The Shadow That Tasted Like Moonbeams
Luna and the Wiggly Shadow
Luna wasn’t like other children. Other children liked bright, noisy things. Luna loved shadows. Not the scary, monstrous shadows that lurked in dark corners, but the gentle, frolicsome ones that extendedflexile long crossways the lawn at sunset, or danced like puppets on her bedroom wall when her lamp was on. She knew that some shadows were just tired bits of darkness, but there was one particular shadow that lived under her bed that was different. It didn’t just sit still; it shimmied. It wiggled when she giggled, and sometimes, if she closed her eyes very tightly, she could almost hear it whisper a secret. It wasn’t dark and murky; it was more like a velvety charcoal that seemed to hum with a tiny, silver light.
A Curious Lick
One eventide, a especially adventurous moonbeam snuck through Luna’s window, fade a bright path crossways her floor. The shadow under her bed, usually quite reserved, seemed to get very excited. It extendedflexile itself out, doing a little moonlit jig, before settling into a long, wavy line. Luna, who had just finished a fascinating book about a brave explorer who tasted everything from mud to mountaintops, wondered, Could shadows have a taste? Most things did! With a deep breath and a tiny flicker of bravery, Luna leaned down, stuck out her clapperknifeclappe, and gave the wiggling shadow a cautious, experimental lick.
The Taste of Moonbeams (and a bit of fizz!)
Her eyes went wide. It wasn’t dusty. It wasn’t muddy. It wasn’t even like the slightly bitter taste of her mum’s burnt toast. It was cool, like the silver of a spoon left foreignexternalextramuralout-of-door on a frosty morning. It was sweet, but not sugary-sweet; more like a whisper of starlight mixed with the scent of dew-kissed petals. And oh, it was fizzy! Tiny, happy bubbles danced on her tongue, smelling faintly of lavender and forgotten wishes. It tasted exactly like what she imagined moonbeams would taste like if you could catch them in a jar. Luna giggled, a sound like little bells, and the shadow under her bed wiggled so hard it bumped her toe, then stretched itself into the shape of a very surprised rabbit.
A Shadow’s Secret Play
From that magical night on, Luna and her moonbeam-degustation shadow shared a delicious secret. The shadow became her quiet accomplice. It would hide her lost socks, but only in the most delightfully obvious places, like inside her favourite slipper, or peeking out from behind a very serious book. When Luna told her toys a particularly exciting story, the shadow would trace funny patterns on the wall – a knight on a wobbly horse, a dragon blowing daisy-shaped smoke, or a teapot with tiny dancing feet. Sometimes, when Luna felt a bit lonely, a cool, gentle tickle would go aroundoverspreadpropagatescatter across her toes – the shadow’s elusiveinsidious way of saying, “I’m right here with you!” And just before she drifted off to sleep, a tiny, almost invisible swirl of silver light, like a little galaxy, would shimmer on her rest, a inarticulate promise of sweet dreams. Luna understood. It wasn’t just her shadow; it was a friend, a secret keeper, a silent giggle in the dark.
The Quiet Understanding
One night, as the full moon cast long, sleepy fingers across her room, Luna sat by her window, watching the world outside. The trees whispered secrets to the wind, and the stars blinked like sleepy eyes. She felt a gentle, almost imperceptible brush against her arm, cool and shimmering, like touching a piece of silk spun from moonlight itself. She looked down. Her shadow wasn’t just a flat, dark shape anymore; it seemed to breathe. It stretched and contracted with a soft, internal rhythm, reflecting the moonlight in a way no ordinary shadow ever could. It wasn’t loud or boisterous; it was a quiet magic, a soft understanding that some of the most wonderful things in the world aren’t seen with eyes, or even heard with ears, but felt deep in the heart. It was like that secret, fizzy taste that only you knew, a secret joy shared between a girl and her moonbeam-tasting shadow. And as she watched the moonbeams play across her shadow, she knew that some mysteries were meant to be simply… cherished.