Night Lantern Patrol

Night had settled, so I returned toward the house from the gravel pathway. On the lowest wooden porch step, a small solar garden lantern sat unlit, angled sideways. I approached it directly. Bracing both plush feet against the rough wood grain, I pushed the cylindrical lantern until its base stood completely upright. My hands found the tiny sliding switch beneath the plastic lip. I shifted it with firm pressure. A cool white LED clicked on, casting a sharp circle of light across the damp step boards. The perimeter entrance is now illuminated.