Glow

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window.

They had been walking for hours, feet blistered and bruised from tripping over rocks and brush. Beth noticed the sky was growing dark again, and couldn’t bear the thought of another sweaty and sleepless night outside with the bugs. No one expected them back for three more days… or was it two? “How long have we been out here?”, each wondered silently, failing to conceal their inner panic. Nights refused to cool, the air a warm and sticky breeding ground for the insects they swatted away futilely. Beth froze when she saw the light up ahead. Eric stopped too, touching her arm, “What is it?” “I see a cabin up ahead.” she replied, “There’s a light in the window upstairs.” Neither moved.

Beth broke the silence, “It looks like a candle. I can see it flickering.” She took a step, but Eric pulled her back. “Are you sure?” Beth squinted, “We have no choice, it’s getting dark again and the bugs are making it hard to see.” A silent understanding passed between them as they took a step forward. Beth guided Eric on a path around the side of the cabin, the first they’d seen in hours, and over the two steps to a door. “Hello?” She called out. “Is anyone there? We need help, we’re sick.” She knocked hard and rattled the heavy wood door in its frame. There was no answer. She shouted again as she twisted the knob frantically, but it wouldn’t open. “Who’s there? Please help us!” She moved her face closer to the door, the darkness was moving in fast. “It’s locked.” Eric slid against the wall and took a seat. “I’m so tired, Beth.” “I know, I know,” Beth said, voice choked with tears.

“There has to be a way in. I’m sure there’s a back door, or maybe an open window.” Beth stepped off the porch. “Beth, no, we need to go together.” Eric stood up unsteadily, relying on the wall behind him. Beth knew they had no time to waste, and being his guide slowed them down. “No, Eric, you stay here. Please, please.” she pleaded. “Please stay here, I will be right back. I love you so much, I will be back for you.” Eric nodded, “Don’t go far.”

----

Backpacking was something they were both experienced at, but not experts. It would be their longest hike yet, but when Eric heard about the fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains he knew they had to go.

“It’s so beautiful out here,” Beth said, elated as they embarked on the journey. “Three days in, three days out, one day at home for laundry. This is perfect.” Eric grinned as he swatted a gnat off his shoulder. He hadn’t told her about the fireflies yet, waiting to surprise her with the glowing at nightfall. “Enough time to wash all the extra underwear you made me pack in my bag,” he teased. Beth scoffed, “You’ll thank me in an emergency, you can never have too much.”

The first night in the woods was magical - they made it to camp later than planned and the heat was stifling, but it was more than worth it to hear Beth’s voice hushed with wonder as the last embers from the fire floated up and mixed with the hypnotic light of hundreds of dancing fireflies. Even the stray spark that landed on Eric’s face and nearly burned his eye couldn’t stop them smiling.

Later that night, Beth awoke to him tossing and turning. “Are you alright?” she tugged on his sleeping bag. He sat up, “Something's in my eye, it’s driving me crazy.” Beth grabbed the flashlight, “Look at me, maybe I can see it.” Eric opened his eyes wide towards her. “Which eye?” “The left.” She pointed the flashlight towards him, but it looked normal, pupil constricted from the light. “What does it feel like? An eyelash?” “No, it just feels like burning. Like when you look into the sun too long.”

Something moved across his eye as the flashlight burned out. “Fuck,” Beth whispered, hitting the side of the flashlight. “Where’s your flashlight?” “By the campfire, I think. Did you see anything?” Beth paused, “I think it’s just an eyelash.” Eric sighed, “Never mind, stay in here, I don’t want to let more bugs into the tent if we can help it. I can sleep.” “You sure?” “Yeah, I’m fine.”

The next morning his vision was blurry, and both eyes were badly swollen. They decided to cut their trip short and hike the almost 20 miles back to the car. But Eric had guided them up the day before and Beth hadn’t paid close attention to the trails, which were heavily overgrown and difficult to follow. This, combined with Eric’s worsening vision, meant they had to go slowly and weren’t even halfway down the mountain when they had to stop for the night and set up camp again.

They struggled to find a good camp spot, most of the area was too hilly or rocky. Eric did his best to clear the brush but soon grew frustrated trying to see. “It’s weird we haven’t met anyone else on the trails today. We could hardly find parking at the pass entrance when we got here,” Eric said. Beth had the same thought all day, hoping to pass another group of hikers who could help them. She was ashamed of her poor sense of direction. Eric always teased her for being perpetually lost, but this defect never posed any danger before now.

Fireflies swarmed around Eric as they struggled to set up the tent in the dark. After fighting with support poles and zippers for what felt like an eternity, they finally had to give up and threw their sleeping bags on the ground. Curled in against each other as tightly as they could they tried to sleep, but the flashing of the fireflies was impossibly bright and more than once Beth felt them landing on her face. What sleep she did get was filled with nightmares of Eric’s eyes teeming with insects.

Beth awoke to birds pecking at her sleeping bag. She sat up startled, reaching for her glasses. Something white covered her and Eric. Snow? In June? She swatted at the bag and felt something wriggling on her hands. It wasn’t snow. It was alive. Larvae. She screamed and flailed out of the sleeping bag. Eric sat up, confused. “What time is it?” Beth was frozen in place. “Eric. Can’t you see it?” Eric turned towards her voice, “See what? Where’s your flashlight? It’s so dark.”

Tears welled up in Beth’s eyes. “Eric, it’s morning. The sun is out.” She began to panic. “Get out of your sleeping bag! It’s covered in bugs.” She swatted away as much as she could and lifted him up. His face was still swollen but through his slitted eyelids she could see his eyeballs were swimming with something. She moved her face in front of his and stifled a scream. It was larvae. His eyes were filled with them. “We have to go. We have to find help.” He reached for her arm and they began to walk, Beth’s eyes burned as they headed towards the rising sun.

----

Beth slowly crept around the cabin looking into each window, but there was no movement inside. She had seen the candle in the upstairs window and thought there must be someone there. Who would leave a candle burning in their house? If they did leave, they must have left recently… and would surely be back soon. But they didn’t have time to wait.

Beth decided the only option was to climb to the window and get the attention of whoever might be there, or break in if she had to. All day she had squirmed and compulsively rubbed her eyes. Stopping to clean her glasses, she realized the blurriness was not smudged lenses. She could feel it was too late, but her body wouldn’t let her quit yet.

She stepped onto the railing on the back porch and struggled onto the roof next to the window. She knocked hard and yelled again: “Hello! Can you hear me? We need help! We need to get to a hospital!” She waited. Silence. She stood on the edge of the roof and leaned toward the window, holding on to the wide logs of the cabin to keep from slipping. As she got closer she could see what she thought was a candle was actually three separate lights - two above and one below. On tip-toe she strained forward as far as she could until the dark shape inside finally took form. It was someone slumped in a chair, unmoving. A body. A slack-jawed rotting skull filled with fireflies crawling in and out of the eyes and mouth, lights pulsing together in a twisted dance.

Horrified, she stumbled backwards and slipped off the roof. Eric heard her terrified scream, cut short by the sudden crack of bone hitting rock. “Beth?” He called out. “Beth, are you ok?! Beth!” He stumbled off the porch and ran toward the back, unable to see anything. Falling over a log he picked himself up again, breathing ragged and fast as the lights in his head grew brighter and began to move. Sprinting now he called out, again and again: “Beth! Beth! Can you hear me? Where are you? Oh my god Beth.”

The lights were flashing unbearably bright and the pain kept building. Mid stride, his foot sank through a hole, dislocating his knee as his leg disappeared below ground. He let out an anguished cry. Struggling to free himself, he slowly sank deeper into the earth as it collapsed around him. The bright writhing mass below was eager to accept his flesh. Clawing at the dirt, his screams were drowned out by thousands of buzzing wings.

Every year, hikers fill the Great Smoky Mountains to witness the fireflies. And the fireflies eagerly await their harvest.