THE PLANET THAT DOESN'T EXIST

Professor Star l'Etoile set at her desk, her notes, were packed into spiral leather bound notebooks, stacked one atop of the other.

They contained years and years of calculations, which sprung from her notebooks and rose up in a spiral, covering hundreds of desks and antique gold plated wooden boards, that covered the entire room.

Prof. Star l'Etoile 23 years old has discovered a planet, which earned her, a statue, three medals, and the position as head of astronomy world wide. She's hobbies include practicing mathematics and not going outside.

Now she is on the eve of the discovery of another planet.

No one had seen this new planet, although it is so close to the sun it would only be seen at certain places at certain points in time.

So, Star l'Etoile, unfortunately left with no choice other than to publish the hypothesis, without certainty of its correctness, and Star does so with a heavy heart.

Star l'Etoile ran back into her observatory as quickly as she could.

She sprinted up the spiral stairs that spanned through her observatory from top to bottom, until she landed in the office chair.

She put her hands firmly on the desk in front of her, and then took a deep breath.

She stayed there, in a pause, for a long moment, and then began her calculations.

She jotted down forms and formulas, letters and numbers, when she heard a knock on the door.

It was him again, wasn't it? Star got so tired of the guest who visited her ever so often.

Every time he'd come he'd tell her roughly the same thing, and every time she'd kick him out in the end.

And she had no patience for those meetings anymore. Yet, she let him in. "As usual." she muttered, doing her best to focus on the pencil.

The Guest thanked her silently in his head, and floated silently into the observatory. Its darkness floated like a sheer cloak behind it.

"I've come to collect you."

"How do you feel?" -asks guest.

He always asks this.

"Unfortunately, my guest, I'm on the verge of a discovery." She said, jotting down various calculations in her notebook.

It was not surprised in the slightest. He had, in fact, heard that exact same response many times before.

"See? the exact time and coordinates of where my new planet will be visible.

I'll build my own observatory there and wait, and then I'll most certainly discover the second planet to my name, with a stroke of my pen alone" said Star l'Etoile.

"You never find out if the planet exists." -said guest

"You died before you able to"