Falling Slowly

Pt.2|Ch.1

December

•••••Austyn's Perspective

It's incredible, isn't it? The way the moonlight peeks through the dark clouds and reflects off glistening puddles left over from an evening rain?

More incredible still is watching the last of the autumn fireflies in the dark.

They flickered and flashed, darting to and fro in the night. There weren't too many of them, just the few brave ones that savored every warm breeze the winter had yet to snatch away.

I sat on the little wire chair on the balcony, drinking in the last of the cool air before the temperature dropped too low.

It was a warm night for December 11th, demanding that I was equipped with little more than a sweater and a blanket.

A cold drop of rainwater fell off the windowsill and splashed against my nose.

I breathed a soft laugh, wiping it away and thinking about how the cold rain would soon turn to snow.

My mom and I had predicted that it would snow at the end of October, but we were mistaken. Sky's prediction was closer to the reality: he'd said that it would happen the day after Thanksgiving.

But he, too, was wrong, saving us from having to deal with him exercising his bragging rights.

It was odd, having him with us for the holiday. Before that year, I couldn't remember a time that I'd had Thanksgiving with anyone other than my mom.

A strange transition, going from two people to six in the blink of an eye, but it was worth it.

A sudden chill shot down my spine, and the wind bit at my nose and ears.

I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders, stood from the wire chair, and looked out over the iron railing to catch one last glimpse of the fireflies.

The still flew and flitted about, but the cold was beginning to drive them away. One by one, they all disappeared into the dark.

Five fireflies left.
The wind blew harder.
Four fireflies left.
I couldn't repress a shiver.
Three fireflies left.
Thunder rumbled lightly in the distance, and the clouds grew darker.
Two fireflies left.
A raindrop splashed against my nose again, followed by another.

The last firefly's light flickered out, almost as if the rain had softly extinguished it like a candle.