Holding Memories

Image courtesy of mistermong /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“If it’s any consolation for you, she died instantly.”  The words of the police officer played over in Rex Bernard’s head.  It was their tenth anniversary. They had plans to meet for dinner to celebrate.  It was bad enough the accident occurred on their anniversary but they had a ridiculous argument that morning over where to dine. He insisted she drive and meet him at the restaurant near his office.  Her argument was she didn’t like driving in unfamiliar areas, but she finally agreed.  Jill got lost.   She impetuously drove along the foreign streets trying to find the restaurant and missed the stop sign. A truck hit the side of her car.  She died instantly.

It was his first day back to the office since Jill’s death the month before. All the sympathetic stares and well-meaning words had exhausted him.  He couldn’t wait to return home to rest.  But he was reluctant to enter the empty house. It felt so cold and lonely since Jill was gone. A light rain dotted the sidewalk as he made his way to the door. He hesitated a moment before turning the key, not sure if it was the rain or tears that moistened his face.

Flipping on the light he saw something glistening on the kitchen table.  Feeling a sudden wave of vertigo he grabbed the doorframe to steady himself.   There on the kitchen table sat a gold frame holding a picture of him and Jill taken the night he proposed.  Rex picked it up looking at the image of the happy couple gazing at each other with eyes silently speaking love. He clutched the picture to his chest and wept.  He was puzzled at how the picture appeared on the kitchen table - and why?

The next night, still insisting on blocking happiness from his life, he was hit with another surprise.  Small pink roses sat on the kitchen table – the kind that made up Jill’s wedding bouquet.  Rex sat down at the table picking up the bouquet breathing in the delicate scent.  He caressed the soft fresh flowers thinking of their wedding day, picturing how beautiful Jill was and how happy they had been.  Again he sat weeping, blaming himself for her death and wondering how and why the flowers appeared.

Rex hurried home from work the next night to see what surprise awaited him.  On the kitchen table sat an opened cookbook.  He picked it up, “BBQ Meat Balls” he chuckled as he fingered the pages stained with BBQ sauce.  The first meal she made after they had gotten married. He laughed thinking of that night, picturing Jill and the kitchen splattered with the sauce.  He remembered how he wiped her cheek and kissed her sauce-splattered nose.  These memories were replacing the pain-filled places in his heart with joy.  But again he resisted the warmth of memories. Instead he embraced pain and regret as the sentinel to keep happiness from entering his devastated heart.

Nothing showed up for several weeks, until one night something sparkled brightly on the table.  Rex could not believe what he saw; there it was Jill’s wedding ring.   Hoping to ease his pain he had buried the ring with her. To keep it, he thought, would cause too much grief. Now all this was too much for him to handle.  Who was playing this trick on him? How were these items appearing? 

Later that night Rex was awaken by a dazzling light cascading over the bedroom walls.  There in the light blue radiance, looking beautiful like a princess stood Jill.  She reached her arms out toward him and in a soft voice said, “Rex don’t be tortured by my death.  Death is just another step in our existence.  I did not leave you. I only died and moved from this life to experience the beauty of the next.   One day we will be together again.  Be happy. Don’t waste life with regrets and sadness. Fill you heart with happiness and memories of the love we shared.  I left those memories for you, to remind you our time together was precious.  Keep the memories close. Remember me but enjoy and live the life you have now.”  She then blew him a kiss and disappeared. 

Rex sat in the dark room feeling a loving warmth embrace him.  He would hold these loving memories his wife gave him in his heart for all time. 

Captured Fire - Part 10

 Image courtesy of suphakit73 /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This is the Tenth

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.

***

Word of the rescue spread through the village by the time Robbie and the others returned.  Martworth greeted him as he entered their dorm room.

“Robbie I heard of your heroic feat saving our brothers. I do think you will be a historic figure and a group named for you after this.  If only you had been around that terrible night my father was killed,” Martworth said with a sadness coming to his face. “Maybe things could have turned out different.”

Then he looked over and saw Jason standing behind Robbie.  “Who are you?” he asked with a rude tone to his voice.

“Martworth this is my friend Jason.  He is here to also help me with the purpose,” Robbie said moving out of the way so Jason could step forward to acknowledge himself.

“Well nice to meet you,” Martworth extended his beetle hand out to greet Jason.

Jason hesitated, and then slowly extended his shaking hand a little. Each new situation still was difficult for his brain to grasp.

“Well any friend of Robbie’s can be a friend of mine, as long as you aren’t the Land-one they call the ‘terrorizing menace’.  I welcome you and hope we can be friends,” Martworth gave Jason a pat on the back.

“Oh, I’m not the terrorizing menace,” Jason said with a laugh, “Robbie is the one who won that title.  You should see how fast he can catch fireflies he always gets the most and…” Jason trailed off when he remembered where he was and whom he was talking to.

Martworth’s face turned pale, as pale as a firefly’s face could.  Then he looked at Robbie, as tears started to fill his eyes, “You!? You are the one! The killer of my father!” Then he turned and stormed out of the room.

Robbie tried calling after him. “Wait it’s not what you think, I didn’t know then, I did change that is why I am here.  Please Martworth understand.” But Martworth was out of sight.

Robbie looked at Jason. “Sorry,” Jason said actually sounding like he meant it.

But his sorry couldn’t help make anything better. Robbie realized he was the one responsible for the death of Martworth’s father, but how was he to know.

“Come on Jason I’ll show you around,” and the two quietly walked down the hallway.

 Martworth moved out of their dorm room and down the hall to room with Cagewire.  Robbie didn’t saymuch to Jason, and Jason knew enough to keep quiet. It was bad enough he had to figure out how to achieve his purpose he now had to find a way to make things right with Martworth. He went over and over in his mind how he could have been the one responsible for the death of Martworth’s father. He had no idea when it happened or which one he would have been, all he knew, he would feel awful if his father died, let alone killed by one of his friends.

Later that evening all the fireflies met at the regular meeting place under the oak tree.  Jason came along wearing his little flying suit.  Martworth avoided Robbie and laughed extra loud with the others. Robbie had no idea what would happen tonight.  Rosella said she would talk with Jason after she met with King Huron; hopefully something would soon be resolved. The King was skeptical if bringing Jason here was a good idea. 

Robbie took his place with the other fireflies and tried to be enthusiastic with the lightshow, but his heart was not in it tonight. He really missed home, and being a boy. He now wondered why he was even here.   Jason sat in a tree with no expression on his face watching the show.

There weren’t many boys out playing tonight.  Since the disappearance of a second neighborhood child parents were frightened and kept them in as much as possible.  Robbie did his part with his squad; after all he had a responsibility to his job.  He watched the conductor to signal his part in the show, but was distracted by the neighborhood boys at the far end of the yard. They were jumping wildly and swinging big nets on long poles up in the air.  The boys started tiptoeing in slow motion, crouching with a look on their faces that was familiar to him. ‘What are they doing?’ he thought, and then he realized they were using his calculation method to catch fireflies. He looked in the direction the boys were concentrating and there several feet in front of them was the group with Martworth.  The group was casually hovering in the air waiting their turn for the light show forgetting there could be danger surrounding them. They were slowly moving towards the ground as they were listening to Martworth tell a story.  Robbie started to yell as loud as he could to Martworth, forgetting his voice was too small to be heard across the yard. He started fluttering his wings and waving his arms then blinking in code to Martworth to look behind him.  But he ignored Robbie thinking he was just jealous because he could have friends and a good time without him. Martworth decided to take the group away from Robbie’s view and waved them to follow him to the next yard.  They all preceded to follow him without looking were they were going and flew right into the open ready nets the boys held in their path. The boys were astonished and jumped and hooted in jubilant celebration over the catch of the summer. They immediately raced over to a back yard gazebo to survey their prize.

The thought of the horrors before the group engulfed Robbie.  He immediately dropped from the light show and flew over to the group at the gazebo, determined to save his friends. As he approached he saw them squeezing and pulling off wings and bulbs, torturing the little beetles in every way possible.   Martworth was in a complete panic as he helplessly watched; traumatized he made his way up the net away from their grasp. He hid in the folds of the net near the handle where he was out of sight.  He sat crying and praying he would be over-looked and his life spared.  

Robbie, with all the power in his little body, hurried toward the boys and flew right into their faces, pounding them between the eyes.  The boys swatted at him and continued to work over their catch totally unaffected by his attack.   Adrenalin surged in him and non-stop he kept flying at their eyes and noses hoping the continued aggravation would make them forget about what they were doing, and just go back home.  But the boys were not going to let the little tickling of a bug turn them from the biggest treasure they had ever been rewarded. 

Robbie saw Martworth hiding in the net and tried to get his attention. “Help me I’m stuck in here. I think everyone is dead. Don’t get caught,” Martworth cried as Robbie worked to get him untangled.  It was almost impossible to get his little beetle legs out of the strings of the net, especially since the net wouldn’t stay in a stable position. The boys were busy pulling out the remaining fireflies from the bottom.  Someone noticed Robbie and quickly grabbed him since he was a little bigger and brighter than most of the fireflies.

“Hey look at this one.  I think I caught the king of them all. He is huge,” a boy yelled. Using all his strength Robbie struggled to get away from his hold. Just when he thought he was getting away, he heard a ripping sound and the pressure of pain as his bulb was ripped from his body.  Immediately followed by the pain of a wing releasing from his back.  He tried to hold back panic knowing he had to survive so he could save his friend. The fate of the whole colony was his responsibility.  Then he remembered that he was human even though he has a firefly body.  As a hand closed around him he took a big breath, opened his mouth, using his human boy teeth he took a bite out of the finger that surround him.

“Owwww,” the boy gave out a loud yell and dropped his winged prisoner. Robbie rushed back to the net as Martworth watched in disbelief.  The angry boy went after him. “No bug is going to hurt me,” he grabbed Robbie again and enclosed him in his warm moist hands.  Robbie tried to bite him again but found it difficult this time to get his teeth around a finger, the huge boy hand now crushing him.  Robbie prayed, he was sure he now faced death.  Then the boy slowly moved his hand to peer in at the small creature.  As the stream of light and fresh air traveled toward Robbie he imagined this is how it must have been for Rosella when he captured her. A huge blue orb, the eye of the boy, appeared between the fingers, lashes, like spider legs, moved past the blue backdrop as the boy blinked.  Robbie sat still and stared back at the eye. His hand, like the top to a box, slowly moved  off  him and the face of the boy reveled. The boy shook his head and moved in for a closer look.  The boy couldn’t believe what was sitting in his hand. All the talk in the neighborhood these past weeks had been about the missing boys, Robbie and Jason. Now the face of his friend on this firefly and all the chatter in the neighborhood about the boys brought fear to him. He screamed and dropped Robbie, running home shaking and crying.

Now free Robbie made his way up the net to get to Martworth while other boys grabbed the remaining fireflies that were still struggling for life. He was able to keep away from their hands and finally reached his friend who was watching him risk his life in the dangerous journey up the net.

“Can you move your legs from the rope?” Robbie asked as he reached him and tried to untangle the strings wrapped around the tiny body of his friend.

“I think I can, it is pretty tight, but I think I can get out if you can pull it apart.” Martworth made an effort to get free as his friend, bulb hanging and wings torn and broken, worked with all his might to set him free.  The two pulled and worked diligently with the strings of the net, which seemed like heavy ropes to the little beetles. Finally all their hard work paid off and Martworth was set free from what could have been his demise. Robbie collapsed from exhaustion and his injuries.  Martworth held his friend’s broken little body close to him, weeping as he tried to signal for help.

§

© Copyright 2013   Eileen A Partak

Captured Fire - Part 8

Image courtesy of suphakit73 /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This is the Eighth

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

***

Robbie rested the next day with the horrible vision of the destruction to his firefly friends by his human friends. It was so vivid in his mind.   He wondered how he was supposed to make everything right. If he could not save the firefly kingdom he would be a firefly forever.

The next night they assembled under the oak tree once more before flying off to their assignment.  The new members of the squad were not filled with the same enthusiasm today. This was not fun and games; now it was a seriously dangerous job.

Martworth received praise from the older squad members for his quick thinking to go for medical help. He was awarded a certificate of commendation.  He was happy to have helped his fellow fireflies, but his thoughts now turned to what his father’s end must have been. It had always been a legend to him, now he knew it was a real happening.

Robbie was under pressure. He had experienced what happens on the side of the fireflies when the boys are playing their game.  This was not a game on this side. Now his mission was to get them to understand. How was he to do that? He was a firefly, even if he were still a boy they wouldn’t listen anyway, they couldn’t understand. Confusion filled his brain more as each minute ticked by.

Barra called them all to formation then off they flew to the neighborhood that was once Robbie’s home, but now a dangerous battlefield.  All the new members flew slowly not wanting to relive the experiences of the night before. Barra kept encouraging them “this is life men. Go do your job, be brave.” Even the mature experienced fireflies worried, but knew they had to go on and do what is expected of them whether they were frightened or not. Life was not always filled with peace.

The neighborhood looked like any summer evening Robbie could remember.  He saw the parents and grandparents sitting on the patios as the kids played in the yards.  But what once was a fun evening of games to him as a boy now brought terror flowing through his little beetle body.

Once again the group performed their light show routine with as much enthusiasm as the night before.   It was a beautiful sight as each bulb flashed at its appointed moment. The choreographed show could be set to the sound of a Mozart symphony.  Robbie seemed to lose himself in the moment finally relaxed and thinking only of his time to flash and the beauty of the evening.

The boys showed up quickly, running and jumping at the Meltor squad. Each firefly flew off as fast and as high as he could still flashing to the symphony.  Robbie panicked as he saw his old friend Jason capture Martworth and pull off his flashing bulb. Martworth struggled falling to the ground yelling for help. Jason took the glowing bulb and placed it on his forehead, “I have a head light,” he laughed as he jumped up and down and the other boys followed his lead all jumping around like little frogs.

Robbie made his way over to Martworth as he lay on the ground with a look of pain in his eyes.  “I’ll make it,” he said, “it’s just a flesh wound.”  He tried to stand up but weakly fell to his knees.

“Don’t move, just stay still while I get you help. You’ll be fine,” Robbie said trying to keep a confident sound to his voice, but all the while he was filled with terror.

Robbie tried to remember the distress flash they were taught in class.  He didn’t pay much attention to it that day not knowing why he would ever need to have such knowledge, now he knew.

It only took two emergency flashes and the medics were at their side.  They carefully lifted Martworth onto a stretcher made from spider webs and down from a milkweed pod and an oak leaf for a cover. Once he saw Martworth was on his way to the hospital, with exploded temper he went in off in search of the boys.

It didn’t take him long to find them in his back yard running and jumping after the Meltor squad.  He wasn’t sure what he was to do, but his anger was so elevated he just flew down at the boys in attack.  The boys were completely startled at the fierceness of this firefly, something they had never expected.  Robbie took advantage of their surprised state and made another dive bomb attack to their faces. The boys were startled and started screaming and swatting at the firefly. Dropping the jars they ran off in the direction of their homes. All that is except Jason he knew this was not an ordinary firefly so he was determined to get his hands on this one.  After several attacks on Robbie’s part, Jason captured Robbie cupping him in his hands. Robbie yelled at the top of his voice calling Jason’s name and stomping on his hand as hard as he could to get his attention.

Jason peered into his hands to see what kind of bug this was that was so active.  He looked closely blinking his eyes and shaking his head to take a closer look. He was in disbelief seeing a firefly in his hand with his friend Robbie’s face and hearing his name called.

“Jason it’s me, Robbie. Please don’t hurt me I need to talk to you.”

“Ro-b-b-i-e?” Jason stuttered still not sure what it was he was looking at. “I must be dreaming, Robbie was kidnapped. I must just be missing him and everywhere I look I see him.”

“No you’re not, it is me. I have become a firefly and I need to talk to you. You have to believe me, don’t hurt me, take me somewhere so we can talk.”

Jason looked closer at the strange firefly sitting in his hand.  Blinking and blinking he finally focused his eyes. His jaw dropped. “It is you!  How … why? I can’t believe this is true.”

“It’s a long story,” Robbie said, “We need to talk. Take me to Nana’s shed.”

Jason, still in shock, carried Robbie carefully in his hands. When they reached the shed Jason placed the special firefly on a shelf.  Robbie explained the whole story starting with the capturing of Rosella, King Huron, the legend of promise, everything that had happened to him.  He told him in detail the horror of being imprisoned in the glass jar and how the fireflies suffered, were injured and many died.  Jason was unsure of the whole thing and it horrified him to think his friend was a firefly. Looking around the shed he found the bughouse and locked Robbie in for the night.

Robbie yelled for Jason to come back. He started flashing distress signals hoping the squad could see him, but to no avail.  He was locked in the shed where he couldn’t be seen or heard.  He spent the night in there worrying about Martworth and about his future, until finally he slept.

In the morning he woke up hearing voices outside the shed.  Mama, Dad and the police were discussing a missing boy, and then he realized it was him they were talking about. His parents were distraught and he started to cry hearing Mama sound so sad.  Nana was with them and tried to comfort them, “He will be back. A boy sometimes needs an adventure and takes off.”  They just pacified Nana, after all she was just an old lady who didn’t understand what was going on.  Robbie wondered why she didn’t sound upset and sad, thinking maybe she didn’t really love him.

 “Mama, Dad, Nana, it’s me Robbie I’m in the shed. I’m a firefly,” he tried yelling as loud as his beetle lungs would allow, but no one heard him. They all walked away and he was left alone in the shed again.

He knew he must find a way out or he would die. “How can I get out? ”  He rested his chin on his little beetle hands thinking, and realized he knew everything about this box because it was his.  “The entrance is at the top of the box and all I have to do is fly up and slide the little panel on the blue roof and I will be out.”

The idea was a good one, but he forgot he was not a large human boy any more and the box was made to keep the fireflies in.  It was very hard to move the panel now. He placed his front legs flat on the panel and braced his back legs against the sidewall that the panel rested up to.  He pushed all his legs in each direction as hard has he could, he pushed and pushed but nothing happened.  He collapsed on the wood, hot, tired, and ready to cry.

“This was so much easier to do as a boy. I don’t think I will ever get out.” He sat back closing his eyes and cried.  He laid there for a few minutes in defeat and then visions of his fellow fireflies being captured and suffocated filled his mind. “ I will get this opened I must do this for the whole kingdom.”  More determined than ever he pushed and pushed all his legs shaking and his head feeling like it would explode.  Finally the panel opened and he flew out of the box and through a crack in the window.  Right over to Jason’s house he went.

Now that he was out he had to come up with a plan.  He waited in the garage sitting in Jason’s baseball mitt hoping to come up with an idea when Jason showed up.  After what felt like hours Jason came out to the garage. Robbie knew Jason’s routine. Every morning he always went over to the baseball field. So he sat quietly in the mitt as Jason picked it up.

“It’s me again. We have to talk,” Robbie shouted so he could be heard.

Jason blinked his eyes and shook his head as he looked into the mitt. “I thought you were a dream. Maybe you are and if I get rid of you I will finally wake up.” Jason tried to smash Robbie in his mitt. Robbie dodged him and flew out of the garage and back to Nanas rose garden. When he got there he found Rosella sitting on a red rose.

“Jason is trying to kill me. I don’t know how to get him to listen to me. I am afraid I will always be a firefly. I wish I never found you.” Robbie yelled without taking a breath.

“Calm down. We were all worried about you when you didn’t come home last night.  I do have a plan to help you convince Jason. But first let’s get you back for some food and rest.”

 The first thing Robbie did when he got back was go to see Martworth who was recovering from a bulb transplant. “Hey buddy how are you doing? You look great.”

Martworth was a little tired but seeing Robbie perked him up a lot. “Can’t complain. Look at the size of this new bulb they gave me.  Going to have a little therapy to get it to work, but everything is going to be fine.  Waiting to get back out there again and do my job even better than before.”

He did seem more determined to go back out and do his job. But first was a recovery period were he was transferred to lamp duty.  There was one good thing that came out of the situation, he was now not the shy little beetle he once was, but a confident firefly.

Robbie tried to rest all day but kept having visions of being captured in the jar the night before. He attended memorial services for the members of the group that perished in the attack. When evening came Robbie and Rosella went to Jason’s house and waited for him again in the garage, this time sitting on the jar rim. Right on queue he came in for his jar.  Rosella was the one this time who flew right up into Jason’s face. He was so startled he fell back onto the workbench in the corner. 

“This is an important lesson for you to learn and you will not refuse it,” with that Rosella said some words neither boy understood, touched Jason on the head and he shrunk down to the same size as them.  Rosella pulled a small yellow suit out of a bag she brought giving it to him to put on.  Jason was in shock but did what he was told. Then they all flew off together with Jason being pulled on a leash like a puppy as little fleas, holding on to the straps of the suit, flapped their wings to keep him suspended in flight.

As they flew across the yard Robbie relayed his first hand account of the harm they had done to the fireflies. But Jason was too scared and bewildered at his size and the situation.  Soon they flew right to the group of boys gathering in the yard ready to go on their nightly search. The small group of three hovered high out of the boys reach.

“We will observe from up here the actions of the boys,” Rosella said to Jason. “You then form your own conclusion.”

When the boys decided Jason was not going to show up that evening they started their bug chase in the usual manner.  The young fireflies performed with extra vigor tonight to convey to the Land-one visitor that they were more than flashes of light in the night sky. The light show tonight was the most spectacular ever. Jason was in awe as he hovered between Rosella and Robbie above the flashing lights.

All of a sudden the choreographed group started to scatter and the battle between beetle and human started once more.  Several boys scooped up fireflies with silken nets on long poles, while others captured zooming lights in their hands.  Soon all the boys were hooting and laughing with jars glowing like lanterns.

“See what is happening,” Robbie said turning to Jason with pleading eyes.

Jason now comfortable with his size and the fact that his friend was a beetle replied, “Sure I see, everyone is having a fun time as usual. What’s the big deal anyway?”

Robbie shook with anger and moved toward Jason, but Rosella moved between them. “Wait a while, the boys will be finished soon then we will go see the horrid results.” They moved over to the limb of a giant oak tree and sat and waited.

§

© Copyright 2013   Eileen A Partak

Meadow Painting

Image courtesy of franky242  /FreeDigitalPhotos.net  

The picture I painted. It is perfect. It is vibrant and cheerful. I move into it to watch and live the scene.

A little girl, with soft, bouncy, brown curls, runs in the meadow picking brightly colored wildflowers. Not a care in the world as she takes the child size bouquet to her mother who sits under the shade of the oak tree.

They have lemonade, and butter cookies, and laugh together, and smile at each other with love, as each conveys a story. They watch the butterflies move vigorously from one beautiful flower to the next, consuming the luscious sweet nectar. Mother closes her eyes. She listens to the sweet music of Daughter's laughter as she plays with a kitten in the tall, soft, grass. The warm yellow sun embraces them all.

A warm breeze blows over Mother’s face and revives her from her trance.  She rises from the lawn chair and slowly places the white straw hat on her head.  She moves across the meadow. The wind is stronger now. Her pale yellow dress is blown out behind her, floating above the ground. Daughter cries out, Mama please don't leave me, but Mother continues on, not listening to Daughter’s cries. She ignores her and continues walking.

Daughter runs after Mother. The wind is too strong for her little body to move, she is tossed to the ground. She continues to cry out, until Mother’s form fades from her sight, forever. 

Wind picks up, sun disappears, and a sheet of rain erupts from a broken dam embedded in dark boiling clouds. Meadow and Daughter are drenched…

The colors of my painting start to run together. They blend into bleak chaos. My painting, not of oil, but watercolor, is washed away.

House For Sale

Glowing sign erases the past

Bright flowers will smile in the sun

The house looks cheerful today

Someone can start with it new

Keeping the things that are yours

Destroying the things that are not

Keep them away from the owner

Her memories now in the dark

Ó 2012 Eileen A Partak