Set the Stars Alight

by Amanda Dykes

“All stories—the very best ones, anyhow—may be full of fairy tales and nonsense and lore, but if they are to be lasting . . . they must have truth at their very core.”

“I wonder if it’s even possible to overestimate the significance of a single life,” she said, brushing bits of dirt from the pawn and standing it with care upon the old headstone. “Words spoken, hearts changed, a meal provided to a hungry sojourner—who knows? Who knows how far everyday actions reach? It’s incredible, when you think of it.”