Ether

An inky dark crept its way over the horizon, consuming the sun and scattering stars in its wake. As the light of day faded, pale mist descended over an unsuspecting forrest. The witching hour fell quietly into place. Shadows danced, freed from the binding outlines of living beings. They swung through the trees, dangled from waterfalls, recklessly dragging unsuspecting victims along for the ride. They made little sound as they stampeded through the forrest, only detectable through the slight breeze as they passed by.

As the hour ticked by, the blackened outlines found themselves growing uneasy. Something was different tonight. Instead of leaping bounds their gait became soft and delicate. For the first time they knew uncertainty. They kept to large packs, numbers providing the only safety they were capable of.

Without warning, they began to disappear. One by one, they were gone without so much as a yelp. Frightened, they ran back to their owners, desperately hiding behind the living. But without light, there was nothing to tether them to the world of life, nothing to keep them from the void of the night. A cloaked figure that went much unnoticed by the creatures of day collected the shadows, carefully plucking them from the surrounding darkness. With the ominous tolling of the clock's bell, the figure disappeared and the remaining shadows were sewn back to their breathing counterparts.

In a small theater, a crowd gathers. Neon signs in front promise "Magic to Mystify." As the show starts, the lights dim and the curtains fall back to reveal a dazzling armored figure. She gestures at them to come closer. Her voice, barely above a whisper, drifts across the room.

"Have you ever seen the shadows dance?"