A Kingdom of Our Own

Chapter One - Campout

A light layer of fog gathered across the fields as darkness set for another cool mid-spring evening. The mist didn’t completely obscure the view ahead, it just made one’s sight a little more hazy and uncertain. Amongst all this haze though, there was still one sight that remained clear to the human gaze; the night’s sky above which was bright and full of life under the soft, calm glow of the moon. It was an extraordinary, breath-taking sight to say the least, one of the greatest natural beauties the planet has to offer. You certainly could just lay there, gazing up at it wide-eyed for hours on end without getting bored or fidgety in the slightest. There was simply so much wonder, so much uncertainty on what dwelled up there that it seemed ready to inspire many generations to come, just as it had to its predecessors.

It must be noted though that it wasn’t the glow of the moon that helped to light the path ahead. In fact it was something much closer, something alive. To put it bluntly, the air was buzzing with life. In technical terms they were fireflies. There were thousands of them in number, each one part of a mass flock which helped counter the darkness of the night. Even in these large swarms, there was nothing aggressive about them in the least. In fact, if anything, their presence added to the sense of peace and wellbeing in the vicinity. Nature itself was working as a collective society.

With the visual aid of these spectacular bugs, straining to see through the mist, a single, rather peculiar shape could be distinguished. It was a small, two-person tent with a cone-like structure, composed of light, spotted fabric. Admittedly, all the credit couldn’t be given to the fireflies. The rays of torchlight visible from within also made it a little easier to locate and see to a greater extent what was going on.

From the observation of the shadows within, it appeared that there were two, seemingly young individuals inside. Both were wrapped loosely in their duvets, laying down as if they had all the time in the world, with not a worry about them. The one figure, the larger of the two was talking. The other listened intently, with great interest one would assume.

After a little more talk, he yawned and to pass the time mimicked with his fingers the movements of a bird in mid-flight. The shadow puppet danced wildly under the torchlight and the younger boy watched it with glee, clapping his hands for more. It was obvious, just from this initial glance that he relied on the older boy a great deal, depending on his support and advice no matter what the circumstances were or how far from home he found himself.

The boy repeated the shadow puppet once more and then asked with much excitement, “Hey, do you wanna let it out now?” In quick, eager response to this, the other boy nodded. They slipped out of the comfort their duvets and began to crawl out of the tent with slow caution. Their reaction was certainly queer, acting as if they were in a war zone, leaving their sphere of influence for a land of many perils.

Just to the rear of the tent there was a steady bank which gave way to a truly stunning view of the expanse of fields surrounding them. It was here that they sat.

The elder of the pair now held something tightly in his grubby hands, it coming into sight as he crawled to the other’s side. It was a bottle, like what they put sweets in in a Victorian sweet shop, although this one didn’t contain winter warmers. This bottle was filled with light. Inside it was a single, lone, firefly. The younger boy nodded, urging the other on and slowly, he twisted open the bottle.

The firefly was quick to take flight, free at last. For a moment it remained as its own distinct source of light, independent to its kind. It hovered in front of the boys faces, within their grasp for a second longer and then flew off, out into the distance. Soon it had become nothing more than another firefly in the massed flock, lacking any flair or personal identity. It must be stated that both of the boys witnessed the events with a certain degree of wonder, although the younger was more taken aback.

It was a little while later; when all the hype had worn off about the firefly that the boy pleaded to his elder “Tell me another story”. In response to this, the other boy simply raised an eyebrow tiredly and said rationally “I think it’s time for you to tell me a story.”

For a moment he sat there wide-eyed and gasped. He? Tell a story? What adventures did he have to tell? He’d experienced very little in his short lifetime, let alone anything of interest. But eventually, with a little reluctance he conformed, saying “Ok then, here it goes…”