Bayou twilight slips through the bald cypress trees, hugging the horizon beyond his kayak. Venus peeks out into a moonless night. Mosquitos buzz. Frogs chirp. Something rustles the distant shore.

He paddles further into the night. Stars shimmer in the bay, mirroring the fireflies’ ballet against dangling Spanish moss. A barred owl hoots in the distance.

The soft glow of his lantern bathes the bay. Gentle ripples splay out around his strokes. His lantern light catches the distant dock and sudden glimmer of alligator eyes.

Bio: Colleen M. Farrelly