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He tried to think back to when he saw fireflies for the first tiuely re some in a jar once
"Do you wanna see them up close?"
The words were out of hisHe’d heard his father, but at the salass to look at him "Could I?"
"Sure"
Exciteht of it made Carmine’s heart skip a beat It had been years since he felt anything close to that, and for a o outside?"
"Yes"
"But I’ed "Neither arounded, but he’d never let that stop hi, "If you’re sure"
He s him He wondered if maybe she shouldn’t do that, but it was a vast i hilad his father had already left, and returned to the third floor after finding an empty mason jar Haven stood in the salass
"Coht, he noticed she lingered outside the doorway, surveying thein? I know it’s a disaster"
"Oh no, it’s not that" She looked panicked "I didn’t know if I should"
"Well, we can’t go out the door, because o out up here"
Her brow furrowed "From the third floor? How?"
"You’ll see"
He watched her locked in an internal debate before ulti a step into the roos, she made her way to where he stood CareIt squeaked a bit but gave little resistance
Haven gaped at it "I didn’t think the s opened"
"They don’t," he said "Dom disabled this one froht My father’s never caught on since it doesn’t set off any alar for her to clih, and she stepped out onto the small porch that wrapped around the floor Car the balcony to a massive sycamore tree Thick branches extended toward the corner of the house, so close Haven touched so to broith autumn on the horizon
Car his breath as it landed in the grass with a thud Gripping the branch closest to him, he stepped over the banister and climbed into the tree "Coe "I don’t want to fall"
"You won’t"
"You swear?"
He chuckled "All the fucking ti the branch like he’d done and pulling herself over the banister Car done it dozens of times, and Haven carefully followed his path A round, she landed beside him on her feet
"See, that wasn’t so bad, huh?"
A hint of a srabbed the jar as Haven wandered a few steps away, her eyes darting around Fireflies continued to flash in the darkness, the brief glows illurew as she reached out for one, but she pulled her hand back quickly "They won’t hurt ht," he said "You’re probably ten tierous The word irl was a danger to his fucking sanity
She gently captured a firefly in her pal ran across her hand and took off froles erupted frouard It was the first ti himself out of his stupor, he handed her the jar "Here, catch a few"
Car fireflies through the yard He laughed as she fought to catch thehter ht when she le some into the jar She spun and twirled, juraced her lips
As he watched, Carirl he’d encountered that first day There was no aardness, the tension that radiated from her a distant memory Out in the yard, under the shine of the moon, she seemed relaxed and carefree
Haven sat down and spread out her legs, the lush grass tickling her feet She inhaled deeply, the cool night air a far cry fro up It sreen She’d never given the color ht before, but she realized it was , a taste, a srass and the shelter of the trees It was fresh It was co Green was happiness
Greenterrified her
The few trees she saw in Blackburn were barren, deforiant u above her
She stared at the jar in her lap, the half-dozen fireflies trapped inside flickering at regular intervals She found it strange the way they blinked in harmony, a silent ," she said, shattering the silence that had settled between them
Carmine pointed at the jar "I’lowy ass"
"And the others?"
"Ah, well, that one’s jealous, because it wanted the one with the nice ass," he said, pointing again "And the others are gossiping You knoho did here, when, what-the-fuck"
"I didn’t realize bugs were so scandalous"