It’s evening.

I step out of bed, grabbing my net.

I walk to the door, excitement churning in my gut.

Todays my first day, I should call my friend once I finish.

Opening my old door, squeaking tearing at my poor hyper sensitive ears, I stepped out into the night.

I jumped up, soaring into the sky with amazing strength. It was normal, I hadn’t spent years of preparation for this job for nothing.

The airs thin near where I am.

That’s alright, just focusing on my breathing helps calm my stomach while it’s turning over.

I spin my net, like a color guard flag at a football game.

There it was. A twinkle in the sky.

I braced myself, and as it rocketed towards me, i raise my net.

A loud CRACK burst throughout the air.

A glowing rock of a star was in my net. My first catch.

I laughed as i murmured something to it. You, little friend, will not cause pollution on my watch.

They started penetrating earth around 50 years ago. When the world was supposed to end. However, here we are! We’re alive.

I caught a few more stars before dumping them out in the recovery station for them. They’ll be brought to a rehabilitation lab, where they’re finding a way to send these beauty’s back to space.

I sigh, and return to the sky. Measuring out each breath is able to make me lighter. A trick people evolved from some anime.

Yeah, even I don’t know how that works.

I grab onto my net and catch a few more before the sun begins to rise. It’s beautiful.

I breath out and begin to relax.

It really is lovely. I turn towards the sun and let the warm rays wash over me.

That’s when it happens.

A bright light filled my gaze, a yell of pain escaping my lungs as a large rock careened into my back.

It definitely broke something.

Was it a star? It was.

Universe, why?

I did everything right, I’m trying to help the stars if anything.

Free falling. That’s what I remember.

The stars crumbling due to the atmospheric pressure. I can already taste the pollution it’ll cause on my tongue.

Or, it was blood?

I focus on the ever approaching ground, trying to muster up strength.

I can’t just die on the first day of work, that’s pathetic.

After all those years of preparation?

No. I can’t.

The smell of smoke catches my throat.

I’m traveling too fast, I’ll become what of a shooting star myself if I can’t control my breathing and slow myself down.

I cant.

I’m hyperventilating.

I blink, and the ground is suddenly so, so mich closer.

Yells of alarm come from somewhere below me.

Ah, right. People will have been awake by this point. How sad.

I’m trying, I promise.

Something’s telling me to close my eyes, and a burning sensation is beginning to fill my body.

The last thing I see is the ground finally reaching my eyes.

Not every story has a happy ending.