Facing the Fireflies

How long had I dozed off? The encroaching darkness suggested it was nearly 8 or 9 in the evening. A sense of guilt hit me for snoozing on the job, but the relentless work of the past few days justified my need for rest. Leaning against the truck, I noticed Chris peacefully resting by the driver's side door. He had worked tirelessly to fix the truck, yet with two flat tires and a smoking engine, our stay here was inevitable. Slowly I wiped my face in an attempt to shake off the drowsiness. Instead of revitalizing me, it left me feeling groggy and weakened.

To be fair, there wasn't a lot on the agenda at the moment. I was confident our friends had spotted our truck, so it was just a waiting game until they arrived to offer assistance. Perhaps I would attempt to sleep once again. Gosh, I was tired! Leaning my head back, I gazed up at the sky as evening unfolded, almost discerning the stars. It seemed like it would be one of those peaceful summer evenings. It was so quiet out. The only interruption being a persistent buzz from a pesky gnat that must have been circling around me. 

Moments slipped away as I reclined beside the truck. The lure of sleep was undeniable, especially on such a calm evening. With the stars gleaming brighter, I observed a multitude of fireflies dancing through the sky around our truck. They flew swiftly across the field, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. Memories flooded back from childhood summers, chasing fireflies with Doug or embarking on adventures in the woods. School-free days meant we were inseparable, exploring and causing mischief in the town. I smiled to myself as a wave of timeless childhood memories washed over me, bringing an overwhelming sense of peace.

Where was Doug? As my gaze followed the ceaseless journey of fireflies in the evening, I searched the surroundings, but Doug was nowhere in sight. Classic Doug, always the impatient one. He likely ventured out to flag down assistance. With our friends bound to come to our aid soon, I scanned the sky again, relishing the stars and the dance of fireflies overhead. Such a pleasant evening. Slowly, I shut my eyes, drifting off to sleep. 

Did I doze off again? Who was shouting? I tried to wake up, opening my eyes slowly. The evening was nice and quiet, but that annoying bug wouldn't quit buzzing around my face. Waving my arm I tried to shoo away where this gnat was. I strained to hear the shouting, and there it was again. Someone was calling my name from a distance, and I was pretty sure it was Doug. He seemed to be out there in the open field a few hundred yards away. What on earth was he up to out there? I ignored the calls at first, hoping he'd just come back to the truck. Inside my head, I told myself he was fine. Now, if only I could lean back and get some rest.

As I tried to close my eyes, a sense of guilt shrouded over me. How many times had I called for Doug over the years? In grade school when that bully and his friend were beating me to a pulp, Doug stepped in to help fight them back. In high school, when I was fighting depression after mom passed, Doug had come over every day just to talk, play a few video games, and get me to laugh. Even later in life, he carpooled with me so I could get to my job, knowing full well it was out of his way. I could recollect so many different memories. No matter what, Doug was always there for me. We’d always fist bump and then proceed to face anything and everything together. 

It was getting late. I wasn’t sure how long before our friends would come give us a ride back home. Doug kept calling out for me. This wasn’t right. Holly and the girls were at home waiting for him. There was a family that relied on him. He needed to get back home. That was it, sleep would have to wait. Doug needed me, and I had to help him get home.

I pressed my weight against the truck as I got to my feet. I hadn't realized how intense the wind was while I was sleeping. It was probably the worst wind I'd ever faced. I took a moment to collect myself, still feeling a bit out of it from the nap. Fireflies were all around. I felt a bit worried, but I pushed that aside. They were just fireflies. No big deal. I had to focus on getting Doug back home.

Battling the forceful wind, I stumbled into the field in the direction of Doug's calls. Fireflies filled the air, fluttering around me as I entered the open space. After covering a few yards, I spotted Doug lying in the field ahead, nestled in a drainage ditch. I continued toward him, focusing on my path. As I approached Doug, a firefly landed on my shoulder and gave me a sharp bite – a first for me. The surprise threw me off, and I ended up on my back, stunned for a moment. The pain from the bite was intense, sapping the energy I had. Lying there, I gazed at the stars emerging with the moon in the night sky. It was a beautiful evening. Looking up, I spotted the Big Dipper. I had always been fascinated by the wonders of the night sky. What mysteries were up there, I wondered?

However, there wasn't time for this. I had to get Doug back home. Disregarding the pain from the bite, I rolled onto my stomach and crawled over to Doug. It took longer than I initially thought, but at least the fireflies weren't biting.

Doug was breathing heavily. I attempted to talk to him, but my voice sounded muffled. I asked if he was okay as he seemed to be in pain. He must have taken a bad fall. After a quick check, I figured he had injured his left leg.

“Bro, I can’t walk. I’m sorry.” Doug's voice was laborious.  

I smiled, “No big deal brother, I’ll carry you.” 

I was beyond exhausted. The constant work over the past few days had taken its toll, and all I wanted to do was sleep. Pushing aside the fatigue, I reminded myself it wasn't the time to rest – getting Doug home was the priority. Surprising even myself, I hoisted Doug up like a sack of potatoes and hustled back to the truck as fast as I could. The wind made the walk a real challenge, causing me to sway from side to side, struggling to keep my balance. Another firefly bit my leg in passing, and I dropped to my knees for a moment before pressing on to the truck. Walking hurt, but I decided to deal with it later. Right now, my focus was on getting Doug home.

Back at the truck, I lowered Doug for a moment to catch my breath. Chris had set his backpack down close to where he was resting. I rifled through the bag and found a partly filled water bottle. After taking a few big swigs, I passed the remainder to Doug. We sat there for a bit, but I knew we couldn't linger. The fireflies in the field had shifted toward the truck, some even buzzing right over it. I wouldn’t let the fireflies get Doug. Determined, I pushed myself to stand, went over to Doug, and helped him up. He could manage on his right leg so he leaned against me, and we began heading toward the road. I hoped our friends were on their way, and we could meet them there.

I walked a short distance from the truck and glanced back. Chris was still resting by the truck. He had worked so hard with me over the last few days. I couldn’t just leave him there. It wasn’t right. I guided Doug over to a nearby tree and let him lean against it. I reassured him not to stress; I'd be back in a moment.

The wind had picked up even more. I could barely walk. Back at the truck I grabbed Chris by the wrist and started dragging him back to Doug. It felt terrible to drag him on the ground, but I knew I couldn’t carry him while helping Doug. Once back with Doug we all three made our way down the road. The farther we got from the truck, the less fireflies there were. I followed the road in the ditch back the way we had originally come. I figured eventually we would have to run into our friends. My hope turned into desperation. The fireflies were starting to fly in a pattern near us. 

There was no use picking up the pace I had set. The wind was almost knocking us over at times. Doug leaned on me while I dragged Chris, and a slow, steady pace was all I could manage. The road stretched on endlessly, and no headlights were in sight yet. A sudden shock hit me as a firefly landed on Doug. The stupid bug must have bit him because he yelled in pain nearly falling over. I tightened my arm around him. I wasn’t going to let the fireflies take him. A few more fireflies landed on me as well. I fell face first, Doug rolling to my side. Frustration and anger boiled up in me. I was running on empty, and sleep was calling, but the only thing stopping me from resting was the pain of the bug bites. I hit the ground in frustration and forced myself to stand. My grip on Chris had not wavered. Helping Doug back up, I let him lean into me. It nearly made us fall over, but I managed to stabilize us enough to move forward. I looked down, focusing on my feet. With all the wind they didn’t want to move. Somehow I managed to will them forward. I didn’t have time to waste, I had to get Doug home. 

We trudged along the road, and it felt like hours had passed, though time was kind of a blur. My main focus was getting away from the truck and closer to our friends; I knew they'd be on their way. Taking a look around, the night stayed quiet, and the sky was clear, thankfully lit by the full moon. For some weird reason, my vision wasn't working so well. My right eye was blank, but the left was hanging in there. Squinting, I kept pushing forward against the wind. My whole body ached, and even breathing hurt. I managed only short, simple breaths. Eventually I shut out the pain, making myself ignore it. Right now it didn't matter. I'd deal with resting later. I had to get Doug home. 

Soon I realized I was standing still. The wind was blowing so hard now, I was merely anchored in a standing position holding Doug. I leaned forward as far as I could, forcing us to stumble ahead awkwardly. It was rough, but it helped us make progress. I had to get Doug home. 

I couldn’t move anymore. The wind was holding me still. But I had to get Doug home. I had to get Doug home. I had to get Doug home. I had to get Doug home. I had to get Doug home. I had to get Doug home. I WAS GOING to get Doug home. 

Finally a familiar sound buzzed in my ears with a muffled tone shaking me back to the present. Our friends had found us! Their vehicle descended down from the heavens. The large blades sliced through the air in a swift pattern as our friends landed only a few feet from where we stood. 

Instantly our friends rushed over to help. I tried to greet them, but for some reason words just wouldn’t come out anymore. Two of my friends instantly took Doug and carried him to the vehicle. Another friend hugged me and yelled something about how I was standing, but I didn't get what he meant. In this wind I was surprised how fast all my friends were moving. After securing Doug in the vehicle, they motioned to me to get in, but I shook my head and pointed to Chris. He took priority. After everything he had done, it was only right they helped him first. 

It was embarrassing as my other arm didn’t seem to be listening to me. They had to pry my hands off Chris so they could load him in the vehicle. Once they had Chris in the vehicle I was relieved. Next it was my turn. I felt light as a feather without Chris and Doug, but I still couldn’t move. Without hesitation, a couple of my friends got on either side and lifted me off the ground, loading me in the vehicle. 

Gracefully we lifted into the air. I spotted fireflies below in the distance, and I felt relieved to be away from the swarms. My friends wanted to assist me, but I declined and nodded toward Doug. They began tending to Doug's first aid, and he appeared to be doing better with their help.

Out of nowhere, I felt a fist tap my leg. It was Doug. He was lying down, but even with the mask my friends had on him, I could see him grinning. A tear rolled down his cheek. I grinned back and nodded. If I had the energy, I'd have given him a fist bump. But I was just too worn out. I leaned back and gazed out the large window. The sight was impressive, yet peculiar. Many trees spread across the countryside, but not a single one seemed to be stirring. It was an odd thing to notice. Had the wind finally calmed down?

None of that mattered. Doug was on his way home. He'd be with his family soon, who was eagerly waiting for him. Relaxing in my chair, I shut my eyes. All the pain was gone. I couldn't feel anything. Now, it was finally time to get some sleep.