Dear Readers,

I thank you for reading my story (or, if you are one those odd people that Stephen King mentioned once, who read the Author's Note before reading the story ... thank-you for reading the Author's Note). I dislike these things immensely (not stories, A/N) so I'll be brief and to-the-point, and give a little background for this story for those who care to listen.

The title "morning star", though I didn't know it at the time, is attributed to Satan through the scripture Isaiah 14:12. (14 is the chapter, 12 is the verse, if you didn't know already) "How you have fallen from heaven/ o morning star, son of the dawn!" Though initially the name was attributed to one of the kings of Babylon, through the years it has been given to Lucifer through books, poems, and movies. For those of you keeping track, Jesus calls himself the "bright Morning Star" in Revelations 22:16; but, then again, Jesus' title is Capitalized. Go figure. In any case, "Lucifer" translates to "morning star" in Old English and/or Latin (sayeth dictionary.com), so it works. Somehow.

My father believes that everyone will be approached at one time or another by the servants of the dark. Hopefully I (or any of you) will never be approached in the same way as he was, however cool and "Devil's Advocate" pop-culture it may sound. Yet my father was confronted by Something in a rail-yard late at night (where he worked as a brakeman), who asked him if he served the Lord of the Earth. My father responded as Faewen did. And, of course, after my father started walking away -- quickly, I might add; the weirdest weirdoes hang out in rail-yards, my father included -- the thing disappeared.

This story was the ending of a six-month plague of writer's block. As John Reznik said once, writer's block isn't when you can't write, it's when everything you write sounds like complete crap. This saying (minus the euphemism) completely applied to me in every way imaginable--I not only wrote nothing but "crap," I felt like nothing but "crap" for a very long time. It's not that God specifically waits for a people to be at a low point in their lives before revealing Himself to them, but that people are oftentimes more receptive to his Voice when in pain.

"All Rivers Lead to the Sea" was my first fan-fiction ever, but it was also my first attempt (ever) at the Christian genre. I hope it serves as a heartfelt "thank-you" to my Savior, who brought me out of the pit when I couldn't see the light anymore. You may plug your ears and turn away, you may flame and cry and rage about how there is no purpose, there is no God ... But 1 + 1 will always equal 2, no matter how much you deny it. If you listen, He will speak. He made the sun rise today ... did you see it? I hope you did. Can you see the stars where you are? Orion is still there, stretching out his bow, in the same position as he was for the last thousand years. I saw him myself, the night before last. God is there, too, and He loves you so much. You are his Song. You are his joy, the person who he wants to know so badly he laid down his life for you. He demands nothing else but to realize His existence. That's the first step. Be open to choosing it, believe in the Light that's shining at you, and there will be no stopping you. You won't be alone. You will have the Creator behind you, his Son at your side, and the Spirit in your heart, guiding you through it. It won't be easy ... it may even be harder than it is now. But you won't be alone. That's the most important thing.

Wait. Watch. The knowledge will come in time. The curtain will be lifted, and the light will shine through.

Sincerely,

Star-Daughter

PS: does anyone want a sequel? Or is that a stupid question?