username;; Checkinder
kalon name;; Afina
kalon gender;; Female
a song they might fall asleep too;; The Moon Songwhat do they do when they can't sleep;; The silence of the house unnerve Afina, who lay in bed. Her eyes were fixed on the ceiling as the clock next to her bed alerted her to another minute's passing. The nightmares from the previous nights haunted her mind, the thick shadows seeming to move and form her the monsters of her dreams. Afina lay still for what felt like years, but in reality was only five minutes. Her eyelids were closed and to anyone who would look in her room to check on her, she would appear to be asleep. But she wasn't. Her mind raced with possibilities while the starlight outside her window danced the night away.
Soon, Afina gave up. She knew it was a fruitless endeavor so, very quietly, she slipped out of her warm bed and walked over to her window, pulling it open. The warm spring air filled the room, as well as the sounds of the night. Crickets played a tune while the leaves danced along in the wind. A light twinkle on the ground caught her attention. Could it be...?
As quickly and quietly as she could, Afina made her way downstairs. By the time she had reached the door, she was sorely aware of her mistake to not grab a pair of shoes. There would be no dew on the grass for hours yet, so she'd likely be alright without them so Afina opened the door and silently stepped outside.
The moon was high in the sky and the stars twinkled warmly above. However, it wasn't the stars she was after. It was what sparkled in the shadows of the trees bordering her property. There, in the thick darkness, was a light. Not a constant one; it would shine and then disappear, but reappear again in a different spot.
The fireflies were back.
Afina always loved the little insects. She and her mother would always come outside the first night they appeared and catch as many as they could. Sadly, however, after her mother died, she stopped. As she grew older and her nightmares became more frequent, causing her to fear the sleep that once comforted her, she returned to her childhood habit. The late fall and winter were dark times for her when she couldn't sleep. The fireflies weren't out, so music often had to do. She often listened to an old favorite of her and her mothers, The Moon Song. It was like a lullaby to her some night and it would play in her dreams, causing her mother to appear and comfort her as she had done in life.
As one of the fireflies roosted on her sleeve, she smiled softly. They were like little stars that come down from the heavens. She liked to think of them as her mother's spirit coming down to check on her. Afina sat on the porch and watched them. Time seemed to not matter and, before she knew it, she could barely keep her eyes open.
As quietly as she left, Afina slipped back inside and into her cozy bed. Her eyes were closed and this time, visions of fireflies and her mother danced in her mind, lulling her sleep.