Mating Habits of Fireflies

A story about perception, vulnerability, and the healing power of art.

"...Firefly was the nickname for the cluster of searchlights attached to the Huey looking for Danny that night. A rotating mount aimed the beam across an arc twenty to thirty degrees forward and aft, up and down. It blinded everyone. The entire system weighed ninety-nine pounds-more than Emily did at the time.
Chiaroscuro. Light versus dark. Caravaggio could have painted the scene. Emily pictured the artist working in his...