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The Great Gathering
Chapter III : The Firefly Garden
For weeks, Elara worked tirelessly in her garden. Every evening, just as the sun was setting, she would head out with her glass lantern in hand, carefully collecting the fireflies that fluttered above the dew-kissed flowers. She whispered to them as she gathered them, thanking each one for its light. She knew the fireflies trusted her; after all, she had never harmed them. Instead, she treated them as partners in her dream.
As the nights passed, her lanterns glowed brighter and brighter. She built a series of small, gentle enclosures that resembled floating orbs of glass, carefully crafted so the fireflies could move freely, their light pooling softly in the darkness. Her garden began to look like the night sky itself, filled with tiny stars that blinked and glowed, suspended among the plants.
Her neighbors were astonished. Word spread through the town about the girl with the glowing garden, but still, no one understood why she was gathering so many fireflies.
Then, one evening, just as the fireflies began their dance of light, Elara was ready.
To Be Continued…
Michelle Hoffmann is a cat-loving, nature-worshiping, and life-loving abstract digital artist and photographer, a writer, and a poet. Her art mostly centers…
