Firefly Beach [NOOK Book]

Read an Excerpt

She noticed the firefly swirling and swooping near the cliff. A sweet sadness resonated in its graceful movements. Beth decided that the firefly was, like herself, a loner, mourning for what had slipped from her hands--or wings, in the case of the firefly--yet filled with hope for what lay ahead. "What are you hoping for, firefly?" she whispered. Then she laughed. "Have I become so pathetic I'm talking to insects?" She stood, collected the mug and coaster from the coffee table, and turned toward the kitchen.

Out of the corner of her eye, Beth saw the firefly zoom at what seemed like a hundred miles an hour, covering the distance in a fraction of a second, flying straight up to the window and then disappearing, dropping out of sight. Slowly Beth turned to face the window, her heart pounding in her ears. She no longer saw the firefly circling near the coast. Except for the waxing moon, it was dark behind the cottage, all the way to the horizon.

Beth shuddered, staring out the window for several minutes. Her face had grown ashen, and her heart continued to pound mercilessly. When she was able to pull herself away, she dashed upstairs, turning on lights as she ran. The creaking of the stairs frightened her so she doubled her speed taking them two at a time. When she reached the bathroom, she shuffled through her cosmetic bag looking for her emergency stash of anti-anxiety medicine.

This is ridiculous. She gazed in the mirror after downing two pills and splashing her face with water. You are a grown woman afraid of the dark ... or afraid of a dancing speck of light ... Your imagination is playing tricks on you, she thought with some uncertainty. It was ametaphor. Think about it; something about being a lonely firefly going up in a burst of flames. It's just a bunch of nonsense.

After giving herself a good scolding, or more likely, after the anxiety medication began to take effect, Beth tiptoed through the house turning off lights before she cozied up under the covers.

It was nothing, she reminded herself before drifting off into a drug-induced sleep.