CH 31 - The Fireflies

Nica stirs in her sleep, feeling the weight of the Gods upon her. She slips out of her bed and tiptoes across the darkness of her bedroom.

Taking a deep breath, she tries to calm her nerves while questions linger in her mind. She knows what the Gods want of her; she has to capture the fireflies because they contain certain magic.

Placing her hand on Zoe's shoulder, she wakes up her younger sister pressing down on it quickly. She knows neither should go to where the fireflies are, and neither would be safe there. But they are always safer together than they are apart.

Nica knows that she can make it to the edge of town alone at ten years old, but what if something happens? Then at least, Zoe can find her way back home.

Zoe grumbles softly, "Come on... let me sleep, Nica."

"If you don't wake up Zoe, I will put a frog down your nightgown."

"No!!" Zoe begins to yell before her mouth gets muffled under Nica's hand, grumbling that she was forced awake. Zoe squirms under her sister's grasp but can't and is stuck in bed. Lacking any alternative, Zoe quickly licks the inside of Nica's palm.

"Ewwww! What the hell?" Nica exclaims.

"Shhhh, you don't want to wake up Mom and Dad, do you?" Zoe says, giggling.

"Ewwww.... really?" Nica asks grumpily, forgetting for a moment why she woke up her sister. Rolling her eyes, Zoe readily nods in a fit of stifled giggles. "Zoe, when was the last time you washed your mouth?"

"Really!" Nica fusses.

"Nica, behave, or you will get us in trouble. Of course, I washed my mouth; I do that every night. I am more worried about where your hand has been than where my tongue has been."

"Nica rolls her eyes. 'My hands are safe; I only obey the Gods' wills...'

'Eww. What are the Gods asking you to do for them with your hands?'

Nica sighs. 'Zoe, stop it. That is enough,' she says, adopting a stern tone."

"Fine, what do the Gods want from you now?"

"They need fireflies!"

"Shh, why do they need fireflies? Those little bugs that glow. Why would the Gods want such a thing?"

"Because there is magic inside of them that they need."

"Then why don't they make some more in their home? Why do they need us?"

"Their hands are too large. They need our help. If they tried to grasp some, they would squish them."

Zoe wrinkles her nose, "That doesn't make sense. If they would squish them making their own, they will squish them when we hand them over."

Nica sighs, "I need your help."

Zoe's shoulders sag. She doesn't believe in the Gods, especially when they don't make sense. There is a difference between the Gods needing her and Nica needing her. She can say no to the Gods all day long. It doesn't make sense why the Gods would ever want anything to do with them except that disgusting thing about purity.

Shaking her head, Zoe slips out of bed and quickly takes her nightgown off. Rummaging in her drawers, she begins to fall into some pants and chase after her sister as they both slip out of the bedroom window.

It takes them nearly an hour to sneak from shadow to shadow to make it to the edge of the village. If either of them were caught, it would surely mean at least a whipping, if not something much more severe like someone keeping them, as girls were in high demand.

Their mother would always warn them with a whipping if they were too naughty, and in the worst case, they would be sent to the Guardian. The mark of the Gods touched their skin, so they had always belonged to them. If they were too devious, too much trouble, they would return their daughters from which they came. Their father talked of selling them as it would bring such wealth to the family to have God's gifts sold. The prestige and value it would bring to their home.

These fears move through Zoe's mind as she is trapped. As much as she prefers to avoid the horrors of the Gods, she cares more about protecting her older sister. Sighing, Zoe looks into the darkness of the forest as she sees large creatures walking beside them. There is a sinking feeling in her stomach as she walks beside the forest. Unlike her sister, she had never dreamed of leaving the village. At the same time, her sister had a unique experience in the way she desired.

There is something strange yet familiar about the people walking at the forest's edge. She has a sense of knowing them, "Nica?"

"Yes, Zoe?" Nica asks.

"You can't see the creatures in the forest, right?" Zoe asks.

"Please, I am scared enough as it is."

"Why are you scared?"

"Because I am scared of the darkness. When the moon is hidden, and there are no lights at all... that terrifies me," Nica says in a firm but calm tone.

"Then why, by the heavens, do we sneak out at night?"

"Because the Gods need us to..."

"Screw your Gods, Nica... there is nothing they can ask us to do at night that we can't do during the day."

"Except catch fireflies."

Zoe sighs as she looks into the woods and sees a creature stalking them. As they move through the forest, the footsteps follow them deeper and deeper. A sense of fear creeps into Zoe's mind as to why these monsters always follow her. There has to be a reason she alone sees them. Is it fate or the will of the Gods? Whatever it is, something is unnerving about their presence.

Taking a deep breath, Zoe stills her mind and wills in her heart, asking the moon to come out. She needs to have the courage to face her demons. To see the demons that have haunted her all her life. As Zoe waits for the moon to come out behind the clouds, she feels her sister drifting further and further ahead.

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Zoe waits for the feeling of the moonlight upon her skin. Opening her eyes softly, she feels comfortable staring at the creature in the darkness. She looks familiar but so much older than she has ever seen her.

"Nica?" Zoe asks as she sees a woman she could have sworn looks like her sister. Turning to look over her shoulder, she sees Nica still running to the water. Terrified, she runs after her, deciding it is best if they always stick together.

Zoe runs up behind her sister and looks confused, "Nica, I am scared..."

"Now you are scared? Stop teasing me!"

"I am; I thought I saw a ghost!"

"Okay, so if you saw a ghost, what did she look like?"

"You but older..."

"No wonder you are scared... but don't worry, let's stick together. Together we can get through

anything."

"Promise?" Zoe asks hopefully.

"Yes, I promise. I will always have your back and never leave you." Nica says with an easy and heartfelt smile.