THE REAL ADVENTURES OF JONNY QUEST
Wishing on a Star
by
Debbie Kluge
Dedicated to Winnie Lim for her birthday
May along the coast of Maine is a very special time. Soft breezes swirl bringing in the scent of
fresh salt air from the sea to mingle with the sweet smell of spring
flowers. The wind whispers through the
trees making soft, sighing sounds like the quiet voices of lovers in the
dark. At dusk the sky becomes as transparent
as glass and shades from golden yellow through soft pink and blue to violet
until the light fades away and it becomes a deep velvet black. And as the colors of day shade to the
blackness of night stars begin to appear, one at a time at first, then more
rapidly until finally the night sky is spangled with a diamond-like panorama of
glittering points of light. It is a
magical time . . . a time when all things seem possible if you just wish hard
enough.
Benton Quest sat in the shadow of a rock wall at the far
edge of a clearing about a mile from the Quest Compound. The night sky was luminescent, reflecting
the millions of stars that shimmered in the heavens above him. He liked to come to this spot. It was quiet and peaceful. The cares of the world simply didn't seem to
exist here. He often came here when he
was frustrated or had been having a problem with work. He would sit here and gaze at the glittering
night sky letting the quiet seep into his soul and wash away the cares of the
day. As he gazed upward the problems
and frustrations would begin to fade and soon they would no longer seem to
matter. A peacefulness would steal over
him and the fog that seemed to cloud his mind would clear and he seemed to see
everything so clearly.
And as he sat looking upward he searched for one very
special star. He had no idea if it had
a name . . . he never wanted to know.
He was afraid that if he found it had a name some of its
"specialness" would be lost.
No matter where he had gone during his adult life he had always searched
for that star. And he would never
forget the night he had seen it for the first time.
"There. Do
you see it?"
"Where?"
"Do you see Leo?"
"Yes."
"Do you see the five stars that form the lion's
tail?"
"Yes."
"Do you see how the second and third stars from the
end of the tail form a straight line with the stars that form the head?"
"Yes."
"Follow those stars in a straight line and if you
look closely you can see a star sitting up there all by itself halfway between
Leo and Cancer. Do you see it?"
"Yes."
"That's my wishing star."
"Your wishing star?"
"Everything I ever really wanted in this life I have
wished for on that star. As a child
when my father would tell me about heaven I used to dream that when I died and
went there, God would put me on that star so that I could look down on this
earth and watch over everything important to me."
"Can I wish on your star?"
"If you want.
I think I'd like that."
"Then I have a wish."
"Then stare at the star and wish for it as hard as
you can. But don't tell anyone or it
won't come true."
"But I have to."
"You have to what?"
"I have to tell someone what the wish is."
"Why?"
"Because I wished that you would marry me. And if I don't tell you what I wished, how
can you tell me your answer?"
"Ohhhhh . . . "
"Will you marry me, Rachel?"
"Yes . . . yes, Benton, I will."
Benton gazed up into the night sky at that softly glimmering
star and wished for all he was worth that Rachel Quest was here with him
now. He missed her so much. Slowly, that feeling of peace stole over him
again as it always did when he gazed at that gleaming point of light. She was up there, watching over them, just
as she said she would. He knew it. He could feel it.
Leaning back against his rock he said softly, "Hello,
Rachel. I've missed you today . . .
"
THE END
© 1997 Debbie Kluge
DISCLAIMER: The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest and all
characters, logos, and likenesses therein, are trademarks of and copyrighted by
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc., and Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc., a Turner
company. No copyright infringement is intended by their use in this story. All
other material, copyright 1997 by Deborah A. Kluge. All rights reserved.
Characters and stories are in no way affiliated with, approved of or
endorsed by Hanna Barbera or Turner Productions. This is created by a fan for other
fans out of love and respect for the show, and is strictly a non-profit
endeavor.
