Short story- Let the water drip

Let the water drip

"Akira?" Moiko whispered. "Will you tell me a story?"

The campfire was burning bright, but not bright enough.

"Of course." Akira looked up into the starry sky.

"Once there was a little fairy called Tira. She had her own little flower that she took care of. Every night, Tira would go out to the flower, look up to the sky and sing:

'Drip drop drip drop,

let the water drip its drops.'

Drops would start to drip from the sky, watering the little flower. But to do so, Tira gave one day of her life, each time she made the water drip. The other fairies told her she was stupid, to focus so much on one flower, and give away your own life, just to keep the meaningless flower alive. They didn't understand Tira, or her bond with her flower..."

Moiko started coughing heavily.

"Shhh... it's gonna be okay... it's almost over." Akira held Moiko even tighter to herself, trying to transfer some of her body warmth over to Moiko.

"But one day, a terrible thing happened in Tira's forest. A fire burst out, and was burning all the trees. Tira ran with tears in her eyes to her little flower. She and her flower were surrounded by fire. Tira knew she was going to die. But then, the little flower bent down, and opened it's crown. Little Tira crawled inside, and the crown closed again. Tira fell asleep in the warmth of her little flower.

An uncertain amount of time later, Tira woke up. The flower crown opened, and Tira stepped outside. All the trees and the plants were burned and dead, so were the other fairies. Only a small patch of grass around Tira and her flower was untouched by the fire. Tira started crying..."

Moiko coughed again, and started breathing heavily.

"Shhh... only a little bit longer...

A flower petal fell to the ground next to Tira.

'No! My little flower!' Tira cried out.

'Drip drop drip drop,

let the water...'

The flower stopped her. It pointed at all the other plants around them. It wanted her to water them, to save them. Tira stood up, wiping away her tears.

'Drip drop drip drop,

let the water drip it's drops.'

She sang, bringing back to life a field of daisies.

'Drip drop drip drop,

let the water drip it's drops.'

A big tree next to Tira came back to live, stretching it's branches high into the air. And so on went Tira through her forest, slowly but steady bringing all of the plants and trees back to life.

When the day had passed, Tira was exhausted. She knew, she had used up all her days, except the one she was living. Tira managed to crawl back to her flower, which opened it's crown to Tira who managed with difficulties to crawl inside, and sing her song one more time for her dear flower:

'Drip drop drip drop,

let the water drip it's drops.'

The night was quiet. No more heavy breathing. It was finally over.

"Drip drop drip drop..." A tear ran down Akira's face.

"Let the water drip it's drops."