“How would you save the world?” Ashton answered immediately. “I would build a giant robot suit and stop an alien army. Or build a time machine and kill Hitler. Or- are you listening?” He glanced at his sister, Stella. She stared into the sunset, her dark hair blowing behind her. “You okay, Stell?” She shook her head. “Yeah. Yeah. I was just thinking. Do you really think that aliens and time travel exist?” “Anything can happen.” Stella looked back at the sun setting behind Blue Mountain. Her dark skin stood sharply against the red clouds. “I think…. I think that if there were aliens--I wouldn’t want to fight them.” Ashton’s blue eyes twinkled. “You’re no fun.” “I hate violence,” Stella said, her hands gripping the shingles more tightly. “If everyone was just kind to each other, that no one wanted to hurt anyone, the world would be-- perfect, I guess.” “Well, people don't think like that. They just like hurting people. “That’s why I want to be a superhero. So I can protect people.” “You don't need to be a superhero to help people. You just have to do your small part. The stars were bright tonight, shivering in the cold, fading in and out of view like a bird on the horizon. Stella smiled and closed her eyes.
