The Pumpkin’s Starry Door — Under the moon gate, Quillan tapped his staff on each pale stone: click, click, hush. Read the full story →
Under the moon gate, Quillan tapped his staff on each pale stone: click, click, hush. He was carrying evening light to the far side of the courtyard, where the smallest bats liked to sip dew from the thorn vines. His belt lantern smelled faintly of warm metal and candlewick, and the carved pumpkin in his arm gave off a honey-colored glow.
As he walked, the stars above seemed to gather over the arch. One bat dipped low, then another, their wings whispering like paper fans. Quillan paused and lifted the pumpkin higher. Its grin brightened, not like fire, but like a window opening.
Inside the pumpkin, where seeds should have been, tiny stars floated in a slow circle. They matched the sky, but one little star was missing from the pattern. Quillan laughed so softly the lantern chain jingled. “You were keeping watch in there?” he whispered.
He set the pumpkin on the path, and the bats, vines, towers, and stars all shone together, as if the whole courtyard had been waiting to share one secret. Next time you see that glowing grin, can you find the star it was saving under the moon gate?
