The Lingering Butterfly

Excerpt from THE WELCOME INN

It was a butterfly, with a metallic blue hue in its fluttering wings. It ran desperately for the flowers, the scent of the pollen driving it insane with lust, a desire to touch those raw, sweet, colourful petals that swayed so seductively in the teasing wind. The butterfly hopped about, but...it never landed anywhere.

Seeing its presence had brought a new kind of joy to the already corrupted day of Charles, and seeing something so lighthearted and beautiful rekindled a fire in him that had died long ago.

Finally, much to Charles' pleasure, the butterfly landed on a bright pink flower, and as soon as its legs touched the petals, the butterfly burst into flames. It squealed in agony as the fires consumed him.

Charles ran to the creature, which had now fallen on the ground, its body decomposing, and the black and blue wings having folded up and died. He cupped the butterfly in his hands, confused and at a loss for words, but no words were necessary, not were the tears that had begun erupting from his eyes, for in a matter of seconds, a strange glow of faint white light emanated from his hands, and as Charles opened them to his amazement, the light shining over his bewildered young face, and the butterfly had been reborn. It spread out its big and shining wings, and fluttered from his hands, where it hovered in front of him, and then it spoke.

"Charles. I am the Lingering Butterfly, a creature tormented to live a life of procrastination. The gods have cursed me with this bed of moonflowers, and if I could I would bask in their scents and colours and their soft delicate words of kindness. But alas, I cannot touch anything, or my own sin shall consume me in an eternal fire of damnation. My body aches and turns to ash, and then I am reborn. I am forced to relive this. My sin was that I lingered too much, always leaving joys behind and thinking of the next day, instead of this. And now..."

It dropped its head, and flew off into the night sky, lost in the wind.

Charles collected himself and stood up, feeling the creaks in between his knees.

He turned around, where ___ was standing.

"What is this?" Charles asked, raising his hands in exclamation.

And with that, he walked off, hands in pockets, not wanting to hear anymore.

Author's Note

Just like the Guilt piece, this one should be called Linger, another one of the main character's imaginings, from that larger story, The Welcome Inn, the details of which had accumulated to quite a lot of material. At the time of writing this, I believe I was still inspired by the Orpheus & Eurydice myth. At one point, I was even set on getting a tattoo with the lyric 'Goodbye Forever' - it was an animation featured on a Greek myth site intended for children, with this particular story having all the characters resembling hippies - along with a Ulysses butterfly. I don't know how the butterfly came into the picture, but it did. In this case, I wouldn't doubt if it had something to do with a Pandora's Box theme, with this resembling hope. It's certainly clear that that's where my inspiration always lay, that is, Greek myth, especially with the whole trials and punishment thing.

That being said, I would go so far as to say that this piece shows best whatever style my writing has taken over the years: Beatrix Potter, JK Rowling, and old classic, mostly translated, fairy tales.

I also wished it to be more apparent that this entire scene was happening at night.

Written 21 April 2010.

Reviews

[MomzillaNC]

I loved this piece. It's well written, expect for a few obviously careless grammatical errors.

[Mr. Misanthrope]

If you're feeling up to it, please point them out :) I'm never too bugged by grammar, so long as it's readable. Spelling mistakes are another matter.

[MomzillaNC]

It was a butterfly, with a metallic blue hue in its fluttering wings. It [ran] ---- butterflies don't run ---- desperately for the flowers, the scent of the pollen driving it insane with lust, a desire to touch those raw, sweet, colourful petals that swayed so seductively in the teasing wind. The butterfly [hopped] ----- hopped doesn't fit the butterfly imagery ------ about, but...it never landed anywhere.

Seeing its presence had brought a new kind of joy to the [already] ----- seems a superfluous word to the meaning ------ corrupted [day of Charles,] ----- might be better read as "corrupted day. Charles," ------ and seeing something so lighthearted and beautiful [rekindled a fire in him that] ------ if the fire died, it couldn't be "rekindled." Maybe "rekindle a fire in him he thought" ------ had died long ago.

Finally, much to Charles' pleasure, the butterfly landed on a bright [pink flower, and] ----- better read as "…pink flower. And," ------- as soon as its legs touched the petals, the butterfly burst into flames. It squealed in agony as the fires consumed [him.] ----- you've been using the gender neutral pronoun for the butterfly, which I feel makes it's plight more universal.

Charles ran to the creature, which had now fallen on the ground, its body [decomposing, and the] -------- "decomposing. The… " --------- black and blue wings having folded [up and died.] ------- "up as it died." ------ He cupped the butterfly in his hands, confused and at a loss [for words, but no words] ------- "for words. But, no words…" ------- were [necessary, not were the tears that had] ----- "necessary. Tears had…" -------- begun erupting from his [eyes, for in] ---- "eyes. Yet, in…" ------- a matter of seconds, a strange glow of faint white light emanated from his [hands, and as] ------ "hands. As…" ------ Charles opened [them to his] ------- "them, to his" ------ amazement, the light shining over his bewildered young [face, and the] ------- "face, the" ------- butterfly had been reborn. It spread out its big and shining wings, and fluttered from his hands, where it hovered in front of him, and then it spoke.

"Charles. I am the Lingering Butterfly, a creature tormented to live a life of procrastination. The gods have cursed me with this bed of moonflowers, and if I [could I would] ----- "could, I would" ------- bask in their scents and colours and their soft delicate words of kindness. But alas, I cannot touch anything, or my own sin shall consume me in an eternal fire of damnation. My body aches and turns to ash, and then I am reborn. I am forced to relive this. My sin was that I lingered too much, always leaving joys behind and thinking of the next day, instead of [this. And now..."] ---- this… of now…'"

It dropped its head, and flew off into the night sky, lost in the wind.

Charles collected himself and stood up, feeling the [creaks in between his knees.] ----- "creaks of his knees."

He turned around, where ___ was standing. ------ put in a name (Parvani happens to mean butterfly).

"What is this?" Charles asked, raising his hands in exclamation.

And with that, he walked off, hands in pockets, not wanting to hear anymore.

[Mr. Misanthrope]

Much appreciated.

[MomzillaNC]

You're welcome. Hope that was helpful.