A Lantern Glow

The alley grew chilly once the sun vanished, but a low-hanging outdoor metal lantern mounted to the brick wall was still softly humming with warm golden light. I hopped up from the pallet stack onto the narrow decorative scrollwork of the iron bracket, testing its cool, ridged iron under my sneakers. Seeing the little latched glass door slightly ajar, I slipped right inside the lantern frame to get out of the nighttime breeze. Curled up against the thick bevelled glass with the warm frosted bulb radiating right behind my back, I gave my knees a cozy hug. Watching the quiet alley cast long, sleepy shadows beneath my glowing roost felt like having my own private heated skybox.