Beetles (Fireflies)

The next night, Galen and I found 2 transparent jars and nets so he asked me if I wanted to catch fireflies.

I told him that the owner might have left the jars and nets there and they might come back tomorrow or later to get those back, but he said that we're just going to borrow it for a while so I agree with him.

We strode to the river side and immediately found thousands of fireflies scattering around the place.

My eyes went wide as I stared at the jaw-dropping and mind-blowing scenery in front of me. I have seen fireflies before, but this is the very first time I see thousands of fireflies blinking and glowing altogether.

Their various of lights (mostly) green lights are reflecting on the surface of a ribbon-like body of water flowing downhill from the force of gravity, with the tranquil and enchanting moon above shining so brightly. Everything around is bewitching and magical. I felt like I was transported to the another world when all I did was to stand there quietly in awe.

Galen gave me the other jar and net and he started to catch fireflies using the net he's holding.

I actually don't want to move as I only want to stand there and continue to admire the captivating view, but I can't lose to Galen after seeing his jar almost filled with multiple fireflies so I also start moving my feet and start catching fireflies using my net.

"Do you know some interesting facts about fireflies?" Galen asked while both of us were catching fireflies together.

I tried to remember if I have some stock knowledge about fireflies and blink when I do remember a lot as if someone just inputted a flash drive—full of interesting facts about it inside the neocortex of my brain.

"Well, fireflies—or what others called, lighting bugs, are neither flies or true bugs. They are beetles just like ladybugs and rhinoceros beetles. There are more than 2,000 species of fireflies all around the world.

From egg to adulthood, fireflies can live up to a year, but they're only capable of flying and laying eggs for about two months of that period. During the larval stage, they hide out in underground burrows, emerging as adults to hastily lay eggs and then die after five to 30 days. That means they have short lifespans."

"Their lights are the most efficient lights in the world—100% of the energy is emitted as light. Compare that to an incandescent bulb, which emits 10% of its energy as light and the rest as heat, or a fluorescent bulb, which emits 90% of its energy as light. Because it produces no heat, scientists refer to firefly lights as 'cold lights.'

Fireflies emit light mostly to attract mates, although they also communicate for other reasons as well—such as to defend territory and warn predators away. In some firefly species, only one sex lights up. In most, however, both sexes glow; often the male will fly, while females will wait in trees, shrubs and grasses to spot an attractive male. If she finds one, she'll signal it with a flash of her own…" I deliver those words nonstop.

I look at Galen and he's in a gape while staring at me flabbergasted. I covered my lips when I also couldn't believe hearing those detailed facts from my mouth.

I can't even remember memorizing those facts about fireflies before. I am confident that the moon facts I told him before were all from my stock knowledge, but these facts about fireflies are not from me. It's as if someone used my memory and my mouth to deliver those words to him.

I felt someone's controlling my mind.

"You… have a good memory indeed." Galen speaks, while still looking at me in awe.

I got uneasy because I don't think I deserve such a compliment when I don't even believe that those facts came from my own knowledge, but I still smiled even though it's a forced one.

"How about you? Do you know some facts about fireflies? You seem to be interested and fond of them." I asked.

He shook his head twice.

"I don't know any facts about them, but I do know the story about the tale of the fireflies."

I never heard of that tale before so I got curious and asked him if he could share the story with me. He agreed and told me to sit down first before he cleared his throat and started speaking.

"Once upon a time, there was a rude boy who always called every person he met, ugly. He made all of the people cry and he didn't give a single care about their feelings. The rude boy was enjoying hurting others without giving an exemption. He's the same as a sadist.

One night, while searching for another person he planned to make cry, he saw a beautiful witch instead. The witch asked him if she is the most beautiful girl in the world, but the boy answered that she is not. He called the witch hideous and even made fun of how she looks.

He made the witch mad so the witch cursed him by turning him into a lightning bug—a beetle, with a green light to help him see what's in front of him clearly. The witch told him that he will only turn back to human once he already found the girl that is more beautiful than her.

The beetle spent all of his time searching and looking for the most beautiful girl in the world. He flies everywhere day and night with his green light so he got soon called a lightning bug, or more popularly known as a firefly…"

He stopped speaking after that so I assumed that the story ended there. I frowned because the story didn't even have a happy ending. I've been expecting an ending like the boy got to realize how bad and rude he is and instead of searching for the most beautiful girl in the world, he decided to only ask forgiveness to all of those he have hurt before and the witch will get pity on him so she would undo the curse and he'll became human again.

"So, did the firefly find the most beautiful girl in the world?" I intrigued.

"Yeah, he did." Galen answered.

My eyes sparkled and I became excited because I got hope that there's still a happy ending in the story. 

"Then who's that girl that's more beautiful than the witch?" I asked.

He smiled before he spoke.

"The girl who's with me tonight."

I looked at him with a smile and waited for his answer to sink in inside my mind. When it did, my smile slowly faded and my jaw dropped as I got flabbergasted after realizing what he meant. My face flushed and I'm thankful that I'm already sitting right now because my knees might surely give up if not.

My cheeks keep on heating up even though the night wind outside is cold.

"Y-You just made up that tale, haven't you? That's not the real tale of the fireflies. You are the one who made that story up." I said, stuttering.

He scratched the back of his head as he softly chuckled and admitted that what I said is true.

"Was it lame?" he questioned.

I shook my head twice. If that was lame, then why are my cheeks turning red right now?

"It's good…" I answered.

I gathered all of my strength to stand up and go back to catching fireflies before he noticed me looking like a tomato, but he held my arm to stop me and got the net and jar in my hands before he put them down on the ground.

"Why?"

Instead of answering, he opened the lid of his jar and caught one firefly before transferring it to my hand. I clasp my hand together to not let the firefly go anywhere.

"Let's summon another key now," he said.

I looked at his face for a minute before I smiled and nodded.

"Okay,"

I closed my eyes and prepared my heart to successfully summon the celestials.

"The stars will hear my voice. I'm summoning you now, Gemini The Twins."

When I feels something cold in my hands, I open it together with my eyes and I smiled widely when I see that we now have the Gemini key.

"Nine more keys to go," I informed Galen before giving the key to him. He hid it with the 2 other keys and told me to go back to catching fireflies. 

After filling our jars, we both walked to the cliff where we swam the other day and opened the lid of the transparent jars there to let the fireflies go.

Now they are freely flying and blinking around the waterfall. The scenery became more fascinating and enticing because of how its green light reflected every surface of the water. It's so beautiful.

After a moment of admiring the lively waterfall and the gleaming fireflies, Galen called my name to get my attention.

"Iris,"

I looked at him before I asked, "Yes?"

"Let's go back home," he continued as he offered his hand in front of me.

I don't know where and what home he is pertaining to. I just stayed looking at him, trying to read what's on his mind, but instead of asking him a question, I only accepted his hand and smiled widely.

"Okay," I replied.

He smiled back.

Bringing the empty jars using our free hands, we walked back together to return the jars and nets we borrowed, and let the moon guide us the way back to our home with our hands intertwined together.