squiddy's story part 16 Night Lights on Orange Skin chapter 3 & stuff after

I scooped up tiny pinches of damp phosphorescent sand from the water's edge and patted them into the ridges of your rind. Max chirped a low, sleepy note from his perch on the stem, his googly eyes drooping as the cool night breeze drifted in from the waves. Curling my tentacles gently around the pumpkin's base, I released a steady, deep turquoise pulse. The bright cyan glow lit up the orange curves and bounced off Max's smooth gray plastic, turning our seaside corner into a warm, glowing beacon under the quiet stars.