Fireflies

“To… !” the little girl wanted to scream, the boy immediately covered her mouth.

“Woof…woof…woof… !” a dog approached them, out of nowhere.

"Kevin... whose dog is this? he kept barking.”

"Hus... go away!" Kevin tried to chase the aggressive dog away, but the dog seemed to be trying to tell him something.

“Woof… woof…”

“Kevin, I'm scared…”

"Hey... go away...!" Kevin started to get angry, he picked up a stone and threw it at the strange dog.

"Who is there ?" a scary man is seen, he is holding a firearm. The two boys hid and tried to cover their mouths tightly so as not to be discovered.

"Woof...woof..." The dog was now near the terrible man, the dog continued to bark with an angry expression.

"Damn dog..." the man was furious, he started making preparations to shoot the dog.

“Door….” Gunshots started to sound, but the dog managed to escape.

The man walked away in the darkness of the night, his footsteps were like those of a devil and his eyes were sharp and terrifying.

"Thank God he's gone, Lisa, are you still crying?"

"I...I want to go home..."

"Okay, the rain has started to stop. Let us go home !"

The two boys started walking away from that place. The little boy walked pensively, he imagined what happened earlier, without realizing that his female friend was far behind. The little girl turned around when she saw many fireflies flying around with bright lights on their bodies.

"Wow…. It's so beautiful, I'll catch one.” She said as she walked over to the group of fireflies near the old well.

A little boy was already there, he was sitting with his legs hugged. His body was soaked, and his face was deathly pale.

“Hey, what are you doing?” asked the little girl.

The boy didn't answer, he remained silent and his body was shaking. His mouth was tightly closed.

"I think I know you, you're my classmate, right? why are you here, let's go!" the little girl stretched out her hand.

The boy started to look at her with a cold gaze, he slowly held the little girl's hand.

“Your hands are so cold, you must be cold. Come on quickly..." said the little girl while walking quickly.

"Kevin... wait for me!"

"Hah ? what do you do there ?" Kevin asked.

"I saw a firefly earlier, suddenly I met him."

"Who ?"

“With our classmate, he was behind me.”

"Who ? You're not with anyone!"

The little girl began to realize that the boy she was referring to was no longer near her at the moment.

"Was...was he there? I held his hand, mu...maybe he's gone!"

"Who are you looking at?"

"Jack Louis, a boy who is very good at playing the piano."

“Oh... he lives next door, maybe he's already home. Hey…look what's in your jar.”

"Hah ? a...what? Wow... firefly, why did he get into my jar?"

"Weren't you the one who caught him?"

"No, I didn't catch it!"

"Then how could he have come in by himself, you must have forgotten that you caught him!"

"But I really didn't catch it!"

Kevin's thoughts continued to wander, it was as if he had gone back to the past. The memory made him feel tormented, a feeling of excruciating pain.

***

"Kevin, Kevin, why are you daydreaming?" Heriet asked with a confused face.

“Hah? W-what? What is it ?" Kevin was shocked, now he was starting to regain consciousness.

"You've been daydreaming all the time, what have you been thinking about?"

"N-nothing, what are we doing here?"

"How are you? did you forget? Don't we want to meet Jack?"

"Is it true ?"

"Geez Kevin, why are you suddenly in a daze like this? Are you okay ?"

"Oh yeah, sorry Heri, I forgot. Alright, let's go meet her.”

They were standing right behind Jack, Kevin was confused about what he should say to his old friend. Why is he only now coming to meet Jack, even though they used to be neighbors and close friends? Kevin didn't talk to him for almost 10 years.

Kevin's mouth felt stiff. When he saw Jack's back and Jack's gaze as he continued to look at the sun that was about to set, his heart felt very sore.

“Jack!” Finally the words came out of Kevin's mouth after 10 years of not calling Jack.

Jack turned his head, a cold face without the slightest expression radiating from his white face like snow in winter.

"Sorry if it's been a long time since I saw you, but can we talk this time?" asked Kevin. Heriet beside him did not dare to make a sound.

"What ?"

"Look, can you come to Melisa's house tomorrow night?"

"What for ?"

“It's Melisa's birthday tomorrow and we intend to celebrate it at her house. I'm sure you already know Melisa's current condition."

"No, I don't know."

“Se's sick Jack, she's quiet like a doll. Her eyes never close, her skin seems to crack and she always says your name. Please, tomorrow you come for her!"

"I can't."

"Why ?"

"She's not important to me!"

"But you are important to her, if you can't reciprocate her feelings for you, at least you respect her as the only woman who loves you. Tomorrow night we will be waiting for you!" said Kevin, he grabbed Heriet's hand to quickly leave that place.

Jack was silent, no one knew what he was thinking at the moment. Why can he be this insensitive? Even though there are girls out there who love him so much and are willing to feel excruciating pain just to be with him.

"Kevin?"

"Yes ?"

"Are you sure Jack will come tomorrow?"

"I'm sure, we'll see!"

“For some reason, my feelings when I was close to him were mixed, sad, afraid, all gathered into one. "Within the child it is as if there is an unsolvable puzzle," said Heriet.

"You're right Heri, the puzzle hasn't been solved until now. And the only person who can solve the mystery is Melisa."

***