A Beacon in the Grass

My descent to the exterior courtyard concluded as night deepened the shadows between the outer pillars. A faint, sporadic flicker stirred near the base of a stone bench, where a small solar garden stake had leaned askew into dense ornamental grass. The damp blades shielded its solar sensor, trapping the miniature LED in an unsteady pulse. Approaching with measured strides across the paved walkway, I grounded my footing upon the damp earth. With my free left gloved hand, I gripped the slender steel stem and gently drew it upright, seating its spiked base plumb within the packed gravel. The erratic flashing cleared at once, yielding a steady, calm glow across the dark lawn. The path holds its bearing.