Song Lyrics: Owl City - Fireflies
Character: Ashcroft

The character is copyrighted to me, the song to the band Owl City. It's best to listen to it while reading.

Short summary on Ashcroft:
Ashcroft grew up in the forest with a best friend named Zina. Zina disappeared one day, and Ashcroft, heartbroken, became a servant to the twin gods, essentially a monk or priest, hoping that he would be able to speak to her if she was dead, or find out where she was. Zina is dead, indeed, and she wishes to talk to him, but he doesn't have the power to see or speak with her.

Words in [brackets] are lyrics. Words in (parenthesis) are in Ash's head... or are they?

---

His head is lowered, the scent of roses inhaled. His tail gives a small wriggle as he daintily, ever so daintily, (be careful now) picks a single rose. He is careful not to hurt any of the other flowers, and walks away with it, murmuring a thank you to the bush that let him take it. He strides through the forest, head held high, prancing, but not proud or vain. (What's there to be proud of?) The does all giggle at him, after all, a bull with a rose could only mean he was giving it to someone, right? (No, not right.)

He stops by the twin god statues, eyes gleaming, tail wiggling in sheer excitement. He lays the rose between them, (be careful!) and the flower pricks him. A small dot of blood is on his lip, and he licks it up. (Can't be dirty for the gods now, can we?) He gives a gentle bow and apologizes for his lateness.

He turns to walk away, past the line of others ready to pray and worship.

(And Ashcroft?)

He turns, ears pricked.

(Say hello to Zina.)

He nods and leaves for the edge of the forest. When he arrives, he looks for the spot where the leaves and flowers gather (They always liked her) and lays beside it, eyes as level with the ground as he can make them. He bids her good evening, from both himself and the gods, and closes his eyes. One light, two lights, three, four. They buzzed about his head, speaking to one another, lights flashing and blinking. One lands on the leaf by Zina and he blows it gently away.

[You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep]

The fireflies themselves, each a glistening memory, whisper to him. (Get up, get up silly child of the forest! Come play with us!) He cannot, he tells them, he cannot. (Play with us, play!) He stands, thin legs weaker than usual from his recent fasting. They land on him, on his antlers and face and legs, and the strength he lost in his (horrible, horrible starvation) diet recently returns. Zina would have loved this, he tells himself. He prances about, each individual light passing by his face and blinking at him. He blinks back.

['Cause they'd fill the open air
And leave teardrops everywhere
You'd think me rude
But I would just stand and stare

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems]

The boy realizes what he is doing, and stops. The fireflies urge him to continue. (Come with us) He cannot, he simply cannot. (Please come with us Ash! We miss you!) 'And I, you,' he tells them.

'It hurts,' he tells them. They cling to him, hug him, hold him in their tiny arms. 'I cannot.' (If you can't come with us, we will leave, you know) He hesitates as they blink at him. 'I know, I know, and leave you must.'

['Cause I'd get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance

A foxtrot above my head
A sock hop beneath my bed
A disco ball is just hanging by a thread]

They pull him into a dance again, and dance he does. He can hear the flutes, feel them reverberate around him. The flies buzz their wings and guide him.

[Leave my door open just a crack
(Please take me away from here)
'Cause I feel like such an insomniac
(Please take me away from here)
Why do I tire of counting sheep
(Please take me away from here)
When I'm far too tired to fall asleep]

And suddenly, their warmth is gone. He sees them, in a stream of evening sunshine zipping around the canopy. His tail droops, his ears flatten, and he feels cold. Loneliness wraps itself around him like a frigid blanket, and he lays next to Zina, clearing his mind and closing his eyes, preparing for sleep.

[To ten million fireflies
I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes
I got misty eyes as they said farewell

But I'll know where several are
If my dreams get real bizarre
'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar]

An ethereal white fawn steps from the shadows. (Love you, Ash.) She blows, and with her breath comes a cloud of light: two fireflies. They land on his antlers, resigning to be his nightlight for the evening. He opens his eyes and glances up, seeing the pair. 'I suppose you'll be accompanying me?' he says to them. (Yes, goodnight.)

Goodnight, fireflies. Goodnight Zina.

The fawn giggles, and falls asleep as well.

[I'd like to make myself believe
That planet earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
Because my dreams are bursting at the seams]