I walked into

the room and

tried not to

shiver. The hospital

was cold, especially

so in my

gown with my

back exposed for

all to see.

The technician smiled

weakly at me.

It was late

and who knew

how many MRI’s

she still had

left to do.

She gestured to

the machine, sitting

larger than life

in the middle

of the room.

“Here are your ear plugs. And you even get a little party hat.”

She handed me

a disposable cap

that kept the

machine sterile. She

gestured again at

the MRI machine.

“I want you to lay down, putting your head here in this rest. I’m also going to prop a pillow under your legs.”

I nodded and

hefted myself up

onto the table.

I lay down

as she helped

me guide myself

into the proper

position. She attached

the camera that

would take close

pictures of my

head and neck.

This was the

moment I always

began to lose

it a little.

I felt I

was being shut

into a cage,

with no exit.

“Try not to move while the MRI is on.”

She said. I

knew I would

be able to

hear her voice

once I was

in the machine.

I nodded and

the table slid

into the long

metallic tube. My eyes

were closed and

despite whatever bravery

I possessed, my

eyes watered with

a few tears.

I opened them

and blinked a

few times to

chase the tears

away. It was

then that I

noticed the stars.

Someone had stuck

stars on the

inside of the

tube. I looked

at them and

marveled at the

sight of such

a happy thing

here. I heard

the clicks of

the machine starting

up and then

the MRI started,

shaking the table

that I lay on

as the magnetic

rings moved faster

and faster around

me. I closed

my eyes and

focused on my

breathing. After a

few breaths, I

was able to

breathe deeply. I

eased into

my breathing, letting

their rhythm compliment

the sounds of the

machine as it

thrummed around me.

After some time,

It began to

feel as if

I was sliding

out of the

magnetic tube. I

opened my eyes

and saw the

stars were still

in front of

me. I hadn’t

moved. I closed

my eyes again

and after a

moment, the sensation

of moving returned.

It was as if

an unseen wave

of water ran

beneath me, except

it wasn’t water,

but stars. I

could feel their

sparkle caress my

skin. I was

still moving, sliding

out of the

machine. I heard

a voice speak

in my ear.

“You’re doing so well. We’re almost done. Just a few more minutes.”

I opened my

eyes and saw

the sky, filled

with sparkling stars.

They joined with

the ones that

held me aloft.

I floated there,

held by a sea

of stars. It

seemed like I

could look into

them forever and

never see the

end. Below me,

the machine began

one last loud

round of thrums,

bumps and beeps

It sounded like

the music that

stars would make,

unintelligible to my

human ears. The

the voice spoke

softly once more.

“You’re almost done. You better come back now. You’re almost done.”

I closed my

eyes and relaxed,

floating downward until

I felt the press

the sliding table

against my back.

The tickling of

the stars lessened

as the machine

began to settle

itself around me.

I felt the

stars leave from

beneath my body.

They slide out

as if made

of water. Then

the machine gave

one final click.

I opened my

eyes and was

once more looking

at the yellow

stars that someone

had stuck inside

the machine. I

said a silent

note of thanks

to that technician

as those stars

had given me

a way to

float amongst the

stars that came

from forever. As

I walked out

of the room,

I looked behind

me and saw

that I left

behind a trail

of stars, sparkling

in the air.

I almost reached

out to touch

them, to run

my fingers through

them. Instead, I

made a wish

on one of

them and hoped

that it would

come true.