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The Lantern Festival (7): Scientists have been hard at work trying to understand the strange, glowing qualities of the luminescent caterpillars found in the caves by the reservoir. The caterpillars still shrivel up if they are taken out of the caves but their glowing secretions have been processed into an organic paste that can withstand the outside world. The city is selling paper lanterns infused with various seeds. The glow paste is full of minerals to support healthy plant growth without risking damage to the environment; all lantern purchases come with a small packet of activating power that will heat the paste up enough to mimic the effects of a candle without the concerns of flammability. When the glow paste loses its heat, the lantern will return to the Earth and upon the first rain (or any contact with water) the paper will dissolve and the seeds may begin to grow. All proceeds from the lanterns are put right back into the community to support local conservation and environmental protection efforts.
These lanterns were, Del thought, pretty clever little contraptions. And a rather neat way to take advantage of the City’s Seasonal Weirdness. She’d bought a few lanterns and had driven out to the beach near the reservoir in order to let them loose. She’d wanted to be alone with her thoughts for this. Maybe the lanterns’ makers hadn’t put them together expecting them to be used for much more than nice visuals, but she’d fully intended to send hers up with some purpose. With intention.
And right now, that intention was saying farewell, symbolically at least, to her current life. She knew that she would purify, even if she didn’t know when. But she knew it would have to be soon. She felt that she’d probably pulled about as far as she could on the metaphorical leash. She’d done what she had been able to as far as insuring the safety of her friends and family. It wasn’t as much as she might have liked, but it was better than nothing. When the time came, and it was coming, she’d be as mentally prepared as possible to say goodbye. Or so she kept telling herself. With that thought, she tore open the first packet of activating powder and sprinkled it over a lantern. As it began to glow, she gave it a gentle bounce with her hands to help it move upwards. As it floated, she watched it as the breezes carried it this way and that. She was going to miss her family, but better that they be sad to lose her than being murdered before her eyes. Same with her friends at the club. Sure, she’d still be able to go and maybe even re-be-friend them, but it wouldn’t be the same.
No, she thought, it might be better because I won’t be stuck hating myself.
The first lantern had mostly vanished from view. Time to send the second one up. This one didn’t have quite the oomph of the first, but after a few minutes, it finally began to gain altitude until it got even higher than the first and hovered over the water like a star. She had no idea where her homeworld was, but she’d be able to see it and interact with it once she was free. A whole goddamn planet just for her… It was an intoxicating thought. What would being free be like? She suspected that Maus, Saiph and Ekstrom would all be pleased with her. But would she remember them? She’d heard rumors that the ones who were brought over from the other side lost a lot of memories in the process. She didn’t want to lose the few people or Order’s side that she could call friend. But even if she might forget them, they’d remember her, wouldn’t they? Ugh, now she was just getting maudlin. No, she needed to focus on the good that would come.
The third and last lantern sailed upwards gracefully and was lost to sight much faster than the other two. But she stayed where she was, just thinking. No, she didn’t know when she’d end up running. Or what would finally trigger it. But at least she could take some comfort in knowing that she’d done what she could to make it safer for the people she loved.
That was all she could do, really.
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