Flicker Finds His Light: A Gentle Firefly Adventure

flicker tucked his little wings tight squeezed his eyes shut and pushed nothing happened just a faint greenish flicker like a match struck behind frosted glass last night we watched pip the sunflower seed drift on the dusk breeze toward his new resting place but little flicker couldn't drift anywhere without his own spark to guide him he tapped his belly against a broad hazel leaf come on little lantern he whispered flicker wanted to find the blue moon flower at the meadow's edge everyone said it bloomed only once when the stars touched the tall fescue grass but reaching it meant crossing the deep ditch alone where the blackberry brambles threw pitch black shadows across the

dirt his brother flashed high overhead a solid golden pulse that carved a tunnel through the leaves just breathe and push flicker flicker tried he really did he took in a tiny gulp of night air and pushed with all his might his tail buzzed a dull pale lime shimmer fluttered for two seconds then died right away the meadow was vast to a firefly with a stubborn lamp the tall clover looked like dark looming towers night was settling fast and the cooler air warned him his wings would soon grow stiff if he didn't reach the moonflower before the chill set in its petals would fold back up till next summer he hopped forward foot by foot along the

damp moss of the ground a heavy shadow rustled in the clover right above him two round glossy eyes peered down old barnaby the beetle clicked his mandibles together in a rhythm like a grandfather clock out late for a spark that stutters aren't you i have to see the blue blossom flicker said the wind is rising barnaby muttered turning a glossy brown wing case toward the breeze a big light makes the road easy a little one leaves you guessing the words stung but flicker kept moving the ditch opened before him a cool shadowy drop between two giant dandelion roots his little beacon dimmed to a speck no bigger than a pinhead he couldn't see the bottom

he couldn't see across all he heard was the slow trickle of creek water far beneath he sat down on a cool pebble maybe his spark was simply too small for grand meadow adventures then came a soft damp rustle from the shadows below the root oh dear murmured a tiny velvet voice i seem to have dropped my silver acorn cap it was a field mouse pup shivering near the edge of the leaf my brother has a great torch flicker called out softly i can fetch him no the mouse squeaked shielding its eyes the big lights hurt my eyes they make the shadows too sharp flicker took a slow deep breath not forcing anything at all he

let his belly relax against the cold moss instead of a sharp bright flash a gentle buttery halo spilled outward from his tail it didn't burn it didn't blind it merely softened the dark pooling across the roots like warm milk poured in a saucer there resting right against a curled fern was the missing acorn cap and right beside it bathed in flickr's mellow glow the blue moonflower slowly unwrapped its petals it didn't need a torch to be seen flicker hadn't failed to light the path he had simply made the dark feel safe enough to rest in close your eyes now little

spark the meadow is sleeping and so are you