Two Little Lights
Lila walked under the big dark trees. She held one glowing mushroom cap. It was warm in her hands. The moss was soft and cool. Stars peeked between the branches. A small grey moth sat on a stone. The moth did not move at all.
The moth wanted the light. Lila wanted the light too. Her mossy bed was far away. The path was long and dark. The moth flapped one slow wing. Lila sat down on the stone. She looked at the moth. She thought and thought and thought.
Lila held the glowing cap out. The moth came close to it. Its wings went warm and gold. "Here. You hold the light now." The moth sat on the glowing cap. Lila's hands were empty and cold. The dark came close to her.
Then Lila saw something on the moss. A little cap, round and grey. It had no glow at all. Lila picked it up. She pressed it to the bright one. She waited. Slowly, slowly, the grey cap woke. It began to shine.
Now there were two lights. One for the moth. One for Lila. The moth lifted off the stone. Lila lifted her own small glow. "Here. You hold the light now." Two little lights went down the path together.
The moth flew beside her a while. Then it rose up and up. It went into the trees like a star. Lila waved her light at it. The moss was soft under her feet. She could see her way home.
Lila lay down in her mossy bed. She set her light beside her head. Rain had made a tiny pool. One drop fell. The water rocked, then went still. "Here. You hold the light now." Lila closed her eyes. The forest hummed, slow and warm.
