A Beacon to Call Home

The glass lantern provides a home for the small tea light candle. Vertical cylindrical

ridges wrap around the glass and emanate the light from the tiny candle. The ridges shape the

shadows stretching outward against the light wooden table it sits upon. They continually travel

across the wood until the light cannot reach any further. The lantern provides the rays; the candle

is the sun. The glass columns gradually curve inward and then stretch upward to form a round

rim at the opening of the glass–letting any desire to be placed inside.

The candle itself is pure white wax with a white wick and sits barely an inch tall with a

plastic casing encircling the wax. As the wick burns, the flame begins to dance and the glass

reflects the flicker on the wooden table. Shadows from the cylindrical columns sway back and

forth, becoming darker and lighter as the flame’s inconsistent shape persists. Despite the glass

being small enough to fit in one’s hand–it glows and covers nearly half of the table. The lantern

allows its gleam to be transported anywhere one may need with an arched black iron handle

connected to an identical ring around its neck.

However, the children believe this glass’s use goes far beyond just a lantern. Sometimes

it houses worms they found in the mud, or acts as a pirate’s spyglass, or with a pair of their

mother’s earrings inside, it can mimic the sound of a bell. But tonight, their imagination did not

need to be called upon, and the three of them used it as a lantern.

The eldest grabbed the lantern gingerly off the table in their hallway and held it close to

his body. His two siblings inched quietly behind him. The lantern’s light offered barely any help

against the dark oak floorboards, but it bounced off the blue floral wallpaper in the hallway well

enough to be trusted to guide them.

 The eldest mindlessly promised his siblings he would show them the stars from the forest

which practically made up their backyard. Being the eldest, he had more freedom to venture far

from home, so often he snuck out late at night with this very lantern and met friends from town.

But never did he think he would allow his younger siblings—of all people—to join him.

They walked in a straight line, mimicking each other’s foot placement to avoid stepping

on any creaks that littered the floorboards. The eldest was well practiced and could walk

blindfolded through their home with their parents never questioning his whereabouts. But tonight

of all nights was not the one he was willing to test his luck on; so the lantern provided safety for

the younger ones traversing the new path.

As they rounded the corner, the moonlight shone through the window of the patio door

and began to swallow the light held by the eldest. Once he opened the door and ushered his

siblings outside, he placed the lantern next to the door. So if they found themselves far into the

forest, he could look for the flickering light and lead them home.

✶ ✶ ✶

“Charles I’m scared…” Mason said to his eldest brother.

“It’s okay, it should be in here somewhere…” Charles shoved his arm into a hollow part

of a tree and pulled out another lantern with a box of matches.

“Leo, hold the lantern as I light it,” Charles said as he gave it to the second eldest.

Charles plucked a match and swiped it against the box. Fire ignited between his fingers and he

swiftly lit the tealight in the new lantern.

“C’mon Mason, there’s light now,” Leo said as he stuck his hand out to their little brother

who already reverted to sucking his thumb despite being in darkness for only two minutes.
 “Don’t worry, we’re not going far, just to a stream I like to sit at sometimes,” Charles

reaffirmed Mason as he led the way toward his spot.

At night, every crinkle of a leaf and whistle of wind tumbling through trees sounded so

much louder than it did during the day. Charles loved the forest for that exact reason. But this

was precisely what was freaking Mason out. At every sound his head snapped and he imagined a

large monster peeking around a thick tree trunk and then shuffled his small feet a little quicker.

Gradually, the sound of the stream rushing down became louder until it was in view.

Charles sat on the moss atop the rocks bordering the water, and the two little brothers followed

suit. The spray of the water kissed their ankles and the boys were grateful their brother told them

to put on their warmest coat.

“Okay Mason, I’m going to blow out the candle so we can see the stars.” Charles gently

warned.

“Okay,” Mason’s small voice replied and followed the sharp blow from Charles’s lips.

The three brothers leaned back and flattened against the moss, half their legs still

dangling over the rock. The stream made for a clearing amongst the trees and the perfect seat to

see the sparkling stars scattered across the sky. As their eyes adjusted to the dark of the forest

with no lantern, every spot in the sky revealed a star. The sky isn’t black. It’s midnight blue with

indigo hues and tinges of green bleeding into it.

As they laid in silence, a star dashed across the sky as Mason observed the very same

spot.

“Charles! I just saw a shooting star!” Mason jumped up and pointed even though the star

vanished in an instant.

“Wait where?” Leo asked urgently and lifted his head to try and search the sky better.
 “That’s amazing buddy,” Charles grinned up at his brother who still stood beaming at the

night sky.

Mason’s excitement made Charles feel guilty for initially acting like taking his brothers

to the forest was a chore. But the feeling was fleeting–as sentiment often is with siblings.

Siblings are the perfect entity to take for granted… they must have forever together because

they’ve been together forever. But forever and reality never intertwine. And those poignant

lapses where a sibling grasps how integral they are to their sibling’s life is a delicate realization

that never becomes easier to traverse.

“It’s getting cold, should we go back?” Leo suggested to Charles.

“Sure, Mason, are you ready to go?” Charles asked. Mason readily agreed, having seen

everything he hoped to.

Charles sat up and twisted around to see a soft flickering yellow light in the distance.