Eli stepped outside his stone cottage and held his lantern high. A small golden pool of light pooled at his feet. He tucked his chin into his scarf and kept walking.
A shadow peeled away from the wall and followed his heels. Eli stopped, and the shadow stopped too. Then a thin black cat emerged and rubbed against his shin.
Eli crouched and held the lantern toward the dark corner. The orange glow pushed the shadow back into the wall. The cat blinked its green eyes at him.
An old woman stood on her doorstep, shading her eyes from the night. Eli walked up and raised the lantern so it lit her crocheted blanket. She smiled and patted the step beside her.
Eli walked on until the path forked at a crossroads. Three tall shadows met in the middle, stretching toward him. He held up the lantern, but it flickered once, twice, and went dark.
Eli dropped to his knees and pressed his palms against the cold stones. The shadows loomed over him, tall and silent. A cold wind whistled between the cottages. He thought, Please.
Eli lifted his chin and stared straight at the darkest shadow. It trembled, then stepped backward. One by one, the shadows retreated until the starry sky looked down. A small breath escaped him, soft and quick.
Eli picked up his lantern and walked home. Every window along the path glowed warm yellow against the dark. The black cat sat on his windowsill, tail curled tight.
