The Fireflies (6) : In the warm summer nights, little glowing lights begin to bob and dart through the city. Fireflies are mating, so this isn't uncommon in itself; in the past few days you've probably seen hundreds of fireflies. What makes these lights so unique is that they seem to change color; you might see a blue one, a green one, a red one. They flicker randomly, and something just seems off with them. If you come into contact with one, you will find yourself with a strange electric jolt. They cannot be caught, and will flicker away if you pursue too aggressively. This isn’t the first time they’ve appeared in Destiny City, but no one’s been able to tell where they came from or where they’re going. No matter how quickly you chase them, they always seem to disappear before you can find any answers.
Eliza sat in her bedroom working on her book with Hercules curled up on her lap. His brother and sister were off elsewhere in the house and Caesar was lying on her bed snoring away. She sat back looking at her screen, stuck on the particular part. She wasn't sure where she wanted to go, knowing she could go more the route of classic fairytale or one that was more fun and sweeter.
She looked at the drafts she had, one for each idea, betting it would be better to go with the more lighthearted story lest she write something too close to the pipe piper story. Her phone started ringing and she reached for it, smiling when she saw Willie's name.
“Hey Willie, what's up?”
William stood outside in the field currently particularly amazed and trying to keep Ollie from chasing and trying to catch the fireflies. “Liza, you have got to see this. The fields are just filled with fireflies and they seem to come in all different colors.”
Willie frowned at Ollie’s hyper display, giving him a whistle and calling him back to his side. “Ollie wants nothing more than to chase them. I'm trying to get him to calm down some, but you know instinct and all that. Anyway, come down and check it out. Bring Caesar too, they haven't seen each other in a bit.”
Eliza sat up giving Hercules a few chin scratches when he looked at her curiously before hopping down out her lap, as if to say you disturbed me and I'm done now. She got up and went to her window trying to see if she could spot Willie out in the field, but he was too far off to see him clearly. She laughed when her friends said it was almost as if the field was filled with fairies.
“I don’t need convincing Willie, I'm putting my shoes on now. Meet me at the barn and you can show me these fireflies.” She pulled her shoes on, patting her leg and watching a Caesars head popped up and he hopped off the bed and trotted out the door after her.
Willie headed to the barn and waited for Eliza, deciding to do so inside to keep Ollie from running wild. Instead he ran about with his parents excited to see them after so long. Willie was surprised they were in the barn until he noticed one of the sheep must have recently had a little lamb.
He looked up as Eliza came in and Caesar added to the chaos that was greeting his brother and their parents until Eliza gave them a signal to settle down. The four quickly got the memo and resumed a much quieter play.
“I see what you mean Willie, there are a ton of fireflies, but I didn't see any colorful ones.”
Willie frowned, “weird I swear there were tons of them in the field, here let me show you. I was toward the pack, past the dying part.”
Eliza laughed, “oh that's why I couldn't see you. Willie that almost to the property line, were you back there checking on the ash plants?” She was worried about it and wondered what was up. She hadn’t seen anything like it and wondered how many farms had seen the weirdness.
Willie nodded, “yes pretty much, it hasn't spread all the way to the property line and honestly looks like just that one area. I'm not sure what up with it, you dont see any kind of animal or insect near it, but past it … the fireflies are amazing.”
He pulled two mason jars from a bag he was carrying, with holes already drilled in the tops and grinned at his best friend. “I thought we could catch some like we did when we were kids, especially if we can catch some of the colorful one. I think this might be the closest we might get to catching any sort of fairy.”
Eliza smiled at her best friend, “one day will meet a fairy Willie, just you wait and see, but for now I would love to catch some fireflies especially if they are as colorful as you describe.” Eliza had been looking at Willie when his hand turned her head and she gasped at the plethora of fireflies in the field. “Geez, Willie that is a lot.”
Willie grinned and handed Eliza a jar, “it's a race, first one to catch 10 wins. 1, 2, 3, … go.” Willie took Eliza at his side before they split off and started to try to catch the fireflies that scurried away with each approach. Every time Willie thought he had one in his grasp when he opened his hand they were empty. These fireflies were very smart or magical.
Eliza wasnt have any better luck catching the fireflies, even being short and closer to the ground than Willie which had its advantages when catching lightning bugs, it didn't seem to be the case here. She managed to get close enough to one, “ouch,” she said, shaking her hand pretty sure she had just been shocked.
“Willie, I think these lightning bugs actually have a little lightning in them. I think one just shocked me.”
Willie gave her a confused look before he got a bit of a shock himself. “Maybe we should use the jars then and not our hands. He didn't think the shock was enough to affect the glass so he figured they would be fine if they used them.
Eliza nodded but ten minutes later then found themselves out of breath laying on their backs in the grass. Eliza laughed rolling over and lying her head on Willie chest, smirking at his thumping heart and huffs of breath. “Willie?”
“Yeah Liza?”
Eliza chuckled, “I dont think these fireflies want to be caught, maybe they really are fairies.” She huffed, finally feeling her heart slow and her breath return to normal. “They are really beautiful and this was so much fun. Look at them all, like a sea of star in the field.”
Willie hugged Eliza and nodded, “stars above and start below. Maybe you could put them in your book Liza. What if the star was looking for the tiny moving stars on earth?”
Eliza looked up with wide eyes and surprised, “Willie, that's a great idea! Thank you! This was so much fun and that was the perfect idea.”
Willie smiled, “no problem Eliza. What are best friends for right? I want to see your book really take off and I bet it will be a best seller. Just think, maybe some time next year it will go on to book shelves in the stores of Destiny City.
