Hold Back The River

He had never been very good at stories, but he couldn't say no not if it would help to ease her suffering. So he settled down beside her, and closed his eyes. Letting his voice drift into a comforting, storyteller rhythm

"There was once a star in the Andromeda cluster that heard a voice raised in distant song. This star…" here he paused, and after a moment, he made a decision. "Was named Zee, and she was curious by nature. She travelled to her brother star and asked him "have you heard a voice singing?" And her brother shook his star and tsked at Zee 'stars don't sing' he told her, 'now go away, I'm trying to shine here' so Zee went away, but she didn't return to her place in the sky. Her mystery was yet unsolved. So she travelled even further, going from star to star, and asking each one of them 'did you hear the singing?' And each star told her there was no singing, and they were too busy being stars to listen to her. She travelled to the very edge of the Andromeda galaxy, and she looked out into the great blackness beyond and she cried. "Please, I want to hear your song!" And to her great surprise a voice answered. "I am the singer, but you aren't supposed to be able to hear me. I am the Andromeda Galaxy, and I sing to all my stars, but it's a secret." The voice said. The Star called Zee looked around, but she saw no one. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret, but I really loved your song. I just want to hear it again." And after a moment, the Andromeda agreed. She said "if you go back to your place in the stars, I will sing to you. You won't be able to see me, but you'll know I'm there by my song." And the Zee star did as she was bid, and she travelled back to her place in the stars. Where, from that point on, she heard her Andromeda sing to her, and knew she wasn't alone."

"Speech"