into the night, the sleeping Callie felt something soft rub against her face. She awoke suddenly, making eye contact with a pair of bright blue eyes. These eyes belonged to a mysterious cat that lived down the road. It was a lighter cat with dark markings on it's face, which she had learned earlier was known as a Tonkinese cat. She didn't know his name, so she simply referred to him as "Blue".
"How'd you get in here, Blue?" She asked the cat. Feeling a draft, she noticed the window was wide open. As she was about to take the cat outside and close the window, she noticed a quiet light across the hall. Both she and the cat became curious and went to check.
The two saw the light was from Ryan's room. She opened the door, seeing the window was wide open. Running to it, she looked and saw her brother sitting on the rooftop.
She thought he didn't even notice her, until he said "Trouble sleeping, Callie?"
"Sorry, I'll go back to bed now," Callie responded quickly.
Ryan smiled and looked at his sister. "You're OK. Come sit with me. I want to show you something."
At first she was confused, but she soon got out onto the rooftop and sat with her brother.
"What do you see, Callie?" Ryan asked. She saw the stars and the big black sky.
Callie said she saw nothing.
"You sure?" Ryan asked. Callie nodded. Ryan smiled. "That's OK, I'll tell you what's up there." Ryan pointed at each formation of stars in the sky as he talked. "See that one? That's Orion. He's a hunter going to chase down Taurus the Bull. He also has to fight the Hydra. But he doesn't do it alone. He has help from his two dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor."
Although interested, Callie asked him "Why are you telling me this?"
"You can find stories anywhere! It doesn't have to be grand or epic, but sometimes even the darkest things hold the most exciting stories," Ryan said excitedly.
Callie smiled. The two sat on the roof for a while as he told her more about the stars and other stories that could be seen at different times, such as those of Perseus, Andromeda, Leo, Heracles, and many more. Eventually she fell asleep and her brother took her to bed. When she awoke the next morning, she felt inspired to write again, but as soon as she grabbed her pen, her mind went blank.
"What do I write about?" Callie asked herself. As she asked this, she heard a meow from outside. She saw that it was Blue. Smiling, she now knew what her story would be about.
Callie mostly did not like Ryan. He was older than her by about 12 years and they had different mother's. Ryan's mother had died two years before Callie was born, but she loved hearing about her. To keep her busy, Ryan had asked Callie to write down a story to help get her mind off of her frustrations. She attempted to fool Ryan by copying a section of Great Expectations, but Ryan had seen through her trick and asked her to try it again. She was not happy with Ryan. She refused to try again and decided to go to bed early instead.
Late into the night, the sleeping Callie felt something soft rub against her face. She awoke suddenly, making eye contact with a pair of bright blue eyes. These eyes belonged to a mysterious cat that lived down the road. It was a lighter cat with dark markings on it's face, which she had learned earlier was known as a Tonkinese cat. She didn't know his name, so she simply referred to him as "Blue".
"How'd you get in here, Blue?" She asked the cat. Feeling a draft, she noticed the window was wide open. As she was about to take the cat outside and close the window, she noticed a quiet light across the hall. Both she and the cat became curious and went to check.
The two saw the light was from Ryan's room. She opened the door, seeing the window was wide open. Running to it, she looked and saw her brother sitting on the rooftop.
She thought he didn't even notice her, until he said "Trouble sleeping, Callie?"
"Sorry, I'll go back to bed now," Callie responded quickly.
Ryan smiled and looked at his sister. "You're OK. Come sit with me. I want to show you something."
At first she was confused, but she soon got out onto the rooftop and sat with her brother.
"What do you see, Callie?" Ryan asked. She saw the stars and the big black sky.
Callie said she saw nothing.
"You sure?" Ryan asked. Callie nodded. Ryan smiled. "That's OK, I'll tell you what's up there." Ryan pointed at each formation of stars in the sky as he talked. "See that one? That's Orion. He's a hunter going to chase down Taurus the Bull. He also has to fight the Hydra. But he doesn't do it alone. He has help from his two dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor."
Although interested, Callie asked him "Why are you telling me this?"
"You can find stories anywhere! It doesn't have to be grand or epic, but sometimes even the darkest things hold the most exciting stories," Ryan said excitedly.
Callie smiled. The two sat on the roof for a while as he told her more about the stars and other stories that could be seen at different times, such as those of Perseus, Andromeda, Leo, Heracles, and many more. Eventually she fell asleep and her brother took her to bed. When she awoke the next morning, she felt inspired to write again, but as soon as she grabbed her pen, her mind went blank.
"What do I write about?" Callie asked herself. As she asked this, she heard a meow from outside. She saw that it was Blue. Smiling, she now knew what her story would be about.