He put down his phone and opened his window, gulping in fresh air, trying to cool himself. It was still dark outside. But high above the suburban apartment blocks, the stars were shining. The sight calmed him just a little. He’d lived in this midwest city all his life, yet he never tired of gazing at the stars. They seemed so free, up there in the sky. Nothing could ever harm them.
He could hear the distant roar of traffic, going down the highway. Soon it would be morning, and his mother would wake up.
