I’ve always just loved reading.

I’ve been told stories of me hunting for books, stealing books from strangers, and just looking at the ‘scribbles’ and start babbling things I think they said, when I was two years old.

It’s been a long time and I still cherish my love for books.

One day, I finished Little Women for the eighth time. I was reading in my favorite chair outside. It was night, moonlight illuminating the words.

I sighed as I finished. And then I whispered, “Oh, how I wish Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy were here,”

I saw a shooting star pass, and I shook my head, not believing.

——

I’m an early riser. Even when it’s a Saturday morning.

I check for my cat, Meow-Meow but I couldn’t find her in her usual place by the window.

Sometimes MM roams around the house late night and she’s always been a late sleeper. But after I eat breakfast, I decide to find her.

I look around my apartment when I start hearing noises from my spare room.

That was odd. Meow-Meow hates the spare room because it’s usually cold, it has very little furniture, and it’s always devoid of people.

“MM?” I ask. As I open the door, I gasp.

There in front of me was The Little Women.

——

Meg was beautiful, Jo was headstrong and a tomboy, Beth was sweet and kind, and Amy was snotty and classy.

There were just like they were in the book with small details illuminated from Beth’s caring nature to Amy’s blond ringlets.

“How are you here?” I exclaim.

“How do we go back?” Meg asks, looking confused and her eyes wandering around.

Meow-Meow purred and jumped into my hands (which she doesn’t do often). She was probably scared of strange people who she doesn’t remember coming in and glad to see a familiar face.

“I like your cat,” Beth says.

MM purrs.

“I know!” I said, realization hitting me. “I wished on a shooting star for you to be here. I can wish on a shooting star for you to go back!”

“How does that work?” Amy asks.

“You’ll see,” is my only answer.

——

I had to keep rubbing my eyes. And I started to regret waking up so early.

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy have all went to sleep but I’m determined to get them out of here.

Explaining 21st Century Life and the pandemic was hard. Not to mention that Meow-Meow is scared of all of them except Beth.

When it was so late that I could barely see at all, a shooting star lit the sky.

“I wish that Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy go back to where they came from,” I finished up with a yawn and went inside.

——

As soon as I wake up that Sunday Morning (not early), I check the spare room.

On it, I find Meow-Meow sleeping on the bed but besides that, no one’s there.

I smile. They’re gone.