Lost Creek Hollow i walk in the cemeteries of this city at night

set for early morning, before dawn

the stars called to merrick.
he had come to lean against the bole of a nearby tree, and gazed solemnly up at what glowing specks of light were visible beneath a wintry cloud cover. this was a large place, unfamilar, frightening. those he knew were here, and in that was a comfort, but the boy was largely discomfitted.
he had not strayed far from indra; if she woke in the wee hours, it would not be a hard search for her son. presently, a swathe of stars slowly unveiled themselves, and merrick blinked toward their cold light, his lip trembling in an unseemly show of grief for having left the land of his birth too far behind him.