Once, In the Forest

Some time in the nineties, which is not that long ago, a brother named Adrian and a sister named Louise were sent to Summer Camp by their parents.  It was the first time they had been at camp, let alone being close together in the same tribe and  and living in the same village for four weeks.  They had been there about a week, and they were used to their routines, and now, that the newness of camp was disappearing, they were beginning to feel homesick as well.

They woke up with the loud call of a bugle over a speaker system every morning at seven, which was very much like they did at home, in the city.  But, they also had to be quick.  They girls in their cabins would have to line up for one of a row of sinks and toilets, and the boys in their cabins, also, had to line up for one of a row of sinks, and one of a row of toilets, too.  They had to be all finished and ready to go into the Dining Room for breakfast by seven forty-five.

This morning was not truly any more different than the others in the past week.  When Louise finished her breakfast, and when her friends did too, they ran outside and began splashing in the water.  They didn’t wade out very far because they had their shorts on, with t-shirts and sandals.  But they splashed around in the ankle deep.  Louise, by now, did not pay that much attentions to her brother.  He knew how to take care of himself, especially since he had two more years of experience on him.

So, it was a surprise when Adrian ran up to Louise and her friends suddenly, and into the water without stopping to undo his sandals.  He was very excited, and almost a little out of breath, as he took a couple of deep breaths in order to be heard when he spoke.

“You have to see this…  in the woods!  SHhhhhhh….  Listen..  It’s completely amazing!  …  There are little people, the size of your hands, with wings on their backs, so they can fly…  AND they sort of glow…!  You’ve gotta come see it!  But only you guys.  No one else!  Got it?”

“Adrian!  What are you doing?  We’re playing in the water!  What are you saying?”

“Stupid!  I said, you have never seen this before!  Little People With Wings!  But stop making me yell!  I can’t let too many people know!  They might disappear!  Hurry!  Come!  If you want to see!”

With this explanation and exhortation, Louise and her friends quickly found their sandals and ran after Adrian.  They ran a little bit into the woods, far enough to where there was a clearing.  There didn’t seem to be anything unusual there, until Adrian turned and whispered to Louise and the other girls, pointing to near a corner of the clearing quite low to the ground about where a tree stump was.  Louise and her friends gave a gasp.  There, were what looked like little lights, flitting about.  Some close to the ground, and some hovering and about the stump, almost like a cloud of busy-ness and action.

“What IS that?  Are they lightening bugs?  Or fire-flies?  Is there anything else that glows?”  asked Louise.

“Wow, this is so amazing!  What are they?”  asked one of Louise’s friends.

“SHhhhh…  they might get scared.  It IS amazing.  They’re exactly like people, but really, really small, AND, they have wings,  AND, they glow, like lights or candles.”  answered Adrian.

“Can we go closer and see?”  asked Louise.  “I’d like to put one in my hand…”

“I don’t think you can do that though…., they’re very fast, and they don’t really land on things for very long.  …  Shhhh, if we’re very quiet and very careful, we can get close, I think.”  Adrian suggested.

They all began to tip-toe towards the corner of the clearing.  They held their breath, still, determined not to scare the creatures away, as they walked closer.  They approached as a group, and almost looked like a wall as they got nearer to the stump.  Adrian slowed the pace even more as their weight even with their slowness, still caused some twigs to snap and dry leaves to crackle.

Suddenly, the bright flitting glowing things came into view.  Louise gasped first, then her friends gasped, quietly, as well, and they held their breath, all in unison, as a group.

“See…  Shhh…  I told you….” Adrian asked quietly, in a whisper.

“Wow…  They really do fly, and they really do glow!  …  I love them!  I wish I could pick one up!”  One of Louise’s friends said.

“No, you can’t do that.  They’re already scared that we’re here now.  They’re probably holding their breath like we’re holding our breath.” Adrian replied.

“They’re so tiny, and beautiful, and perfect!  Thanks, Adrian….  I think we’re really lucky that we saw them.” Louise said.

They stood very close to the stump, like that, mostly staring in awe of the quickly flitting life.  Suddenly, Adrian gave a gigantic yell and waved his arms through the most dense group of glowing, flitting, flying, creatures, just in front of him.  The glowing creatures quickly dispersed completely and disappeared.  Adrian jumped into the air and spun around, landing facing the girls, and the gave a great big yell at them and started to chase them with his arms waving.  The girls also ran quickly and dispersed, each trying to get back to the camp.

All of them ran, yelling and screaming back into the square at the center of the camp.  They were out of breath and laughing hysterically, full of giggles.  The other campers in the square asked them what was so funny, since they were being so loud.

“Oh, nothing!”  Louise laughed out, and continued to giggle.  “We just ran out of the forest because my brother was chasing us!”

The other campers seemed unimpressed with this news, and just continued doing what it was they were doing.