Stars: Pinholes on the Curtains of Heaven

"Irina Spasky was falling slowly to her death. She wanted her last sight to be the stars. Question is: why? One-shot"

-o-

The roof collapsed. Irina let out a shrill scream. She was falling, inching closer to her death. She could feel the searing pain of the fire making its way to her skin.

But it was alright. She was dying for a reason. She was giving up her life for Dan and Amy. Oh, what a beautiful way to die. A small smile crept along her face, replacing the scream and lightening up her usual dark features.

Then, she remembered a promise she made long ago. She slowly looked up at the beautiful night above her as a memory flashed.

-o-

Irina woke up in the middle of the night due to a voice. It was coming from upstairs. She quickly got the flashlight she always kept on her bedside table and exited her room.

She climbed the long staircase and came to stop in front of a blue door with a newly-made drawing taped to it. It was a drawing of her family. Herself, her five-year-old son, Nikolai and his… dead father, all smiling happily. She sighed sadly as she turned the doorknob.

As the door slowly opened, it revealed Nikolai to be peering out from his window. The arched ray of moonlight gave his skin a warm glow. He was singing a beautiful yet sad tune to the night before him.

"Nikolai, what are you doing at a time like this?" Irina asked as she settled herself beside Nikolai and placed her arm around his shoulder.

He stopped singing and looked at his mother. "I'm thinking about something, Mama," he replied with a mutual look on his face. His mother couldn't tell if he was either happy or sad.

Ever since his father died a month ago, Nikolai became more distant. He'd answer her questions with mutters under his breath and he'd never hug her anymore like the way he used to. This was not normal for a five-year-old.

Irina bent over, making sure she was face-to-face with her son. She gave him a small smile and asked,

"What are you thinking about, Nikolai? Can you be really honest with your Mama, now?"

Nikolai hesitantly averted his gaze from outside and looked at his mother. Tears started to flow from his eyes.

"I'm thh-inkk-ing about Papa, Mama. I'm afraid. What if he went to a very bad place? My classmate, Alexi, said that Papa would go to this place with fire and bad people. He said that, Mama! What if it's true?" he cried as he wrapped his arms around his mother. He was frightened at the thought of such horrid place.

Irina patted her son's back soothingly and hugged him back, encasing him in a feeling of warmth. She had never seen Nikolai looking so… broken.

"Shhh…Shhh…your friend's just lying. Your dad will never go to a bad place. Remember, he was a great man, Nikolai. Great men never go to bad places," she assured him.

"But Mama," he started to say, but Irina placed her finger on his lips, silencing him as he hiccuped.

"Stop being stubborn, Nikolai," she said as she pulled away from the hug. She pointed her hand towards the skyline. "Your Papa went up there."

Nikolai wiped his tears as a confused expression appeared on his face. "Where?"

Irina carried Nikolai this time, lifting him so that he could be at level with her. Nikolai gently clasped his hands around her neck.

"There," she said as she directed her finger towards the skyline yet again. "See the stars? Those are pinholes on a very big black curtain that covers the whole world. Your Papa is staying behind it."

"Behind the curtain," he repeated. "Why is he hiding?"

"Your Papa is not hiding. He needs to stay behind the curtain because if he doesn't, it would be very bad," she sighed.

"Why would it be bad?" Nikolai asked, blinking his eyes.

"Let's just say that the pinholes on the curtain enable anyone behind it to take a peek at our world. If your father won't stay behind it, he would not be able to watch over us."

Nikolai let out a small gasp. Thank God his father decided to stay behind it. He smiled and asked another question,

"Mama, is this place behind the curtain… good?"

Irina smiled at this question as she ruffled Nikolai's golden hair. "Yes. It is very good," she replied.

"What's its name?" he asked as he let out a stifled yawn and continued watching the countless stars. He imagined his father peeking from behind one of them, smiling down at him and his mother.

"It's called heaven, Nikolai. It is a place where all the good people go after leaving earth. It's filled with happiness, peace and many more."

"Heaven," he repeated. "That seems like a nice place," he said as he started to close his eyes, "I want to go there."

"Oh, Nikolai, that would still take a long time. People don't go to heaven so quickly," she said. Nikolai let out yet another yawn.

"I know, Mama. I just really want to see Papa again. I don't like him to be all alone up there," he replied, sadly. Then, an idea struck him.

"Oh, I know! We should go there together, Mama! So that, me, you and Papa will be happy again. We'll be a family once more. What do you think?" he asked, grinning excitedly.

Irina frowned at his question but it later smoothed out. "I think it's great, Nikolai," she said as she patted his back softly, trying to get him to sleep. It was getting pretty late.

"Okay. You'll have to go with me together though. Promise?" he urged with a worried look on his face.

"Okay, Nikolai. I promise," she said. Nikolai smiled, obviously contented as he rested his head on her shoulder.

She started to hum a lullaby causing him to fall asleep and dream about this new world he had just discovered. Irina slowly carried him to his soft bed and settled him there.

"Just peek from behind the curtains of heaven, Nikolai. And I'll come," she said as she kissed his forehead and exited the room.

-o-

The memory quickly ended causing Irina to note her surroundings once again. She imagined a green eye peeking from behind the stars.

"Don't worry, Nikolai. I'm coming," she whispered as she reached her hand out to the glinting stars, which seemed to mark an entrance to a…better place.

A/N:

If you're asking me where I got this one-shot idea from, I got it from some quote. Unbetaed. Since I did not feel like annoying my beta.
Though, Dove did read it first and told me it was okay. Haha. XD I know it sucks but feel free to tell me anything. I'm sorry if it's short :)