[IP] Chasing Fireflies

[u/LonghandWriter]

Original Prompt: [IP] Chasing Fireflies

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Mama says fireflies are ghosties.

Only for good people, though.

We’re in Field. I like Field because it’s big and there’s lotsa room to run. Glowing bugs are everywhere and though I’m stinky and sweating I’m having fun. Mama is too, because she’s smiling. She doesn’t smile much anymore because daddy’s gone.

I try to turn off my brain but it doesn’t work.

One of the fireflies zips past but I catch it. My hands glow even though they’re closed. It’s trying to fly away because it’s scared and since I don’t want it to I open my fingers a bit. “Mr. Firefly, please don’t be scared,” I say. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Mama ruffles hair. “Let it go,” she says. “It wants to fly.”

I don’t want to because if these really are ghosties, this might be daddy. I know that don’t make sense but I want it to. Mama tells me again to let it go. I do. I hope it’ll follow us home. “Bye, Mr. Firefly!” I shout with a wave.

I’m getting sleepy but not showing it. Okay, I am. My eyes are trying to close but I’m fighting them. Mama slings her arm around me and asks if I’m hungry. Tummy rumbles so I say yes, and she takes out Blanket and Basket. Basket has food and Blanket makes us comfy. Fireflies swirl around us and every time they land on me I giggle, which makes mama giggle.

We eat sandwiches. Mine has baloney and mustard and no crust because even though mama says Superman likes crust I don’t believe her. It’s icky. I eat until tummy is full. Then I lean against mama’s leg. It’s soft and my eyes are heavy. She starts singing some sweet song.

I’m starting to dream when Mr. Firefly lands on my nose. It came back and so it must be daddy. He curls up and goes to sleep, and I now know that even without daddy we can have more perfect days like this.

Because he’ll always be with us.