A Glow in the Grass

My boots were still dusted from wrestling the hose reel when a sudden blink of yellow light caught my eye right near the grass line under the wooden bench. I dropped into a sprint and slid onto my knees in the dry dirt to catch whatever was sparking. A lightning bug was resting right on a stray pinecone scale, glowing on and off like a tiny lantern! Instead of grabbing it, I cupped both hands gently around the cone, leaning in close so the soft green-yellow pulse lit up my knuckles and chest. It sat there blinking in rhythm before lifting off into the dark.