Eirene stared at the blank ceiling from her bed as sleep refused to offer an escape from reality. She sighed and left the bed, tiptoed outside, and closed the door carefully behind her. The night air was cool and calm. With the help of a cart and some barrels, she reached the roof. She closed her eyes and let the soft wind fiddle with her locks. They were dark enough to blend into the night except for where the moonlight touched them. She laid down on the tiles still lukewarm from the day. The sea of stars engulfed her vision and brought her calm the ceiling would never.

I followed her gaze as it locked on the direction she had come from. Did she recognize the cluster of stars? I turned my attention to where I had come from, or at least where my first memories were formed. How far would I have to travel to return there? Part of me wished to throw myself out there at the speed of light. But if I did, I might not find my way back.

The sound of a closing door reached us and was followed by gentle footsteps. Melissa peaked up over the roof's edge. "Want some company?" she whispered.

"Please." Eirene scootched over from the edge. I mirrored her.

Melissa sat down next to her. "Have you thought this through? Becoming a priestess?"

"I thought I had. I'd be independent and I'd get to help others. But mother's right, I'm the one who has to keep our family alive. I had only thought of what I wanted. That was selfish..."

"It shouldn't be selfish to have dreams. In that case I must be egoistic beyond belief." Melissa shrugged. "But maybe that doesn't count... I can't do anything with my dreams."

Eirene sat up. "What would you do if you were a free man of Athens?"

Melissa hesitated before speaking. "Don't laugh." She bit her lip. "I've always wondered what it'd be like to visit a bathhouse. I imagine there would be nothing to do but laugh and relax. Paradise..." Her face softened into a smile as her mind wandered. "What would you do?"

Eirene's gaze drifted towards the Pnyx. "I'd join every political meeting, no matter how insignificant others might think it'd be. There I'd tell the world what I think and people would actually listen."

"Anything particular you'd like to say?" Melissa smiled.

"Thanks for asking," Eirene smirked. "For starters, I'd tell everyone how utter idiotic marriage is. Why should I have to blindly accept some man my father chooses? Why should I lock myself in place like that?"

"Beats me, it's probably for the same reason I was sold as a slave." Melissa stared out over the rooftops and the hint of the ocean by the horizon. "I hope you don't have to marry, it won't be the same here without you. You might get lucky though, what if Cleon is handsome, funny, and kind?"

"Shouldn't I get to learn that before I'm forced to spend the rest of my life with him though? Shouldn't anyone have asked me first? If I was a priestess I could influence things. Others would listen and respect me and my opinions. None have even asked what I think should happen to Chrysippus's house!"

Melissa bumped her shoulder against Eirene's. "What would you do with the house?"

"Thanks for asking."Eirene returned the bump. "I'd want it to be rebuilt or renovated into something useful for everyone in Athens. Like a theater or a library. It'd be a place for impressions and debate. Full of life!"

"Wouldn't that be something..." Melissa wrapped her arms around her knees.

If only they knew how much life they were surrounded by already. The universe was empty and static compared to what they took for granted. If I'd had a body-

No. I had to remind myself that they had nothing to compare their experiences with. To pity them was better than laying more wood to my burning envy. Perhaps I wasn't as different. Considering the vastness of space and the limitations of my being, there had to be things I didn't know that I'd never experience.