In the warm dark of the summer forest, all the fireflies blinked together.
Blink. Pause. Blink. Pause.
Like a slow, breathing conversation of light.
It was one of the most beautiful things in the whole forest.
But Fern had a problem.
She couldn’t slow down.
BlinkblinkblinkBLINKBLINKblink.
Far too fast. All jumbled. Like her light had hiccups.
“Fern,” said her friend, “you’re flickering again.”
“I know,” said Fern. “I can’t help it.” ✨
🌲 Out of Time
At night, the fireflies lit the forest paths.
Travellers followed their rhythm.
Owls timed their flights.
Even the sleeping flowers opened and closed their petals slightly to the slow blink-blink-blink.
But Fern’s flickering threw everything off.
BlinkblinkblinkblinkBLINK.
A traveller walked in a circle.
An owl misjudged a branch.
Bonk.
A flower opened and closed seventeen times in one minute and got very tired.
“I’m sorry,” said Fern. “I’m trying to slow down. But when I try, I just go faster.”
She glowed anxiously.
BlinkblinkBLINKblink.
✨ Breathing Together
Her best friend Luna had an idea.
“Don’t try to slow your blink,” said Luna. “Just breathe with me first.”
Luna breathed in, very slowly.
Fern breathed in too.
Shhhhh.
Luna breathed out.
Fern breathed out.
Whooo.
Blink.
Just one.
A long pause.
Blink.
Another pause.
“Oh,” said Fern. “Oh, that’s better.”
💛 Liam Watches from the Path
Liam sat very still at the edge of the forest at dusk.
And watched the lights come on.
Blink. Pause. Blink. Pause.
All in time. All together. Like one single breathing thing made of a hundred lights.
And right in the middle, one firefly glowing steadily, carefully, slowly.
Fern.
Liam didn’t know her name. But Liam could tell that one had needed a little extra time.
Because her light, now that it was calm, was the brightest one of all.
Blink.
Pause.
Blink. ✨