by Dylan Gilman

Created on: July 08, 2009   Last Updated: July 12, 2009

Aaron and Alice spoke to the fireflies. They giggled and joked about what the fireflies might be saying and asked question after question, even though in reality, it was only their imagination that gave them their reply. They sat cross legged in the grass hidden from view by a large tree. They would suddenly sit forward with a gasp, and point each time they spotted an answer spelled out in the swirl of blinking bugs. Sometimes the questions and answers were spectacular... other times they were just down right silly.

"When will I meet my husband?" asks Alice, who is only 8 years old, but very ambitious. "I wanna know. Is he handsome or is he cute?"

"Ugh, no way... It's my turn anyway, you got to ask all the questions last time. No more asking about your lame boyfriend Fred..."

"Fred is not my boyfriend!"

"Shh... ok, ok. Calm down or we will get in trouble." Aaron, always the wise older brother, takes a look around the edge of the old oak. He can see his parents standing in the den through the window. They are arguing about money, as they often do.

Aaron is 12 years old, and for the past two years... he has noticed a pattern. His parents have become more and more quiet during the days, but in the evenings they drink too much and yell at each other for hours, usually about money or sleeping. It doesn't matter what they fight about really, not to him anyway. All Aaron wants is for the storm to pass so he can sneak back inside and get some sleep. The mornings have become desolate and so it has become his job to take care of his little sister. He makes breakfast and packs her a lunch for school every morning.

"They answered! There, Aaron look!" Alice exclaimed with a hush, careful to not frighten the fireflies as she has been told a hundred times, but there was something different in her voice. It squeaked silent at the end and she grabbed her brother's shirt sleeve in shock.

Aaron turned back around and looked half heartedly, not expecting to actually see a figure forming out of the fireflies. But there... for the first time was the outline of an actual shape... a persons shape. His eyes widen with awe and after a moment, the figure waved a simple greeting at them.

His sleeve was gripped so tight that the edge of his collar began to tear. He reached up and touched his sisters hand to get her to calm down. She relaxed and as she did the figure in the yard waved once more, but this time as if to signal them to follow.

The siblings looked at each other. They

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