Glass Butterfly - Prologue

Eight darkly silhouetted figures stood in a circle, all facing the center. Each of them held something round and smooth that reflected the moonlight. If you looked closely at the objects, you could tell they were faintly, barely glowing.1

A woman held up her object towards the sky, as far as her arms allowed. “Atete,” she yelled, and the globe in her outstretched hands started to glow a brilliant bright blue.2

Next, a man held up his hands like the woman and yelled, “Zele.” His globe sparked to life, glowing bright yellow.3

One by one, each member of the Circle held up their globes, yelling one word, and watching them sputter to life – each of them a different color. 4

As if rehearsed, all in unison, they said, “Zala.” In the center of the circle, just above everybody’s still outstretched arms, a soft light exploded, getting brighter and brighter. Finally, the light started to dim. Where the light was, a black ball similar to the ones the members were holding floated. If floated for a few seconds before falling to the ground with a thump and sizzle, like pouring water on a hot pan.5