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| Image courtesy of suphakit73 /FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
This is the Fourth
installment of the
short story
Captured Fire
This story is the story of a nine-year-old boy, Robbie, who enters a magical world where he learns
about the meaning of life, friendship, and respect for others
The Acorn Fairies took Robbie to a
wooded area near a creek and left him on a rock. He stood shivering wishing he had never seen, let alone capture
the Rose Fairy. As he stood there a
group of fireflies landed in front of him.
The glow was almost blinding, there where hundreds, thousands of
them. In the center of the group there
seemed to be a carriage of some sort made from a black walnut shell with acorn
caps as wheels and a team of inchworms pulling it. Robbie stood still not knowing what to expect. The fireflies parted as the door to the
vehicle was opened. Out stepped a huge
firefly with round wide long black wings that hung down his body like a
cape. He had a larger and brighter
light than the others and he had flashing lights on his head; like a
crown. As he walked towards Robbie the
small fireflies all bowed down. Then
one of them shouted, “All bow down… King Huron ruler of all fireflies comes.” A
small thin firefly tapped Robbie on the back and motioned for him to bow down.
Robbie assumed a prostrate position
as the huge firefly came near. “Robbie
the Land-one, I must bestow upon you your purpose,” King Huron’s voice rumbled
in Robbie’s head. “Rise and come with
me.” Trembling,
Robbie slowly stood up facing the colossal king who turned and walked with
importance to his waiting carriage.
The same small firefly motioned for him to follow. Robbie entered the carriage and sat opposite
the king, they both sat in silence the entire trip. After what seemed like an endless journey the carriage stopped in
a meadow at the edge of a forest, they had reached the firefly kingdom and the
king’s castle.
As before, a large group of
fireflies surrounded the king now with Robbie in tow, and the procession
advanced to an opening under a pile of wet leaves. Once inside they proceeded down a long musty corridor and entered
into a large “throne” room. King Huron
marched his way to a throne made up of maple leaves and sat down royally as
Robbie was halted and told again to bow down.
“Rise Robbie the Land-one,” the
King said “ and come forward,” Robbie shaking in terror moved toward the King.
“The firefly population is dying,”
the King told him, “being tortured and destroyed by the Land-ones. We must be saved, humans
need to know we are living creatures and we should receive the same respect as
anyone. Too much of nature is being destroyed. The problem must be
resolved. You, Robbie the Land-one, are
the special one by your birth, chosen to be our savior promised by legend. It
is up to you.
“There once was magic in the
firefly world,” the King went on to say, “but it was taken away and will be
returned when the time is right, when the correct one comes to us.”
Robbie could not comprehend what
was being told to him. Special one
promised in legend, what in the world did that have to do with him? He was just
an ordinary kid, one that got in trouble like anyone, what made him
special. He didn’t want to be special;
he just wanted to find the reverse magic words that would send him back home.
“Tomorrow morning you will start
your training and your transformation. But tonight you read this to understand
the legend,” King Huron handed him a large book.
Hands shaking. Robbie took the
book. It was a large book with a purple
cover and binding. The front cover was
adorned with raised carvings of oak trees and images of flower fairies and
fireflies, whose bulbs actually blinked on and off. The edges of the pages were golden in color and the light
reflecting from them made Robbie believe they were covered with real gold. In the middle of the cover, in red old
English style font was the title “Legend of Promise.”
King Huron nodded his head and the
firefly guards escorted Robbie from the throne room. They led him down a dark corridor and into a small dark musty
room that was dug out from the side of the wall.
“You will spend the night here reading. We will come for you at four lights tomorrow
morning,” the guard with deepest voice told him. “Dinner is on that table. You must darken the room at ten moons,
so read quickly.” he closed the door with a loud bang.
Robbie examined the room; nothing
surprised him anymore and being in this land was starting to look normal. The room was much like all the others, dirt
walls and furniture, made not out of wood, metal, or plastic as it was at home,
but out of nature, flowers, rocks, moss.
He walked over to a little rock
desk and slowly put the book down. Next
to the desk stood a carved out tree limb, a firefly standing tall glowing his
yellow bulb brightly served as a lamp (he later found out serving as lamps was
one of many firefly occupations). On
the rock table sat his dinner, a large maple leaf piled high with toasted
acorns drenched in elderberry sauce to satisfy his hunger. He drank from the bowl, which again held
rose petal honeysuckle nectar that he was starting to acquire a taste for.
After dinner he began to read. He didn’t have much time to learn what he needed
to know regarding his purpose and the reason he was being called the special
one.
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© Copyright 2013 Eileen A Partak
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