Polaris

by Iris Rawsthorne

We walked hand in hand through the grand corridors of our local mosque. I glanced up at my Mum with young, innocent eyes. She smiled at me warmly and squeezed my hand. We ran outside and inhaled the morning air. It was quite early; the watery sun shone through the high arches of the courtyard. We laughed and danced joyously. Mum hoisted me up into a loving hug and started leisurely strolling towards the exit.

Something changed. The sky darkened to an ominous grey. Thunder growled. The walls of the building started to collapse and crumble. Then there were the ear-piercing whistles: bombs rained from above, obliterating our surroundings. Debris covered the ground. Fires blazed. Acrid smoke burned my lungs. I screamed. Mum tripped and we fell onto the hard concrete. Time seemed to slow. She huddled over me, protecting me. Tears streamed down my face. I cowered under her body.

An explosion erupted behind us and everything went black.

"Ana, Ana!"

I gasped and sat up. Sweat dripped down my neck. Shivering and breathing heavily, I suddenly realised that my three-year-old brother Sami was staring at me.

"I can't sleep," he whined. I sighed and stood up - baby brothers could be such a pain. I looked around. The sky was still dark, and the stars sparkled like gemstones. The rest of the refugees were sleeping; it's probably the best sleep they've had in days. Sami and I padded across the dew-covered grass to a clearing beside some shrubs. We had a clear view of the Lesvos coast. The once-golden beaches were now littered with life-jackets and deflated dinghys. There was the sea, and beyond that, my home.

I lay down and cuddled into Sami. It had been a long, long trip, and I was astounded that we had made it this far.

I pointed to a bright star in the sky, "Do you know which star that is?"

Sami shook his head.

"It is Polaris, Sami, the North Star. It always points North, and stays in the same place. I think it is the most beautiful star in the universe."

My mind wandered back to when Mum had told me about Polaris.

"When I'm no longer of this world", she whispered to me, "I will always be watching over you from Polaris, the most beautiful star. You can look for me there." She kissed me lightly on the forehead.

I was roused from my flashback by soft snuffling: Sami was fast asleep. I lifted him up and placed him gently in his sleeping bag back at the camp. Fragments of sunlight coloured the night, signalling a new day. Wondering what to do, I looked at Sami. His little chest rising and falling with every breath.

"I'm proud of you."

I jumped and turned around. I was sure that I had heard something.

"I love you Ana. Look after Sami for me."

I walked back to the clearing and looked towards the morning.

Polaris watched, shining from the sky.