^{If you missed the first book - Fireflies - you might want to start there. It's here in its completion, written for Steemit. If you enjoy it, feel free to ask to be added to the subscriber list for the sequel, where new chapters are being released daily.}

Foreword

Fireflies: Pupa

As she approached the stop sign at the end of the block, the car slowed. The click of the blinker urged her to turn left towards the highway. She'd heard enough of the song. It was time to let go of the past. As Talia turned off the radio, she reclined gently in the driver's seat and considered a new phrase. Three simple words...

"Maybe she did."

She thought back to the scene on the porch with the back and forth bickering between her and Bryd.

"Maybe she doesn't."

"Maybe she does."

Talia knew the conversation was never about the two singers being in love. She knew to whom it really referred. Her. Her inability to admit that human emotion. She never saw the need. If it was there, it was there. Why the necessity to say words? People were constantly saying words that they didn't mean, but actions? Actions were definitive.

She inhaled sharply at the memory. She did what she did because it made sense, because it needed to end, because she was capable, and because she...

Did she?

Well, maybe she did.

And now what difference did it make? Aria and Bryd were both gone. She hadn't returned to her world since the incident. At the time of the explosion, the only two physical bodies that were thrown were hers and Derek's. Bryd had been outside his body - just essence in the pool he had created. Aria had been absorbed protectively into Talia's body, but how strong had that protection been in the end? To be honest, Talia had never expected to survive the explosion herself. She had hoped that she wouldn't. She was tired.

In actuality, she didn't physically get tired. She was exhausted. Her body had the ability to process energy in the most unique way. The only time that she would be "tired" was if she had lost the will to cycle energy. Then, her stores would literally be exhausted in the truest sense of the word. Like a fire deprived of oxygen, would she just cease? She had never tested it, and never had any desire to - until now.

She supposed this was as human as she had ever felt. It seemed ironic that the emotions that she finally understood would cause her to contemplate leaving this human world for good. She sighed, wavering in her resignation. She didn't want to feel defeated, but she was. She had never understood the purpose of her gift, and the chance of some revelation now was unlikely. Derek had been at best narcisisstic and at worst - evil? She doubted that he would have ever made her into anything but his puppet. Bryd had insight, but he was green and untrained. She and Bryd had been like children, recklessly playing with abandon in a world where anything was possible.

Bryd.

Her heart contracted tightly. She refused to cry anymore. Crying wouldn't bring him back and it certainly wouldn't heal the loss of her beloved mother. She had to settle into this new existence and set a deadline for this mourning. She had the freedom and power to choose whatever life she wanted. But what did she want?

^{Thank you to @penderis for making my beautiful dreemgirl divider :)}

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