Chloe rested on a rocker, swaying back and forth, contemplating on her ugly divorce, Dad’s sudden demise, job termination, tragic miscarriage and recently diagnosed leukemia. Life’s been very unfair to her. Any minute now could be her last! Drowned in these morbid thoughts, tears started trickling down her eyes as she imagined her life slowing fading away with every passing minute.
“Do miracles really happen?” – She pondered swaying vigorously so as to match with the pace of the harrowing memories hovering over her mind.
The clock stroke 01:00. The swaying stopped as she got dragged back to reality.
As she paced towards the bedroom for a good night sleep, she observed something flickering from a distance. A tiny light dancing in the dark.
“Wow! A firefly!” – she exclaimed! She slowly approached the firefly & could see one of its wings being trapped in the windowpane. As she watched the firefly struggling with all its might to free itself from the pane, she was reminded of those tough times when she used to struggle to clear her mind off dreary thoughts!
“Hey! You lone warrior!” – she started conversing with the firefly.
“Let me lend you a helping hand!” – She whispered as she held the firefly carefully with her cupped hands. The fluorescent light emitted by the firefly illuminated her dark room & somehow warmed her heart.
Opening the back door, she released the firefly into the sky but it seemed like the firefly had some other plans. It refused to leave her side and whirled around her as if asking her to follow it home.
“Are you lonely too? Do you want me to escort you home?” – She mumbled, caressing the firefly fondly and following it into the woods. The firefly was her only guide in the pitch black moonless night.
An hour passed by and she lost the track of the firefly midway.
“Where am I?” She wondered as she looked hither and tither trying to figure out where the firefly had gone!
The darkness of the night instilled in her the painful memories of the past yet again.
Bewildered, as she started losing hope and was about to give up, she saw a mass of light surrounding her. It was a sight to behold! Thousands of fireflies started swirling around her, enveloping her in a cocoon, lifting her up in the air and singing her a lullaby.
The mesmerizing sight overwhelmed her. The feeling of loneliness that had always been haunting her since years suddenly became evanescent. The sense of belongingness which she always craved for, was suddenly satiated. It seemed as if all her remorse, regrets & grief were gradually disappearing. Tears of joy starts trickling down her eyes as she whispered to the fireflies – “Thank You for being by my side!”
With these few words, she closed her eyes and entered into an eternal slumber. The radiant smile on her cold face kept glowing all night by the flickering light of the fireflies.
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Such a lovely story. I have always loved the fireflies and their glitters. Though we see less to none in cities but I have been fortunate enough to have see fireflies in my village.
Although a beautiful story but would have been better if fireflies were the stars of the story as per the requirement of a fable.