Silver Spots down to the Bay

One south spring night the quiet Hattori Asahi snuck out of the den. Stepping around her numerous siblings, maybe stepping on one or two by accident as she slunk around the bamboo. Restlessly she was following the strange shadows and silvery light speckling the maze floor. The lights moved and danced as the gentle winds knocked together the leaves and stems of the bamboo above her.

Silently she jumped from one bright silver spot to another all the way down to the bay. The water lapped serenely at the mangrove roots and white sandy beach. The sand reflected the brightest moon she had ever seen.

Down at the shore, she heard a splash and followed the sound closer to the water. small forms were wriggling about, the fish far more active than usual.

She stepped back as a shadow swept over the sands and over her, looking up she saw the silhouette of a heron just before it dived into the black water and came out with a gullet full of wriggling fish. She wanted to try!