The sun was well below the horizon by now and the stars were bright in the sky. A slightly yellow full moon lit up the field and all around it. A large plantation house sat near the fields, the doors open and lanterns lining the porch. Two young couples sat on the steps of the porch. They sat quietly by their spouses smiling and watching the quick and hardly visible movements of their children playing in the dark. Two blonde children, one girl and one boy, both the same age. They had been born hardly even a month apart and had been inseparable since then.
They were entertaining themselves with a form of tag. The boy was "it" at the moment. He was at an unfair advantage however because he did not have to run in a petty coat and gown. The little girl hiked her skirt up slightly to make it easier to run but it was to no avail. The boy grabbed her shoulder. "Ha! Got you!" he cheered and then turned to run. The girl giggled and quickly wrapped her arms around his middle and tugged him to the ground. "No fair!" the boy yelled. She didn't speak just smiled and then ran away. The girl's mother sighed and her father laughed along with as the boy's parents.
Soon the boy was after her again. Her curly blonde locks bounced as she ran. He reached out to grab her but was not quite close enough. Then suddenly, she stopped. The boy ran right into her and they both hit the ground. Before either of them could process what had happened the girl pointed to the reason she'd stopped. "Look!" she cried out cheerfully. She pointed at a teeny tiny flashing light, floating in the air in front of her.
The boy's eyes went wide. They were young yet and had not been introduced to fireflies. "What is it?" he asked, reaching towards it. More appeared gradually. Out of nowhere the boy was lifted up and set on his father's shoulder.
"They are called fireflies." The boy's father answered and he glanced at his wife.
The girl's parents joined them a moment later. Her father lifted her up. "They're magic you know." He told the children. The girl's mother smiled.
"They are?!" The children asked in sync.
The boy's father nodded in confirmation. "Of course they are. They say that if you catch one with your hands, you'll have good luck." He added.
The children looked at each other in excitement and then scrambled to the ground. For almost an hour they chased the little bioluminescent bugs around in hopes of catching one. Their efforts were fruitless and neither could get their tiny hands on a bug.
"Sarah dear, we've got to go!" the girl's parents yelled. She paid them no mind but both kids were about to give up anyway.
"Come on, Gabriel, it's getting late!" the boy's mother called. The boy sighed and turned to head to the porch.
"I got one!" the girl cried suddenly. He turned around and rushed over to her. Their parents made their way over as well.
"Good job Sarah, now you'll have good luck!" the boy's father told her. She smiled and looked down at the glow in her hands.
"Alright, let it go now." Her mother told her. The bug flew off as she un-cupped her hands. She watched it fly slowly away. The girl's father picked her up.
"Bye Gabe." She said, waving to the boy. She yawned and closed her eyes as she put her head on her father's shoulder.
"Bye Sarah." The boy replied quietly.
The two couples said their goodnights and then headed off to their own houses.
