Among the Stars Read online

  Among

  The Stars

  Matthew Ellis

  ©2015 Watermelon Mountain

  Albuquerque, NM

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, businesses or events either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any actual person, place, thing or event is purely coincidental.

  Among The Stars

  Published by Watermelon Mountain

  ©2015 Watermelon Mountain

  Kindle Edition

  Cover Design by Matthew Ellis

  Cover Photos Courtesy NASA

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be disseminated in any way without the author’s express, written consent. Creative Commons uses excepted up to 10%.

  To Mikayla Salgado

  For all the help you gave with this book.

  I hope you enjoy the result, even if you’re an adult now.

  Also by Matthew Ellis:

  Tornado Mountain

  MARS: Renaissance

  MARS: Baroque Revolution

  Chapter One

  Beginning

  When Sylvia Castellanes was born, she nearly died. Her mother wanted a baby, but her father didn’t. He was angry that the birth control didn’t work. Sylvia’s mother was on her back in the hospital bed, crying as she saw her chance to have a baby dwindling.

  She cried, “Where the hell’s the doctor?”

  Sylvia’s father looked up from his phone momentarily. He hadn’t heard what his wife said.

  She yelled, “Why don’t you do something?”

  He sarcastically replied, “What do you want me to do? I’m not a doctor.”

  She snapped, “Can you go find one?”

  Mr. Castellanes mumbled incoherently as he got out of his chair. He didn’t want to be in the hospital, and he really didn’t want to have to do anything.

  Mrs. Castellanes started praying. She knew something was wrong with her baby. She needed to know what was wrong so it could be fixed.

  She said, “Please don’t let my baby die. I need someone to keep the family going once I’m gone.”

  Mr. Castellanes found a doctor in the hallway. He tried to get his attention, but the doctor was too busy. He went to the nurse’s station and asked the nurse for help.

  He said, “My wife thinks something’s wrong with the baby. Can we get someone to help us?”

  The nurse replied, “We’re trying to get your doctor in here.”

  Mr. Castellanes asked, “Where is our doctor?”

  The nurse answered, “He was in the middle of a golf game when you came in here. He said he’d be here when his game was over.”

  Mr. Castellanes got annoyed. While he didn’t care about having a child, he hated being ignored.

  He said, “You mean a golf game is more important to him than my baby’s well-being?”

  The nurse said, “I can’t speak for the doctor, but he should be here in the next few minutes.”

  Mr. Castellanes asked, “Why can’t another doctor or a nurse, or a midwife help us?”

  The nurse replied, “We’ll send you a midwife.”

  She got on the phone and dialed the midwives’ office. She requested a midwife, and they sent one to the Castellanes’ room.

  The midwife walked into the room and started her examination. When she looked into the birth canal, she gasped. The baby was caught on the umbilical cord.

  She said, “We have to hurry. I see the problem. No time to explain.”

  Mrs. Castellanes cried while she tried to follow the midwife’s orders. It was difficult to concentrate because she was so worried, but she tried to follow every direction to the letter.

  The midwife said, “Don’t push until I tell you to. I have to untangle the baby’s head from the umbilical cord.”

  The baby was still warm, but she wasn’t breathing. The midwife had to work quickly to get the baby out of the birth canal so she could start CPR.

  Mr. Castellanes said, “I hope this isn’t going to cost me anything extra. I know how you people are with your billing.”

  Both Mrs. Castellanes and the midwife were annoyed by his comment, but neither had time or inclination to ask him why he was being a jerk.

  The midwife said, “Okay, the baby’s head is free. Push as hard as you can.”

  Mrs. Castellanes pushed and the baby was born. She still wasn’t breathing, so the midwife worked frantically to revive her. Mrs. Castellanes was terrified as the midwife breathed into Sylvia’s infant lungs. She prayed that the baby would be okay.

  She cried, “Is my baby okay?”

  Mr. Castellanes glanced up from his phone for a moment, but didn’t say anything. If the baby died, he wouldn’t have the expense of raising a child. He would have the expense of a funeral, though. If the baby lived, he would have a responsibility he didn’t want.

  Mrs. Castellanes yelled, “Don’t you care about our baby? How can you be such an ass?”

  He replied, “I told you to use birth control. You knew I didn’t want kids unless we could afford them.”

  Mrs. Castellanes snapped, “The least you could do is give your daughter a name.”

  He replied, “I’m not going to waste my energy finding a name for a fucking dead fetus.”

  She said, “Fuck you, you asshole.”

  He waved his arm at her and went back to looking at his phone. He didn’t care if the baby lived or died.

  The midwife tried to ignore them as she worked frantically on the baby. She only had a few minutes to get her to breathe. Once the human brain goes without oxygen for a few minutes, the chances of a real life are nearly nonexistent.

  Mrs. Castellanes said, “We have a baby fighting for her life. Don’t you care?”

  Suddenly, the sound of a baby screaming stopped the arguing. The baby started breathing and then she started crying.

  Mrs. Castellanes asked the midwife, “Is she going to be okay?”

  The midwife replied, “It’s hard to tell. We have to run some tests to see if she lost any brain function.”

  Mrs. Castellanes asked, “How long was she caught on the umbilical cord?”

  The midwife said, “It looked like she had just got caught when I got here. I think she was unable to breathe for about four minutes.”

  Mrs. Castellanes said, “That’s usually as long as we can go without oxygen,” then she cried, “My baby’s going to be a vegetable.”

  She cried loudly as the midwife tried to calm her. Mr. Castellanes left the room as they talked.

  The midwife said, “It’s not a guarantee that your baby won’t lead a normal life. Babies are usually more resilient than adults or even children. They’re still developing, so they have a better chance of recovering from traumatic events.”

  Mrs. Castellanes said, “I hope she’s okay.”

  The doctor walked into the hallway adjacent to the room. Mr. Castellanes saw him and confronted him.

  He yelled, “What the hell’s wrong with you? My wife’s in there giving birth to our baby and you’re playing golf.”

  The doctor replied, “I’m here now. No harm, no foul.”

  Mr. Castellanes said, “Bullshit! She might be brain damaged because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck. If she isn’t a healthy baby, I’m going to sue the fuck out of you.”

  The doctor walked into the room and started his pre examination procedures. He was washing his hands when Mrs. Castellanes yelled at him.

  She yelled, “Where the fuck were you? My baby could’ve died. It’s a good thing this midwife cared about people, unlike you. I’ll bet you’re only a doctor because it pays well. You don’t give a shit about anyone but yourself.”

  The doctor said, “It’s
my day off, and I wasn’t told about the seriousness of your baby’s condition.”

  Mrs. Castellanes said, “I don’t care if it’s your day off. If you knew you weren’t going to be here, you should’ve had someone standing by.”

  The doctor shrugged and walked over to the baby. He saw obvious injuries to her neck and chest. He observed her for a few moments and performed some rudimentary tests.

  The midwife left the room as the doctor started his tests. She returned a few moments later with a clipboard full of papers. Mr. Castellanes followed her into the room.

  She said, “I know you’re worried, but I need some information from you.”

  Mrs. Castellanes said, “What do you need?”

  The midwife said, “Well, first, we need a name for the baby.”

  Mr. Castellanes said, “I don’t care. Name her baby.”

  Mrs. Castellanes couldn’t believe how callous her husband was. She thought he surely would love his own daughter.

  She said, “Fuck him. I want to name her Sylvia. I’ve always loved that name. It makes me feel like I’m in the forest.”

  The midwife said, “We also need your insurance information.”

  Mr. Castellanes suddenly jerked out of his chair. He was angry, but not about his daughter.

  He said, “That’s why my daughter almost died. We don’t have insurance, so you don’t give a shit about us.”

  The midwife said, “I assure you it doesn’t work like that.”

  Mr. Castellanes said, “Bullshit! The rich get the best while us poor people get whatever’s left.”

  The midwife argued with him for a while. The doctor tried to ignore them while he examined Sylvia. When he completed his examination, he put his tools on the cart.

  Mrs. Castellanes asked, “What’s the prognosis, doctor?”

  He said, “Your baby is going to have a few problems, but she isn’t brain dead. She’s going to lead a normal, productive life.”

  Mrs. Castellanes said, “I’m holding you to that. If she starts showing any signs of brain damage, I’m going to sue you.”

  The doctor said, “I can’t guarantee that she won’t have any brain damage, but she’ll lead a pretty normal life.”

  Chapter Two

  Unwanted Child

  Sylvia didn’t have an easy life as a child. Her father made it clear that he never wanted her. One night, when she was 12, her father came home drunk. This wasn’t unusual, but this night was worse than most.

  Mr. Castellanes snapped, “What the fuck is this little bitch doing? Why isn’t she in bed?”

  Her mother answered, “It’s Friday night. She’s allowed to stay up later on the weekends.”

  He stumbled forward, intending to strike his wife. He tripped over a chair and hit his head on the corner of a desk.

  He shrieked, “Look what you made me do, you fucking cunt!”

  Mrs. Castellanes cried, “Leave us alone and go pass out.”

  He said, “Don’t give me orders. I give the orders in this God damned house.”

  Mrs. Castellanes realized that this was one of his angry episodes. Sometimes his drunkenness resulted in him passing out, and other times she had to run away to avoid being beaten to a bloody pulp. This was one of the latter times. He got to his feet and charged his wife. She tried to run, but her feet were stuck to the floor.

  Sylvia, seeing what was happening, tried to distract her father. Her mother was constantly taking beatings trying to protect her. She wanted to protect her mother this time. She threw a lamp at her father. She should have run, but she wanted to buy her mother some time to escape.

  Mr. Castellanes yelped, “You just fucked up, you worthless piece of shit.”

  He turned and charged at Sylvia. She had the remnants of the lamp in her hand. As her father charged her, Mrs. Castellanes ran to the neighbor’s house.

  Sylvia said, “I’m tired of you treating me and mom like we don’t matter to you.”

  Her father replied, “She stopped mattering when she got pregnant with you. I never wanted kids, and you’re nothing but a burden to me.”

  Sylvia said, “I’m not afraid of you. You’re not going to bully me the same way you bully mom.”

  Sylvia may not have been afraid, but she was much smaller than her father. He was six feet tall, and weighed 250 pounds. She was five feet tall, and weighed 98 pounds. She would have to be very quick and careful to avoid her father’s hands.

  He said, “I don’t care if you’re not afraid of me. I’m going to kill you anyway. No one disrespects me in my own house, especially not a worthless little whore like you.”

  Sylvia took a swing with the lamp when her father got close enough to her. She missed with the fore swing, but hit him in the back with the backswing. The remnant of the lamp shattered.

  He screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Sylvia went searching for a new weapon. The lamp was no longer usable as a weapon.

  Her father screamed, “I’ll kill you, you little bitch!”

  He pulled the belt out of his pants and stood on his feet. He stumbled around the living room as Sylvia frantically looked for a new weapon. She found a remote control.

  Her father saw her and laughed, “You think you’re going to beat me with a remote? I’m going to beat you until you die.”

  Sylvia tried to stay out of her father’s way, but he was faster and stronger than she was. She was in a corner, so she needed to get to a place with an escape route. She tried to run past her father, but he grabbed her by the shirt. She struggled, but he strengthened his grip by grabbing her arm and chest.

  Sylvia hit her father with the remote control. It shattered in her hand. She was scared, but still hopeful that her mother would find help.

  She thought, “Mom’s been gone a long time. I hope she’s on the phone with the police.”

  ***

  Mrs. Castellanes thought, “That asshole didn’t pay the fucking cell phone bill. It’s like he planned this. I should just be able to call the police without running through the neighborhood like a maniac.”

  She was unaware that every cell phone must be able to call 911 whether it is active or not.

  Mrs. Castellanes knocked on the neighbor’s door. She waited a few seconds before knocking again.

  She thought, “Please answer the door. I need help.”

  No one answered, so she banged on the door. She yelled for help as she banged on the door. Help didn’t come at this house, so she ran to the next one. She ran to five houses, screaming for help at each one. No one wanted to answer the door. Some of them thought a crazy person might hurt them, while others didn’t want to get involved because they knew Mr. Castellanes would come after them if they helped.

  She thought, “Why doesn’t anyone help me? Sylvia’s going to die if I don’t get help. I can’t lose my baby.”

  The sixth house was on the next block. She banged on the door and screamed for help, but didn’t expect anyone to come to her aid.

  She screamed, “Please help me! My daughter’s being beaten, and I need help.”

  She started walking away after a few seconds. She couldn’t waste time waiting for help that wasn’t coming. Then, the door opened, but only a crack.

  The neighbor asked, “What do you need?”

  Mrs. Castellanes replied, “I need the police. My husband’s beating my daughter.”

  The door opened completely. The neighbor rushed her to the phone and dialed the number for her.

  He said, “I was beaten as a child. I’m going back with you when you’re done.”

  She said, “Thanks.”

  The police answered, but put her on hold.

  She said, “They put me on hold. My daughter might die while I wait for some bureaucrat to answer the damn phone.”

  The neighbor said, “That’s a bunch of bullshit!”

  When the police finally answered the phone, she told them what she needed. They sent a unit to her house and told her not to go back home.

  ***


  Sylvia closed her eyes and tried to prepare her mind for the pain. Her father raised his hand, with the belt in it, above his head. He made sure the belt was unfurled so it would inflict maximum pain. He struck Sylvia with all of his strength. She tried not to cry, and that made him angrier.

  Her father screamed, “Cry, you stupid bitch! That’s what people do when they’re about to die. That’s what people do when they’re in pain.”

  Sylvia tried to ignore her father. He hit her harder and faster. Then he saw the duct tape.

  He said, “This’ll keep you from running away.”

  He tied her hands together behind her back. He tied her legs together. He tied her to a chair. Then he threatened her with a knife. He put it to her throat.

  He said, “I’ll kill you, but this would be too quick. I want you to suffer, you worthless little bitch.”

  He put the knife on the desk and grabbed his belt. He made sure the metal end was the striking end.

  He said, “You’re going to die a slow, painful death tonight.”

  She cried in fear, and he duct-taped her mouth shut. He raised the belt and struck her in the face. Her face exploded with blood. Her father was excited at her suffering. He struck her in the chest, then in the groin. Those blows didn’t excite him as much as the facial blows, because there was no blood.

  He said, “No one’s coming to help you this time, and I’ll finally be rid of you. Then my life will be good again.”

  He struck her repeatedly in the head. Blood gushed from her mouth, nose, and eyes as the metal belt buckle ripped them open. There was blood all over the living room.

  Sylvia thought, “I guess mom didn’t get help in time. I’m going to die tonight. I feel weak, and I don’t think I’m going to make it.”

  Sylvia’s heart stopped beating when the blood in her body lacked sufficient pressure to flow through her arteries and veins. As Sylvia collapsed, the police arrived.

  An officer screamed, “Put the belt down and get on the ground.”