....
She was standing outside on her lawn when it happened.
A mayfly flitted around her head, circled twice, and dropped down to the green blades, to disappear between them.
She watched for a few moments, but already knew that the mayfly wasn't going to resurface.
While she stood there, watching, a firefly from across the field began making its way toward her. It seemed a perfectly random course that brought it to her lawn... When she lifted her head, the firefly joined the mayfly in the grass.
The light went out.
"Ah," she murmured sadly. "Ah."
And this was all she said. Quickly she turned and walked back up to her home. Perhaps if she stayed inside....
But inside, she was greeted with the newly-dead spirits of many mortals. Brown-skinned... white-skinned... olive-skinned... All of them with the same questions, with the same frightened look.
She began her duties, comforting and instructing the newly-dead. Outside, the night insects fell.
A mayfly flitted around her head, circled twice, and dropped down to the green blades, to disappear between them.
She watched for a few moments, but already knew that the mayfly wasn't going to resurface.
While she stood there, watching, a firefly from across the field began making its way toward her. It seemed a perfectly random course that brought it to her lawn... When she lifted her head, the firefly joined the mayfly in the grass.
The light went out.
"Ah," she murmured sadly. "Ah."
And this was all she said. Quickly she turned and walked back up to her home. Perhaps if she stayed inside....
But inside, she was greeted with the newly-dead spirits of many mortals. Brown-skinned... white-skinned... olive-skinned... All of them with the same questions, with the same frightened look.
She began her duties, comforting and instructing the newly-dead. Outside, the night insects fell.