flashing back and forth

"You didn't?" Sid was going to have to count his pills now. "How many?"

Violet was being mum about her little vice, as of late.

Here they were set for a lovely evening, just the two of them ready to look for fireflies in the back yard and then this comes up.

"I can't recall." She was naturally her feisty self. He hadn't noticed a change.

"You! You of all people." Sid shot her a look as if she'd completely lost it. "I'm the sicko, not you."

"For all I know, you drugged me into this situation, already." She made a face and dried the last dish.

"Well, I am a drug." Sid was satisfied with that. "Aren't I enough?"

"Its impossible at work, you know. Lenny's been a real shit, lately. I feel if I could find him a love of some sort, it would all change."

"Well, taking my pills will not help the matter, now will it?" Sid snapped. He'd have hide those little fellows. But where? He'd keep them in his pocket for safe keeping at the moment.

"I feel a wreck." She closed her eyes so sweetly. He wanted to give in. Truth be told she was his drug, too.

"Please, be strong, for the both of us." He put his arm around her. They had the back yard to tend too. He grabbed the huge empty pickle jar. "Now, lets see how many we can capture." He wanted a lantern of fireflies.

"You are so devious." Violet protested as they proceeded on their little adventure out back.

"Not at all." He begged to differ. This was something he'd done since a child. "I'll let them loose in the end." It was a promise. Fill the jar up and then let them go. As he stared at the empty jar, it occurred to him. It was a bit like Violet becoming Scarlet. Not Violet's sister but his Scarlet. The one who liked to solve mysteries. The one he had the sinking feeling that he'd left at the bottom of the pond. Only, in his dreams... he couldn't quite decipher if it were a flashback or a flashforward.