The Castle on the Edge of Night

Chapter 35. Pirroflies

But if I knew you would soon leave, 
then maybe I would have never danced. 

Stella and I stood in front of a wall. Tiny glowing flies darted around us illuminating the room. We were in the hallway that Astin brought me to when I first arrived at the castle, the one that led to the courtyard of the servant's quarters. We had reached the end wall. The one I tried desperately to escape from when I first came. I didn't tell Stella that though.

"So, Astin said he gave you some pirroflies."

"What?"

"You know, these little zippy glowing things," she pointed to the flies around us. "He told me he gave you some of his. I like to call them my little helpfuls. Cute little things aren't they? Astin said he gave you some of his. They'll grow and multiply all on your own, so you don't have to worry about raising them or anything. They're from a strong batch, lucky you."

"Oh, they disappeared," I said with a squeak. I turned to her. My words fell out of my mouth in a rush. "I'm sorry, I lost them, he... Astin... he gave them to me and I had them in my hands and they just vanished. I don't know what happened and..."

"Woah, woah! Relax, breathe! Calm down. I can see you are very upset but I can assure you that have no reason to be. Don't worry, they are not gone. We call them flies, but they aren't really insects at all. They live and flutter between the boundaries of worlds, shaped by your hope for their existence. They are only tangible when they need to be. At least, that's how the king explained them to us."

"What... what do you mean?" I said after taking a deep calming breath.

"Face the wall," she said. I did. "Now. Close your hand. Um... one of your hands. You don't have to do both. Just choose a hand, it doesn't matter, but do it tightly." I pressed the fingers of my left hand to my sweaty palm.

"Good. Good. Now. Focus on your hand. Inside of your hand. Feel it getting warmer. Alright. Now gently, very gently release your grip on your hand, but don't open it all the way, and while you're doing that, imagine tiny little flies buzzing around. Don't panic if you can't feel anything at first, we'll just try again."

At first I did not feel them, but slowly I felt my hand getting warmer, and warmer, until finally I felt something small hit my palm. One, and then another, little buzzing things bounced around in my hand. I looked down, and within my palm was a slight soft glow.

"Do you feel them in there?"

"I feel something," I gasped. "I feel something!" I said again excitedly.

"Good, good," Stella laughed. "Huh, you're better at this then I thought you would be. That's great! Don't let go just yet though."

"Okay... what do I do now?"

"Hold them your mouth. Yeah, like that. Good. Now, you've got to whisper to them. Tell them what they need to be," Stella said encouragingly. "You could talk to them by thinking you are talking to them. Without needing to actually say words, but I find saying the words help me imagine it more."

"Um... What they... need to be?" I asked uncertain. "The pirroflies? I don't quiet understand."

"Haha. Sorry. You'll see in a minute once it happens. I understand it's a bit odd. But, um... let's see. Right now, my little guys are just zipping around being light. I told them, that I wanted them to light up the area around me. So off they went to be little lights. I mean, they can't be everything, we'll go through the basics with you later, but for now we'll go with what we need. And what we need here is a door. Tell them to be a door."

"Can they be a door to anywhere?" I said.

"Haha, I wish! That would make life so much easier. No, unfortunately. The castle's walls are mostly linked to where they need to be. The pirroflies will only take you where the walls lead. I have to say though, only some of our walls are like this. You'll have to learn where they are. Other doors are not so simple, like the tapestry ones. Anyway, this is a safety measure, of sorts. With the pirroflies, because only those in the castle will have them. It prevents, things from... getting out and in."

What from getting out and in?

"Well, okay, next step. You need to whisper to them. Tell them they need to be a door to this wall."

"Be a door to this wall," I whispered awkwardly into my closed hand.

"Good, keep wishing, in your mind. Hold the thought in your heart. Keep thinking that they are going to be a door. And now blow," Stella said.

I blew into my hand.

Tiny glowing flies flew out from my palm scattering around in a cloud in front of me. There were more flies then could have possibly fit into my palm. A lot more than I think Astin gave me. I stood shocked as they balled up in front of me. Then suddenly all of them darted together and crashed into the wall.

I gave an involuntary jerk as I watched the collision. They seamlessly fused with the wall, creating a glowing rectangle. Creating a door.

Stella gave a low whistle. "Job well done kid!" She patted me on the shoulder. I felt a surge of pride. "You don't have to worry about retrieving them. They'll always come back to you. Now, shall we see if it works?" She took my hand and pulled me into the glow.