The Explorer
Philippians 4:13
“I am a butterfly.” I spoke, slowly stepping in rhythm to the beat of the Moon Flower Song. “I am a butterfly…” I repeated. “You don’t move like one.” My older sister spoke, “I mastered the Butterfly Dance years before I was your age, Lonny.” “Be quiet, Rue!” I raised my voice a little, “I’m trying to focus!” “Butterflies do not speak,” my grandmother spoke, slapping the back of my hands and legs with a wooden cane, “Fix your posture.”
Rue stood there with a smirk, and I couldn’t take much more of them. I ran off yelling, “Who needs a stupid ceremonial dance anyway!” Out of spite, I found the family sword, and ran away with it. What I didn’t know was that days later, my family home would be ransacked, and without a weapon to protect them, they were defenseless. The grief struck me to my core, and I cut my eyes and swore vengeance on the people who took my family away. As the fountain of blood and tears reached the ground, I remembered a time when I was younger…
“Hey, Rue…Why does the moon change every night?” I asked. “Well, it is because she’s afraid.” She answered, “Afraid that she cannot keep up with her sister, the Sun. So, she tries to impress the world below by changing her appearance.” I frowned, “But Sis…why? I mean that’s so sad…”
She replied, “That’s why we do the Butterfly Dance, the Moon loves it, and it makes her forget all of her worries, even if it’s only for a single night.” “Sis, I want to make the Moon happy! And you too! I’ll make the whole world love the moon!”
As I snapped back to reality, I took my coat and ripped it, wrapping the cloth around my eyes, “I will make the whole world know.” Then as if by some kind of miracle, I could hear better. My hearing was good enough to help me find my way around. I went back to my old family home later that week and trained by memory how to properly do the Butterfly Dance.
Once I mastered it, I realized that it was not just a dance, but a form of swordsmanship. And I fell to my knees, “Why?” I wondered, “Why didn’t I stay home?”
As I was sobbing, I heard footsteps. “Lonny, is that you?” A familiar voice spoke. “Ken?” “What the heck happened to you?” Ken questioned.
Rue stood there with a smirk, and I couldn’t take much more of them. I ran off yelling, “Who needs a stupid ceremonial dance anyway!” Out of spite, I found the family sword, and ran away with it. What I didn’t know was that days later, my family home would be ransacked, and without a weapon to protect them, they were defenseless. The grief struck me to my core, and I cut my eyes and swore vengeance on the people who took my family away. As the fountain of blood and tears reached the ground, I remembered a time when I was younger…
“Hey, Rue…Why does the moon change every night?” I asked. “Well, it is because she’s afraid.” She answered, “Afraid that she cannot keep up with her sister, the Sun. So, she tries to impress the world below by changing her appearance.” I frowned, “But Sis…why? I mean that’s so sad…”
She replied, “That’s why we do the Butterfly Dance, the Moon loves it, and it makes her forget all of her worries, even if it’s only for a single night.” “Sis, I want to make the Moon happy! And you too! I’ll make the whole world love the moon!”
As I snapped back to reality, I took my coat and ripped it, wrapping the cloth around my eyes, “I will make the whole world know.” Then as if by some kind of miracle, I could hear better. My hearing was good enough to help me find my way around. I went back to my old family home later that week and trained by memory how to properly do the Butterfly Dance.
Once I mastered it, I realized that it was not just a dance, but a form of swordsmanship. And I fell to my knees, “Why?” I wondered, “Why didn’t I stay home?”
As I was sobbing, I heard footsteps. “Lonny, is that you?” A familiar voice spoke. “Ken?” “What the heck happened to you?” Ken questioned.
