Shell of Myself
At last I popped out of the ground. It was night with the sun having finished the day. Me and other Nincada have gathered. Today would be the day we would shed our skins and become Ninjask. That is why we can only do it at night. Nincada are required to stay underground for protection purposes.
A Ninjask, one of the leaders for our family, lead me down a lake. I could see others using my night vision I developed during my time inside the tunnels. Some looked nervous; others couldn't contain their excitement. I could see a few chatting with their buddies about what would they do when they would receive their wings.
We emerged into a clearing beside a black lake painted in a limelight road. I glanced up and saw that the glowing orb was full, the only time when the ceremony was to be held. A structure composed of leaves and sticks represented our god as a tribute to him sat in the middle
I looked around and could see many Ninjasks gathering other Nincada into groups of five. One Ninjask, my older brother, lead my siblings, all of us girls, and me into one area. He soon afterwards, and told us to stay put.
At the start of the clearing, the elder emerged. Too weak to fly anymore, he was carried by one of the stronger Ninjasks in the group into the center were the god stature stood. Dipping his wings, I could see him praying to the stature, muttering words unlike any used in our language system.
Finishing, he climbed back onto his bodyguard told us to pray and pray hard to guarantee evolution. He left with all Ninjasks following him.
In another group, I could see the Elder's children begin to pray. They were facing the stature and their eyes pointed toward the sky.
Slowly, everyone followed suit, praying hard and focus. I began to do so too.
Cinjask, can you hear me?
Thank you for all that you have done…
Giving life to us…
Giving wings to us…
Protecting us from fire and ice…
Protecting us from disease and sickness…
Letting our Elder to live a healthy, full life…
Letting us pray to you every single moment of every single day…
Thank you,
A warm glow wrapped around me. I could feel my body peeling off, and wings forming around my new body. As my old body slipped off the warm glow transferred to my old one.
The other ones have began to transform as well, having the same glow and getting a new body. As I watched them, I noticed that I was no longer on the ground; I was flying. I loved it. I flapped my wings faster and faster, and the others followed suit.
But as I moved my wings, something strange was happening to my old body. It was still glowing and it was…piecing itself together? The others now old bodies were doing that as well. Eventually my exoskeleton was completed. But even though the glow had disappeared, my old body remained white and pale. It also had sprouted a set of wings and a halo above its head, like an angel.
It followed the others to the center of the lake; there they began to, play? It mimicked the others and me when we were younger, sans the floating part.
The elder's grandchildren came toward me. That's your childhood skeleton, otherwise a ghost, they spoke. They told everybody that Grandpa spoke about this to them and that they would begin to act out our childhood tonight, but by mourning, they would leave to go to afterlife. We should leave, they said, and everyone agreed. We left stumbling somewhat because of our new wings.
That was several years ago, now I have passed on to afterlife as well. And as I rise to afterlife's gates of heaven, I spot my childhood ghost looking at me, happy that adult and child would meet again.