A tree! That's Hilarious!

If someone or well something had ever told me:

"You will be a tree"

I would actually react very calmly. I would shrug in an "oh ok". I can see myself asking for a seed burial kind of way. It sounds nicer than being buried in a traditional graveyard. A nice lush forest or something is very eco-friendly.

"No no no not your last vessel buried to feed a tree. You shall be granted life as a grand blessed tree."

HA! Suuuuuuuure, how ridiculous right?

"Due to actions of your last life and the unknown of those that come before, you have become eligible to be reborn as a transcendent being in the base dimension." spoke a shining star?

Oh did I mention that for some odd reason I seem to be FLOATING IN SPACE? Dark sparkly space! How am I even doing this? Where am I? It's getting harder to think with the stars chit chattering all around me.

"Since the beginning of time this is the 8th time a soul from our realm has left the edge for another or interconnected world. A rare feat indeed, we all wish you congratulations!" sparkles another star.

I can tell from the way its light dances around animatedly which star is speaking. If it weren't for the absurd things they're telling me I would be in awe at this infinite beauty of space all around me. If it weren't for all these little voices I'd think I'd float here for a while very content to just gape.

"It's okay to rest a little first" piped up a shy sounding star

I'm not sure exactly what it's talking about but I thank it sincerely all the same.

"Yes, being a human was the hardest thing I ever had to do. You did well all this time little one."

Said a gruff star from far above me.

Looking up at it made me feel like I'm back on earth. Oh wait…I'm not on earth? Several thoughts flash before me without my control and nothing is funny anymore when I come to a realization.

"Oh, I'm dead aren't I?"

There's snickering and hushing all around me, I can make out variations of "shhhhh be nice", "it spent too much time as a human" or "Poor thing"

None of the voices answer me but I know now- I know. And I'm strangely calm about it.

"I'm dead…and now I will go somewhere else."

"Oh little light you never died, not really. Now you will flow to the next wave and it will be splendid."

The stars seemed to sing, how I can hear or understand them is unknown.

"Is this death? The afterlife? Is that why I am not sad even though I should be? I've only ever been a human, I think. Just one normal human girl."

There's so many questions to ask but I know, I just know there's not enough time to ever answer them, not even here. The stars twinkle something teasing but not unkind. What are they even?

"Normal…yes you were a normal human once and some more ago. And so were some of us perhaps, once or so many moments ago. How extraordinary- to live as a human. How terrible and wonderful!"

"Then am I one of you now? A shining star? That's not so bad, I wouldn't mind staying a pretty star. I don't need to rush and go be a tree."

It's peaceful here, and it doesn't hurt. Somehow I know it would hurt something terrible to be anywhere else, maybe not all the time but –

The stars seem to dim, first a few so few I thought they were mid twinkling. Then all of them.

"No little light, you are not one of us, not now and maybe not ever again. The waves are taking you somewhere far from here- and they bring for you riches beyond compare."

Bit by bit I feel everyone dim, bit by bit I feel as if I'm floating further away without any control. It's getting scary, it's too soon. I don't want to go. But it's futile, struggling does nothing and swimming does nothing.

And it hurts, bit by bit its hurt- I'm feeling sad.

I'm feeling human again.

"There are things we can still do for you- can't we?" the gentle stars aren't fading yet but they're getting further away. No, I'm getting further away.

"We can hold it, we can take it away" they say.

"What? What can you take away?"

"The burden?" booms a familiar gruff star, loud as ever.

What burden? The pain? Oh yes please take this pain away is my first reaction- but I stop myself. Because I realize more things I seem to have already known.

"This pain? It's my memories isn't it? My human memories?"

The stars collectively seem to hum before the familiar star booms again.

"Before we return, before any of us try anything again- we let go as we last know it. And we start fresh again. We renew. But the waves cannot wash them from you as we do- so you must let go."

I can't.

If I could cry I think I would be right now, the peace is ebbing away and my mind is both clearer yet drowsier than ever. I can't, I won't.

"It will only hurt " whispers the stars.

But something tells me I can't let go, that I have to hang on to them even though it hurts.

"Do you not wish to start anew? In the wonderful place you're landing don't you want the best chance? Will you carry your burdens, your regrets from the last time with you?" ask the familiar booming star, the first I've heard it speak softly.

"Yes! They are precious, I don't know them right now but I know they're precious. This one and all the other ones that have come before that!" I have no mouth I realize, but I'm shouting all the same.

"It's too much of a burden" it booms back

"Okay then! I'll carry it, I won't carry what doesn't matter!" and the stars dim even further.

"You were always like this, even back then…."

Can stars regret? Can they sound sad? I want to reach out to this particular star, with whatever power I can. I must reach.

"You don't change, you never have. Should have known-" it sparks even as I fade further in spite of my reach.

"I'll carry them, I'll carry the precious things I can. I will!" and I know. I just know that this star and so many others are precious. I make myself shout through the space I'm leaving behind.

Some of the stars protest but the loud one and some others seem to have heard me, really heard me.

"You can do it!"

"Good luck little light"

"Many blessings on your journey"

"You will do wonderful"

And faint as they are I still heard them. Unsurprisingly, I even the heard gruff one.

"…. goodnight now Nai Nai"

See silly gruff star I knew you were precious, I don't remember how so but I knew it.

And I let the waves wash me where it does.