Richy lay at the pond's edge, eyes wide and ears perked, as the moon slid down the sky and sank into the water. Josi paddled slow circles across the glowing surface, careful not to disturb the shimmering light. Zava crouched under a willow, watching and wondering, heart full of wild questions.
"I must keep the moon safe," Richy thought, sitting tall and steady, though his heart thudded nervously at every rustle in the dark. "If I splash too much, what if I ruin everything?" Josi wondered, her feathers tight against her sides. "Does the moon wish to be elsewhere? Does it feel lonely here with us?" Zava pondered, keeping these thoughts to himself, afraid he'd sound odd.
"Did someone… move it?""Move it? How could anyone move the moon?" Josi gasped, her voice trembling. Zava's whiskers quivered as silence stretched long and thin between them, suspicion creeping into the space where trust once lay.
"I'm scared of the dark," Richy finally admits, his voice trembling. "I thought if I guarded the moon, I wouldn't have to feel so small.""Sometimes I splash on purpose," Josi confesses, her head low. "Because if something breaks, I'd rather it be my fault than some wild accident I can't control.""I wondered if the moon wanted to leave and didn't say it aloud," Zava whispers, "because I was afraid you'd think I was strange."
"Maybe the moon ran away on tiny legs," Josi declares, balancing a leaf like a detective hat. "Or it's hiding in a burrow, eating all of Zava's carrots!""That's a very serious theory, but I suspect clouds," Zava says with mock gravity, and they all dissolve into laughter—the kind that makes the dark feel smaller.
"What if we were so busy guarding the moon, we forgot to guard each other?""If something scares me, I'll tell you," Richy promises, stepping closer. "If I'm worried, I'll share it—even if I can't control it," Josi agrees. "If I think something strange, I'll still say it," Zava adds, smiling.
If you ever wander through a quiet meadow on a gentle night, look closely at the pond. You might see the moon. But look closer still—you may find three small reflections, glowing warmly with trust.
