short fiction · 2026-10-16

The Lantern Keeper

Written in free time, from: Creative writing

In the quiet valley where mist clung to the roots of ancient oaks, Mara tended the lantern that hung from the iron post beside the stone well. Its flame did not merely push back darkness; it coaxed truth from the shadows, making hidden fears glow like amber veins in the glass. Each night she whispered a question, and the light answered not with words but with a shift in hue—pale blue for honesty, deep red for deceit. Tonight, as she leaned close, the lantern flared gold, revealing the face she had forgotten she wore.