Nico’s Unseen Lantern Gift — Under the garden arch, where dry leaves clicked like little teeth, Nico carried a tiny silver button under his tongue. Read the full story →
Under the garden arch, where dry leaves clicked like little teeth, Nico carried a tiny silver button under his tongue. He had polished it on his blanket until it smelled faintly of soap and moonlight. Every autumn night, he brought it to the pumpkin with the starry eyes and tucked it inside for a minute, just long enough to lend the grin a secret shine.
The vines above him curled wider each night. Dots of dew gathered like listening ears. Nico never stayed to be praised; he only pressed his cheek to the pumpkin’s cool side and whispered, “For anyone walking home late.” Then he padded away, leaving no sound except the soft pat-pat of his paws.
One evening, he arrived before sunset and found tiny paw prints circling the pumpkin—too small for him, too neat for any squirrel. The silver button was still inside, but it flashed with many colors. All week, beetles, moths, and field mice had been using its glow as a moon for their midnight paths. Nico wagged so gently the leaves barely stirred, and next time you see the little paw prints around the vines, you’ll know who found the secret shine under the garden arch.
