The Stargazer

a possible 'show-don't-tell' version of "Ad Astra"
Date/Timing: 9 June 1994, after dark
Setting: Outside Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
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Hermann bounces on the backseat of Father's car, wings straining against his tightest undershirt.
Deedee squeezes his leg, whispers, „Manny.“
Hermann huffs, forces himself to sit still.
Deedee bumps his shoulder. „We'll be there soon, birthday boy.“
Hermann takes a deep breath, fiddles with the scratchy cuffs of the hand-me-down jumper Father made him wear.
„Messing with it'll make it itch worse, trust me.“
Hermann sits on his hands.
The car winds up and up the road toward the abbey.
„Manny!“ hisses Lala.
He's drumming his heels against the seat. 
He stops. 
Looks past Deedee out the window. 
Dark sky, no lights except for a few windows in houses far from the road.
His wings twitch.
The sky gets darker, the trees beside the road taller.
The car's tires crunch to a stop on the gravel shoulder.
Hermann leans across Deedee, gets a hand on the door handle—
„Manny, wait—“
The car stops.
—shoots out the door— 
„„Wait for us!““ yells Lala.
—across the field as fast as he can go—
„„Stop, Hermann!““ shouts Father.
—skids to a standstill, tips his head back, and stares at the sky.
Stars.
Thousands of stars.
Hermann's heart beats faster and his wings try to flutter under his clothes.
Thousands and thousands of stars.
So many stars it would take him /years to count them all.
„Happy birthday, Manny,“ whispers Deedee, a little out of breath beside him.
„Thank you,“ murmurs Hermann without taking his eyes off the sky.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Garmisch-Partenkirchen (setting)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Hermann has wings
Category:Dietrich
Category:Dietrich (ficlet)
Category:Karla
Category:Karla (ficlet)
Category:Lars (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images