Say, when was the last time you watched the stars twinkle in the night sky?

Tell me, why did they stop looking so free and alive?

What made them stop shining?

How did their light stop burning?

I got a lot of questions, yet no one bothers to answer me.

Am I getting annoying?

I shrugged it off and sighed.

I wonder if the moon is sad tonight. 

From outside my window, I tell her my story to keep her company for a while. She might be the only source of light during the night. She seldom pays me a visit because she's not always available. I'm not sure if she's busy. I can say that she's pretty hardworking and that she sometimes forgets to take a break from time to time.

The moon is not like the sun. The sun has only one face, while the moon has a lot.

I can say that she's a bit moody. It's pretty funny because I got to see every side of her. Yet I wonder why not everyone adores her phases. Everybody wants the moon to be whole every time because of her light, but when she shrinks, everyone just leaves her alone.

I wonder if the moon envies the sun every time dawn greets the world 'good morning'.

Every time the sun rises, his light covers most of the land. The sun is what they call the motivator to start another day, sometimes bossy to those who aren't the morning person type.

Everybody leaves their houses every day to work for a living.

Everybody looks alive during the day. 

The environment is loud with the honking of the cars. People riding on and off different vehicles with one goal in their minds: 'to survive today.'

I wanted to laugh at them for saying it with a straight face. 

Why does everybody look so serious anyway?

Yet as much as I want to greet them all, I wonder why they can't see me like before.

Everyone used to be my friends, but maybe they're outgrowing me.

I don't really want to be sad because of the changes that are happening around me. In fact, I am rooting for all of them.

I remember them telling me back in the day about their dreams and aspirations. But looking at them now, I am not sure why they didn't pursue their dreams. Back then, it was all just fun and games. Every day we all go to school, learn stuff, go home late, play, and wait for the stars to show up so that we can tell them how our day went for the day.

That has been our tradition once, but then, as time passed, it stopped.

A wonderful teacher once taught me that, every star shines because it gives life to the world.

Every life that has ever existed has the soul of a star.

Looking back, I really do feel bad for not taking that lesson seriously.

Just remembering it brings back such a melancholic memory. Yesterday seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye.

Now, with all of the stars gone, I began to realize that I had answers to my questions all along.

Why didn't I realize it sooner?

I cannot be seen because I am not invisible; I can't be seen by people because they forgot to feel me.

Youth.

Passion.

Fulfillment.

Dreams.

Spirit.

I have a lot of names.

But behind those names, I am more known as Hope.

I am Hope.

I am hope that fuels the fire in every star, that is now living--- only waiting for their extinction.

I am the hope that they once had, as I witness how their light shines the brightest even on the darkest nights.

I shouldn't just stand by and see them work to survive for their lifetime; they should remember how to live their lives.

I must make them remember me.

I know what I should do, but I'm not sure where to begin. As soon as the sun's rays fade from the horizon, everyone around me decides to return home feeling empty, even if they did their best today.

Since when did everybody begin to be so hard on themselves?

Just by looking at their faces, I see how everyone's star dies silently. I wanted to cry for them, comfort them, and talk things out for them--- to unload the weight they're carrying in exchange for the souls of their stars.

Even if they couldn't see me, I know to myself that I can't leave them alone.

Even if they forgot about me, I'm not going to give up on them.

Giving away a piece of my light from one friend to another, I leave a single pat on their shoulders while uttering a single wish in repeat, "Even if you can't see me anymore, please don't forget... about me."

Seconds turn into minutes, then into hours... I know that I tried my best, but I guess it's not enough especially if you're not seen, felt or heard.

Now with the moon absent, tonight will be it's darkest. 

It suddenly felt cold and lonely; I'm starting to feel what they called emptiness. It's just normal, I guess. I gave my light away anyway.

I am Hope that became hopeless.

A heavy tear fell from my face, yet instinctively I wanted to look up once more.

Then, from afar, I see an unexpected surprise.

There are lights in the skies.

It started with a couple of blinking lights that turned hundreds, then hundreds turned thousands... and then millions.

Everyone is twinkling and alive.

Their stars were alive once more!

Tears were still falling from my eyes, but at the same time igniting my heart with fire.

"There she is!" a familiar voice from behind called my attention.

"I see her!"

My friends.

"She's still here."

They came back.

"You really love this place, huh?"

I know that I've been waiting for this moment.

"There's Hope!"

For them to see me again.

As pieces of me manifested a body and a soul, an unexpected gift was given to me by the great teacher from above.

I wiped my tears away, putting up my best smile. 

"Hey guys, how are you? It's been a while."

Who would have thought, I'd finally have a voice?