Luci tucks herself beneath a curled blade of grass. Fireflies above paint the twilight with yellow-green streaks. A thin cry drifts through the cool air.
She pushes up from the grass and tries to glow. Only a dull rustle comes from her wings. The cry echoes again.
Closer now. She clutches the grass stem until her legs ache. She thinks: I have to help.
She finds a hollow between two roots. A tiny cricket sits there, trembling. Her wings shiver — then pop!
A soft golden light blooms from her tail. The hollow fills with warmth.
Luci floats down and circles the cricket. Her glow paints the grass in warm golden circles.
The cricket stops shaking. It looks up and smiles. 'You glowed!'
Luci lands beside the cricket and her glow settles into a steady, gentle shine.
Around them, the other fireflies glow brighter. They drift closer, circling above.
The meadow fills with light. Every blade of grass shivers in the warm glow.