By Tash Day

Emil had chosen to go a different way today.

He normally spent his days playing in the ocean. He loved the powerful waves that crashed around him as he navigated his way through the surf. He felt brave in the sea. He knew it well. There was something about the power of the water that intrigued him and called him back day after day.

But today felt different.

Instead of walking towards the beach, he stepped out the back of his house and walked towards the forest.

He kicked a small stone along the path as he went, humming gently to himself, watching the world around him. So many colours reflected back to him. Every shade of green. Tall swirls of brown from the tree trunks. Small dots of pink and purple from flowers in bloom.

And then he saw it.

A flicker of gold.

Something was dancing in the sunlight.

It was exquisite. It fluttered through the air, playing in the gentle breeze, glowing like a tiny piece of the sun. Emil stopped in his tracks, completely mesmerized. He had never seen anything shine so brightly.

Her joyful yellow wings illuminated the world around her. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Emil found himself following her, forgetting the stone, quickening his steps to keep up with her playful energy. The yellow on her wings had so many different shades, with delicate patterns of darker brown.

Just as Emil thought she might disappear into the trees, the beautiful butterfly changed direction and landed softly on his arm.

“Hello,” he whispered.

“My name is Emil.”

He paused for a moment.

“You remind me of light. You carry gold inside you. May I call you Helia?”

As if she understood, Helia fluttered her wings twice.

Emil smiled. She liked him.

The gentleness of her tiny legs tickled the hairs on his arm. She lifted again and settled softly onto his shoulder.

Then she drifted into the air in front of his face, fluttering gently, as if inviting him to follow.

Emil felt drawn to her. Like she had something important to show him.

He walked after her, completely in awe of the warm glow that followed her through the forest. The crunch of pinecones beneath his feet slowly changed into the softness of grass. He heard running water. Birds flew through the canopy above him. A squirrel leapt into a tree. But nothing distracted him from Helia’s golden light.

As the ground softened even more, the trees slowly began to clear.

He heard a river.

And then he saw it.

In the centre of a clearing stood a beautiful, graceful tree. Its bark shimmered silver in the sunlight. Its trunk twisted in the most magical shapes and its leaves glowed softly, as though they carried light inside them.

Helia danced in and out of its branches, exploring every curve and fold.

Emil felt so alive.

As if he was breathing for the very first time.

The air felt enchanted. The tree felt like it had been waiting for him.

He laughed aloud as he climbed its trunk and found a small nook in one of the branches. The way the tree curved, it felt like a bed made just for him.

He rested his head and took a deep breath.

A smile spread all the way into his heart.

Helia floated down and rested on his chest. Her golden glow warmed him from the inside out.

He never wanted this feeling to leave.

He felt so grateful to Helia for showing him this hidden world. A place he would have never found on his own.

He lay there for a long while, listening to the wind moving through the branches, watching ants crawl along the bark. He noticed their steady lines and how carefully they moved around his shoes. He had never watched anything so closely before.

After some time, Helia floated down toward the river.

Emil lifted his head and climbed down, following her to the water’s edge. He crouched down and dipped his hands into the cold stream, letting it flow over his fingers. He laughed softly and splashed water onto his face, feeling it wake up his senses.

His heartbeat was slow and steady. His smile was calm and gentle.

He felt really good.

Emil looked at Helia and wondered if she would like to see where he lived.

He gently tapped his forearm.  To his surprise, she landed there.

So he started walking home, talking to her along the way. He told her stories about the ocean, his school, and his family.

When he reached his house, he carefully carried her upstairs to his room. He placed her on the windowsill where the sunlight streamed in, so her wings could shine again.

She fluttered softly.

Emil smiled.

He ran downstairs and grabbed a large glass jar. He carefully punched tiny holes in the lid so she could breathe.

As the sun began to set, Emil placed soft cotton inside the jar and gently settled Helia inside.

“Good night, beautiful one,” he whispered.

“Sleep well.”

And Emil fell asleep with the fullest heart he had ever known.

—————————

The sun had barely lifted above the horizon when Emil’s eyes fluttered open.  For a second, he forgot where he was. Then he remembered.

Helia.

He shot upright in bed, his heart racing with excitement, and looked straight at the jar on his bedside table. Sunlight was already slipping through the window, touching the glass.

Helia was still there.

Her wings glowed softly in the morning light. Calm. Still. Beautiful.  Emil smiled so wide his cheeks hurt.

“You slept,” he whispered, leaning close. “I hope you had a good dream.”

He lifted the jar gently and held it up to the sun, watching the light dance around her wings. She fluttered once, slow and sleepy, and Emil felt his whole body fill with warmth.

“I have the best idea,” he said excitedly.

He jumped out of bed, pulled on his clothes, and ran downstairs, telling his parents he was just popping out for a little while.  He knew exactly where to go.  The vet shop.  He ran all the way there, holding the jar carefully against his chest, making sure Helia stayed safe. Every step filled him with more excitement.

Inside the shop, everything smelt like hay and wood and clean water. There were cages of all sizes lining the walls: metal ones, wooden ones, glass ones.

Emil’s eyes went straight to the most beautiful one of all.

It was made of clear, thick glass with a smooth wooden base. It had tiny doors on the side and soft air holes at the top, shaped like little stars. He imagined Helia inside.  Floating, safe, protected and beautiful. The man at the counter smiled at him.

“Are you buying a home for someone special?” he asked.

Emil nodded proudly.

“For Helia,” he said.

The man showed him everything.

A tiny fake tree, with soft bendable branches.

A mini watering hole, made from smooth blue glass.

A bright yellow flower that looked like sunshine.

A soft square of astro grass, green and fresh and neat.

And even a little bench he could build.

Emil’s heart was bursting.

“She’ll have everything,” he whispered to himself.  “Everything she needs.”

He imagined her waking up and fluttering inside her perfect little world. He imagined visiting her every morning and every night. He imagined never having to worry about losing her. He carefully handed over his pocket money and held the box with the cage inside like a treasure. As he walked home, he kept peeking at Helia through the jar.

“You’re going to love this,” he said softly.  “You’ll see. I made it just for you.”

And Helia, bathed in the sunlight…remained still.

_________________________________________________

As soon as they got home, Emil ran upstairs, his heart racing with excitement.

He gently opened the jar and let Helia rest in the sunlight on the windowsill while he built her new home. The warm light poured over her wings as he worked, and every now and then, he caught her golden glow out of the corner of his eye.

His fingers moved quickly. Almost too quickly.

He unwrapped the glass box and carefully placed it onto its wooden frame. Then he rolled out the Astro turf and trimmed it neatly, making sure it fit perfectly from corner to corner. He smoothed it down gently with his hands.

He was doing this for her.

He took the little tree out of its box and slowly bent the branches into soft, natural shapes, just like the ones they had seen in the forest. Then he placed it gently on one side of the cage.

Next came the pond.

He positioned it beneath the tree, so Helia would have a spot of shade and something that felt like the river they had visited together. He ran to the bathroom, filled a small cup with water, and carefully poured it in.

Then he placed the flowers in different parts of the grass floor, right where the sunlight would touch them.

He stepped back.  It was perfect.  Emil beamed with pride. He walked over to the windowsill and gently lifted Helia onto his finger.

“What do you think, beautiful one?” he whispered, his voice glowing with excitement.

Helia fluttered her wings twice, then lifted herself lightly onto his shoulder. Emil smiled even more. He knew she would love it. He carefully placed her inside her new home and slid the little door closed. Then he stepped back and admired her. She looked magnificent.  And so did her home.

Emil felt very proud.

_____________________________________________

The sun crept in through the beautiful glass the following morning, lighting up the garden in the box. Emil saw the yellow glow of Helia’s wings, and he smiled.  Her beauty was captivating, and now he could see it every day. 

He had decided today, he would go down to the pet shop and buy one more piece for the garden that would make it even nicer for her, he was going to get a wooden bridge that could go from the pond to the edge of the tree and then Helia could choose where she wanted to perch.

This time, he didn’t take her with him; he was focusing too much on the bridge and how he would make it.  He also thought she might want to stay behind and enjoy the garden.  So, he waved goodbye and ran, excitedly, to the shop.

When he got back, he was so excited, he spread all of his tools out on his little table and forgot to greet Helia.  He didn’t notice that she wasn’t very fluttery today; he didn’t notice that her wings were a little less bright. 

He spent all day gluing the intricate pieces of the bridge together, and once he was sure it was dry and safe for Helia, he excitedly opened up the box and placed it inside.  

He felt a bit disappointed that Helia didn’t fly to greet him or rest on his arm.  But, he thought maybe she was tired, and so he lifted her up and put him on his arm, whispering how beautiful she was. 

And then, he turned his attention to his creation, and he gave himself a big pat on the back. The garden in the box was beautiful. 

_________________________

The next morning, Emil’s friends called him to come down to the beach for a swim.

He loved being in the sea with his friends, so he raced out of the door, the sunlight catching in his hair as he ran, smiling at the adventures ahead.

He and his friends spent the whole day on the sand.  They built castles, they swam in the crashing waves, they munched on juicy watermelon until their fingers were sticky.

Emil had a wonderful day.

It was only when the sun reflected off a bright yellow spade that his mind suddenly raced back to Helia.  He had forgotten her; he felt a small pinch in his heart.

But excitement quickly returned. He couldn’t wait to go home and tell her all about his day.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, the children made their way home. Emil ran upstairs, eager to greet her. But when he reached the glass garden…

Helia was very still. Where was her fluttering? Her aliveness? Her joy?

A small frown crept onto Emil’s face. Feeling a little confused and hurt, he turned away and went downstairs for dinner.

---

The next morning, as the sun rose, Emil glanced over at the garden in the box, searching for his beautiful Helia.

But she looked smaller. She was curled up beside the tiny bridge. Her wings were dull. Her golden glow had softened. He gently opened the box and reached for her, but she didn’t lift onto his finger.

She didn’t even flutter. Emil’s heart sank.

“Mum,” he called softly.

His mother came upstairs and knelt beside him. She looked at the glass garden, then at Helia, sitting small and tired beside the bridge.

She turned to Emil and gently held his face.

“My beautiful boy,” she said, softly,

“Your garden is very beautiful. But Helia is used to being outside.”

“I know, Mum,” he replied, his voice trembling.

“But I made her a forest here. Why does she look so sad?”

His mother stroked his hair.

“Because, my love… her joy and her light don’t come from a place.

They come from being free.”

Emil’s eyes filled with tears.

“But I did it with love,” he said.  “I spent so much time trying to make it perfect for her.”

“I know you did,” she smiled.

“And that’s what makes you kind.”

She paused for a moment.

“But sometimes,” she continued, “when we love something… we must love it gently.

We must let it be what it truly is.  We cannot cage light and still expect it to shine.”

Emil looked down at Helia.

“I didn’t mean to trap her,” he whispered.

“I just wanted her to feel special.”

“And she did,” his mother said softly.  “But the most special thing you can give her….is the freedom to be herself…”

Emil swallowed hard, then he nodded.

---

He carefully opened the glass box and lifted the little bridge. Helia stirred.

With a tiny flutter, she landed gently on his arm. Emil walked slowly downstairs and stepped outside into the sunlight. He knelt on the grass and looked at her.

“I am so sorry I took your light,” he whispered.

“Go now… and be free.”

Helia fluttered her wings twice. Then she lifted into the air. As she flew, her wings began to glow brighter. The sunlight wrapped around her, recharging her golden light, just as it had before.

Emil watched until she disappeared into the sky. His heart felt heavy…but also clear. He knew she belonged to the sun.

---

Later that afternoon, Emil sat quietly on his bed, reading a book. His window was open, and a soft breeze drifted through the curtains.

He looked up.  And there… resting on the window frame… was a familiar golden glow.

Helia.

She fluttered gently, shining warm and bright.

Not trapped. Not held. Just visiting, she darted her way inside and rested on his chest.

Emil smiled.  He felt her love.

And this time…He didn’t try to contain her.

He simply let her be.

And the most wonderful thing was, she chose to come back to him every day, fluttering through the window, carrying her light. She would land on Emile’s shoulder and the warmth of her glow would warm his heart.