In a calm little pond beneath the lily pads, a group of water beetles lived quiet lives. Occasionally, one would climb a reed and disappear forever. No one returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey must be gone for good,\u201d the others whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But one curious beetle, named Luma, was different. \u201cI\u2019ll go,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I promise\u2014I\u2019ll come back and tell you what I find.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She climbed the reed, slowly. At the top, warm sunlight wrapped her like a blanket. She fell asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When she awoke, she was\u2026 changed. Wings of light stretched from her body. She was no longer crawling\u2014she was flying.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n She danced through the air, soared over trees, touched clouds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She remembered her promise. \u201cI must go back!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But her new body couldn\u2019t return beneath the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then she understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey\u2019ll come too, one day. When they\u2019re ready. Just like I did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So she flew above them, watching with love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And every now and then, a ripple below would catch the light just right\u2026 and for a moment, those below would feel it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A whisper:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not gone.
I\u2019ve just learned to fly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\naudio version:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n