Amber Perch | Red Squirrel Lantern Keeper in an Autumn Oak

The story of Amber Perch

A fictional story inspired by the artwork.

The squirrel holds the lantern with one hand at the handle and the other beneath its base. A long green coat falls toward the platform, while the rust-red tail fills the space behind the figure. A hook fixed to the trunk sits close to the lantern, and wooden stairs climb past the branches on the far side.

Each evening the keeper lights the platforms in the order a traveler would reach them from the forest floor. The highest one usually stays dark until the last footsteps have passed. Tonight someone has left a fresh length of rope beside the upper stair, as though a repair was started before the keeper arrived.

The golden lamp picks out the keeper's hands and face against the deepening purple sky. Red and orange leaves frame the platform. Lower down, the path is already in shadow, but a small line of light around the rails shows where the steps meet the trunk. The color of the coat connects the figure to the darker woodland.

A story could follow the keeper up the stairs to see who left the rope. By the time the lantern reaches its hook, a second light might appear on a branch that has no platform at all.

Artwork tags — red squirrel character, lantern keeper, autumn oak, brass lantern art, woodland fantasy character, tree platform illustration.

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