It was cloudy tonight.
A sliver of a crescent moon hung overhead, its faint light veiled by layers of thick clouds. By the time it reached the ground, it couldn't even illuminate the way home.
"Why aren't the streetlights on?"
A girl sat in her father's arms, pointing at the rows of dark streetlights.
"If they were on, we'd be able to see the road!"
Her father glanced up at the sky, at a loss for how to explain the complicated reasons to a child. After a long pause, he came up with an answer a little girl could understand:
"Because there've been some thieves up in the sky lately who steal the 'light.' If we turn on the lamps, they'll find us, so we have to keep them hidden."
The little girl nodded, only half understanding. Following her father's example, she looked up at the sky.
Just then, a cool late-autumn breeze scattered a cloud that had been covering the moon.
Faint silver light spilled down, revealing a...
Person flying in the sky.
The little girl's eyes slowly widened, sparkling and beautiful.
She raised a tiny hand and pointed at the figure in the sky.
"Dad! Is that the 'thief who steals the light' you were talking about?"
Her father followed her little hand and looked up.
Figures flying through the sky tore through the clouds.
They took flares from their waists and threw them down. The dazzling balls of light fell with long, fiery tails, like giant, beautiful fireflies.
His daughter clapped excitedly.
His face, however, had gone deathly pale.
"They're here... Those guys are here..."
Amid his daughter's laughter and clapping, he clutched her and ran for his life, glancing up at the sky from the corner of his eye.
By the light of the flares, the