Darkness Within

 

The small plant had somehow made it through the darkness, it was pitch black around it and yet, the tiny plant had stood the test of time.

“Darkness can’t do anything to me, I will make it through”

Darkness never subsided and neither did the will of the plant. It stood strong like a tree while the world around it withered without hope.

While time passed and there was a tiny glimmer of light in the distance and the plant wondered if this was going to be the end of darkness, however it was a very tiny blot of light moving slowly through the darkness, as the light came closer to the plant, it gave a shout “What are you?”

The light turned out to be a firefly and it came near the plant and said “I’m a firefly, just going around”

“I thought, that the sun has finally come up but it’s just you. Still, you’re a sight for these sore eyes”

“What happened? Haven’t you seen the sun?”

“It’s been dark here since a long time here, I can hardly remember the time when there was sunshine all around. I just have faint memories, I remember those noisy birds, the slimy worms in the ground and those pesky little animals who’d walk all over the place. But ever since the darkness came, I haven’t seen anyone.”

“You must be missing the light then?”

“I do, but I’ve got used to the darkness now. I just feel like the light is never going to come”

“Light isn’t too far now, it’ll be here soon. You should just give it some more time.”

“Are you being serious about this?”

“Yes, think of me itself. I’m the first light I guess you must have seen in a long time”

“Yes, you are. You’re not like the sunshine, yet your light is beautiful”

“Yes, just like me the sunshine is also going to come.”

“How are you sure about this though?”

“Did you expect me to come here now? Just like that sunshine is also going to be here soon, with all its glory. I’ve heard from others as well.”

“Is it really going to come? I can’t wait already”

“Slow down now, it’s going to be a while till the light comes back completely”

“Yeah, but it is going to come, that’s what I need”

“And, when it comes here, I’ll need a place to stay”

“You can stay on me, please make yourself comfortable on one of my leaves, I’m all here for you”

“Thanks, you’re so sweet”

“You are the one who bought light back into this darkness and I can do this much for you”

“Until the light gets here, I’ll be your light”

“Please never leave”

“I won’t, but right now I’ve to get somewhere, I’ll be passing by here regularly and I will stay with you when the light comes back completely”

The plant had never been this happy and this was a new kind of happiness which it had never experienced, the firefly and the plant talked for hours and in a long time, the plant was shining bright.

“I’ll need to take your leave, and I will be here when the light comes”

“Yes, I will be waiting for that but don’t forget me”

“I won’t, I will be dropping by soon”

The firefly flew away and the plant was once again left alone in the darkness but the plant was shining with light itself. And around it, the plant could only feel the light bought by the fly. And the plant began longing for company now more than ever.

Time passed by, the firefly would visit sometimes and the plant would ask about the light.

“When’s the light going to come?”

“As I said, it’s going to take some time”

“Until then, you won’t stay with me?”

“Yes, you’ll have to wait and also, please don’t think I will be here all the time. I might need to go some other places as well”

“But you...”

“I got carried away with the conversation that day, and I can’t confirm anything right now. Let’s see when the light comes”

“But how can you say that?”

“But that’s how I am, I’m sorry for saying that and giving you hopes, I will leave now, I need to go”

The fly left before the plant could even say anything.

The darkness was now becoming intolerable for the plant to stay in and the firefly’s visits begin to grow less and the firefly soon stopped visiting as well.

“I don’t think I can be in this darkness; with the light the firefly will also come back to me”

The darkness was engulfing the plant, and having grown used to the light of the firefly, the plant was not able to face the darkness, its will had reduced now.

“Light might come, but what if the firefly never comes?”

The light only seemed more further than ever now and the plant had been able to face the cold and darkness outside but the growing darkness within it was unbearable.

Many a times, the plant saw the firefly pass by it but the firefly didn’t even look at the plant even though plant kept screaming desperately to catch its attention. And the plant began to curl up.

“Firefly won’t come until the light comes and the light is never going to come and I can’t make it”

Sometime later, firefly passed by the plant again and it turned to look at the plant as it didn’t hear any screams from the plant.

The plant had withered away and the once strong plant had given up to the darkness.