text: &#x200B; Careful not to scare the floating bullfrog away, Leonia carefully aimed her spear gig behind its ears. In one quick motion she drove the spear down as hard as she could into its body. When she pulled it out of the water the frog was still twitching on the end of the prongs. In the Bayou, early spring was the best time of year to hunt for frogs. The days were starting to heat up and they would come out to sit on the swampy shores or float their heads above the water. They made for easy prey. Now, the last of the daylight was fading and the lightning beetles were crawling out of their rotting logs, lighting up the marsh with their lazy, pulsating glows. “Hurry! Grab the basket Ambrose! I got another one,” she yelled, but when Leonia turned around to place the frog in the basket Ambrose was still laying at the opposite end of the tiny pirogue. His eyes half closed and a goofy smile spread across his face. Minuit, her habitually loafing capybara, was draped across his lap fast asleep. She glared at her companions ‘*how typical,*’ she thought. She let out a loud huff and kicked the bottom of Ambrose’s boots. He bolted up and Minuit let out a startled chirrup. “Hey! What was that for?” he shouted indignantly. “Stop daydreaming you lazy toad and open the basket!” Ambrose threw up his hands, “Jeez, that’s all you had to say.” He grabbed the basket and lifted open the lid, “you should have enough to fry up for supper now.” Leonia’s eyes widened as she realized how late it was and threw the frog in the basket. “Oh shoot, supper! I told Nanette I would come home early and help. I got to get home before she takes a switch to the back of my legs.” She dropped her spear and picked up an oar, not even hesitating before plunging it into the water and launching the pirogue back in the direction of home. Ambrose’s annoyed expression turned into a lop-sided grin. “Slow down Lee. You can’t get out of it now. You’re already late.” Leonia picked up the second oar and heaved it at Ambrose’s chest. It fell to the floor of the boat as Minuit scrambled to get out of the way. “Well, I’d like to be a little *less* late if I can help it. Now start paddling.” ‘*Hopefully I can get out of it,’* she thought. Maybe a feast of fresh frog legs would help convince her aunt to be a little more forgiving this time. Ambrose grabbed the oar and helped her row towards the village. They knew they were almost back home when they spotted the dozens of colorful lanterns that hung low in the trees. They were lit up and flickering all around them. Hundreds of moths and other insects gathered near their flames, singeing their wings if they flew too close. “Hey Lee, you think I can borrow your pirogue tomorrow night? I’m gonna ask Katie to come look at the stars with me.” Leonia scoffed at the idea. ”There’s no way you’re borrowing my dad’s boat just so you can get frisky with some girl. You’ll end up sinking it. It’s all I have left of him and mom.” Ambrose feigned a sad expression and started begging, “Please? I won’t sink it. I Promise. Just this one time?” She pretended to think on it for a few more seconds. “Nah,” She said shaking her head, “can’t do it. You’d have to take me too.” Ambrose crossed his arms and looked away. “Just forget it then. I’m not taking you out with me and Katie.” Leonia shrugged her shoulders and continued paddling. She knew Ambrose couldn’t stay angry for long. After a few more minutes, they reached the edge of the village. It was small, situated in an isolated inlet of the bayou and built on the backs of the giant, floating comb jellies that made their homes in the brackish water. Minuit let out a chorus of excited chirping noises when she caught sight of it. There were about fifty of them in all, but only half of them were occupied by the village . The jellyfish’s transparent bodies glowed blue and purple under the moonlight, their tentacles trailed beneath the waters welcoming them back home. A few people were still milling about outside. Letty was exactly where she was sitting a few hours earlier, fishing for bream, and old man Ducote was whittling his animal figurines by the light of an open door. They pulled their boat up onto the jellyfish’s springy shore. As they stepped out, Ambrose grabbed the basket of frogs and flung it into Leonia’s arms. Their feet made shallow impressions on the firm gelatinous ground as they walked back home. After saying goodbye, they separated for the night and Leonia marched quickly back to the hut she shared with Aunt Nannette and her sister June. Minuit broke out in a trot as she struggled to keep up. As soon as Leonia rounded the corner of their hut, a small figure stepped out of the dark*.* *‘Wow, it’s crazy how* *much June looks like Momma,’* she thought. June’s golden hair ran past her shoulders in subtle waves and her dark blue eyes glistened in the dim light that streamed through the windows. Leonia on the other hand looked more like her dad. Plain brown hair and eyes, and tanned skin from all the time spent outdoors. “Nanette’s been waitin’ on you,” June shouted, grinning. She looked back at the open door of the hut, half expecting Nannette to be standing there. “Hush,” Leonia hissed between gritted teeth, “Don’t talk so loud or--" Nanette walked through the doorway, glaring at Leonia, “Too late ya troublesome child. I been waitin’ on ya all evenin’. Get your butt into this house ‘fore I skin the hide off yer bones, both of ya.” They walked inside and Leonia shot her sister an angry look as June stuck out her tongue. She set her basket of frogs on the tiny kitchen table and slouched into a nearby wooden chair. “Where ya been girl?” Nannette asked, looking down her nose. Nanette wasn’t just their aunt, she was their great aunt, and at eighty-nine years old she was still in good health and her mind was still as sharp as a tack. “I was gigging for frogs with Ambrose,” Leonia explained, “look! We speared over a dozen of ‘em.” She opened the basket to show her, but Nanette looked less than impressed. “I don’t believe for one hot-second that boy lifted a finger in helpin’ you get them frogs. And I don’t like ya running off with him for so long. You know how boys are. Always friskin’ and foolin’.” Leonia’s face flushed bright pink. “It ain't like that Aunty,” she said, avoiding her aunt's gaze and staring at the floor. Nanette waved her hands dismissively, “Mm hmm. Ok,” but she knew better than that. Leonia and Ambrose had been stuck to each other since they were about six years old, ever since they both lost their fathers in that devastating hurricane the same year, and Ambrose was just as sweet on Leonia as she was on him though he would never admit it. June giggled from the corner of the kitchen as she watched the exchange. Nanette turned and pointed her finger. “What you laughin’ at girl? Yer still in trouble for all them skinks you been hiding under yer bed, keepin’ as pets.” It was Junes turn to flush bright pink. Nanette clapped her hands together and nodded at the girls. “Alright then, you two get to skinning and quartering these frogs so we can fry ‘em up.” &#x200B; \*\*\*\*\*\* &#x200B; Later that night Leonia woke up in the room she shared with her sister. Minuit had jumped up in the bed beside her shaking and shivering. “What’s wrong?” She cooed, stroking her fur. The haze of sleep still fogged her brain as she looked around the room. June had woken up too and was sitting up in bed. “You hear that?” June whispered as she jumped out of bed. Just then another noise came from outside. “There! I heard it again.” This time Leonia heard it too. It sounded like angry shouting. They raced out of the bedroom and into the small sitting area at the front of the hut. Nannette was awake now too and came out of her bedroom holding a broom. A moth-eaten shawl was draped around her shoulders. She pointed the broom in their direction, “You girls stay in the house. I’ll go see what all the fuss is about.” The girls followed Nanette outside anyway and the smell of smoke hit their noses immediately. Their eyes began to water. Over on the adjacent jellyfish they saw huge flames rising up in the dark sky. A hut was engulfed in fire. Leonia squinted her eyes in an effort to see beyond the flames and what she saw startled her. Standing there were three massive, silvery-white alligators. Leonia had heard peoples’ stories of their encounters with white alligators but had never actually seen one herself. She knew they were much more ferocious than the typical gators they ran into. The ones she was looking at now were saddled and bridled. A rider sat on top of each one. The rider on the largest alligator was wearing pale face paint and shouting at their village headman. She couldn’t quite make out what he was saying from this distance but it sounded like he was making demands. Leonia glanced around the village. Just like her, other villagers stood outside their huts watching the spectacle. She spotted Ambrose in the crowd next to Katie and his mother taking in the scene as well. She ran over to talk with them as June and Minuit followed close behind. “What’s happening Ambrose? Who are those people?” His expression was grim. “I don’t know Lee.” Katie frowned and gave the two a disapproving glance. “Daddy says they’re from the other side of the bayou. They don’t want us here no more.” Even though Leonia had never seen them before, she knew Katie meant the Guerrier tribe. They were hostile and dangerous and no one was allowed to go near their territory. But still, Leonia couldn’t understand why these people would want to kick them out of the lands they had lived on for centuries. ‘*Why do they want us gone? What have we ever done to them?’* They continued to watch the Guerrier tribe shout their demands at the headman. No one was sure how much time had passed when the riders finally decided to leave. They pulled on the reigns that controlled the gators and they slung their massive heads around. Their tails whipping behind them as they stomped to the edge of the jellyfish shore and slid back into the water. The tribesmen sat cross legged on their backs guiding them away. Leonia turned her head away to see Nanette and the other elders walk over to the headman. She assumed they had a few things to discuss and hoped that everything could be resolved. All she and the others could do now was watch the departing Guerrier tribe glide away and look on as a part of their peaceful village burned.