Information

Brighde has a minion!

Minion the Flurri

Brighde
Legacy Name: Brighde

The

Glacier Illumis
Owner:

Celt

Age: 8 years, 4 months, 3 weeks

Born: December 23rd, 2015

Adopted: 8 years, 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Adopted: December 23rd, 2015

Statistics

Level: 40
Strength: 101
Defense: 101
Speed: 96
Health: 98
HP: 95/98
Intelligence: 34
Books Read: 30
Food Eaten: 0
Job: Scuba Instructor

CREDITS

Profile template (c)

helix (get it)
Story by

Celt.
Read the aftermath here.
Frozen pond photo by Lara Baeriswyl.

the Winter Moths

The pond looked so serene in December. A thin layer of ice covered the otherwise generally murky pond, giving it a smooth and soothing appearance. The autumn debris and leaf matter on the ground was covered in powdery snow.

Two small moths flew past her, seemingly chasing each other. “Operophtera brumata. Just about the only moth you’ll find in winter.” She could remember Christopher’s steady voice explaining to her. Brighde had adored listening to him. She knew students often joked about his obsession with insects, particularly moths and butterflies, but the warmth and calmness of his voice was like a soothing balm to her bruised soul.

Her hand froze in mid-air as she instinctively reached for the moths. Her breath halted for a bit. He would never lecture about his passion again. He would never again hold her hand and gaze out over the pond with her.

He was gone.

Stupid girl. Stupid, stupid stupid girl! How could she have let herself get to this point? But it was all she’d ever known. The sweet words. The presents. The reassurance of love. Then the yelling. The reproaches. The endless lists of mistakes she made, had made, will make. The bottles being smashed against the wall. The flurry of fists. And then the sweet words and the presents again.

Her parents were like that. She thought that was just how people expressed their love. She hadn’t known any better. When she first started dating Frank, at 17 years of age, she felt someone finally cared about her after the disinterested neglect from her parents. Where have you been? Who have you been talking to? I’m just concerned about you. I need to know where you are. I’ll take care of you. You don’t need anyone else. And suddenly she found herself married to a man a decade older, in a strange town miles away from home, with no friends.

Her world became tiny. Home. Grocery store. Home. Frank. Most days she would see nothing other than the brown walls of their tiny house, and Frank. When she finally voiced her loneliness, he exploded. Why are you saying this? Am I not enough? Can’t you see what I’ve sacrificed for you? No one will ever love you like I do. She had never seen him cry before. She felt wretched, not for the bruises he left on her arms, but for her own ingratitude and insensitivity. This was the only man who ever loved her, who ever would love her, how could she not appreciate him?

But the loneliness stayed. It wasn’t until Frank lost his job that that changed. When the fridge had been empty for a while, he actually encouraged her to get a job. She found one as a teaching assistant. It didn’t earn her much, but it was enough to pay for the rent, some basic groceries, and Frank’s beer. Losing his job had hit him hard. And as a result, he hit her hard. The drinking got worse. After the beatings would come the apologies. The reassurances that he loved her, but she was just too clumsy. That he just wanted what’s best for her, and if only she would obey… With the apologies came the presents. Some roses. A beautiful blue dress. A puppy.

Having friends was still out of the question, but her loneliness disappated. When home became too much, she could walk and talk with her new dog. A creature to care for, who would not berate her about the food not being absolutely perfect, or his bed not being immaculate, or not getting enough attention. The dog was grateful for everything and anything she gave it.

Not only that, her teaching job meant she had colleagues to talk to. She particularly loved listening to the quirky biology teacher, with his obsession for bugs, his soft smile, and his empathy. It brightened her day. But is also broke down her world. What if there was another man who cared about her?

She had asked for some distance over the summer break, to decide what she wanted. The answer was not what he'd hoped. No one was safe from Frank. She wasn’t. The dog wasn’t. And Christopher certainly wouldn’t be, if Frank ever found out. She couldn’t bear the thought of Christopher being hurt. But she couldn’t explain that to him. Was it shame? Something else?

She saw it in Chris’ eyes when she told him she would no longer see him. Something must have snapped in his head. She knew it was her refusal that drove him into desperation. It was her wretchedness that had droven Chris to…

The thin layer of snow was pristine. Perfect. Peaceful. She followed the small path to the pond not far from the school. The walk would clear her mind, surely. She took a deep breath of the crisp air.

...

Her hand reached for the moths. She could almost touch them. She wanted to be up there, with them. She stepped onto the thin ice. It creaked under her brown boots. She didn’t care. She took another step. And another. Until in the middle of the pond, it could hold her weight no longer. As she looked up, sinking into the icy water, she could just see the two moths flying overhead. Fluttering. Floating in the sky. No worries except to feed, fly, reproduce, die. Such a simple existence. Such a peaceful existence. If only she could be there.

A winter moth.

Pet Treasure

Pet Friends

Mochrie
I am sorry. I am so, so sorry, Christopher.