One sunny afternoon, Kyri and Daisy were playing in the garden. Daisy was showing Kyri her best dance moves—spins, jumps, and twirls—while Kyri tried to copy her, though his spins mostly ended with him falling over.
“You’ve got to practice, Kyri,” Daisy giggled. “Dancers don’t fall over that much!”
“I’m better at science than spinning,” Kyri replied, dusting grass off his knees.
But just as Daisy launched into a dramatic pirouette, something strange happened. Her shadow didn’t follow her. It froze mid-spin on the ground, then darted across the lawn like a dark streak.
Kyri blinked. “Did you see that?”
Daisy stopped and looked down. Her shadow was gone.
“My shadow… ran away!” she gasped.
Chasing the Shadow
Kyri grabbed his magnifying glass from the garden shed. “We need to find it!”
Daisy frowned. “How does a shadow even run away?”
“Shadows are just light being blocked,” Kyri said. “Something’s messing with the light.”
They followed the shadow’s path across the garden and into the woods behind the house. It slipped between trees and danced along the ground, always a few steps ahead.
“It’s like it’s teasing us!” Daisy said, breaking into a jog. “Come back, you silly shadow!”
Kyri ran alongside her. “Shadows can’t just move on their own… can they?”
The Clearing of Lights
At the heart of the woods, they stumbled into a strange clearing. Sunlight streamed down through the trees, but instead of falling in patches, the light twisted and curved into shapes—lines, spirals, and waves.
Daisy pointed. “Look, Kyri! The light’s all weird here.”
Kyri adjusted his glasses. “It’s bending… like in a science experiment! Did you know light can bend around objects or through water? It’s called refraction.”
Daisy wasn’t listening—she was staring at her shadow. It had reappeared, but it wasn’t alone. Around it were dozens of other shadows, spinning and dancing across the clearing without their owners.
“They’re having a shadow dance party!” Daisy said, laughing. “That’s why mine ran away—it wanted to join!”
The Keeper of Shadows
Suddenly, the shadows all stopped. A soft humming sound filled the air, and a figure stepped out of the light. It was tall and shimmery, like it was made of sunlight itself.
“Who are you?” Kyri asked, holding Daisy’s hand.
“I am the Keeper of Shadows,” the figure replied in a voice like wind through leaves. “This is where shadows come to dance when they need a break.”
Daisy’s eyes widened. “Even shadows get tired?”
The Keeper smiled. “Everything needs a little fun, even the parts of you that live in the dark.”
Kyri squinted up at the strange patterns of light. “But how do you bend the light like this?”
“Ah,” the Keeper said, “light is a playful thing. It bends when it passes through water, glass, or even hot air. Here, I shape it to give shadows their playground.”
Getting Daisy’s Shadow Back
Kyri looked at Daisy’s shadow, which stood still now, swaying as if waiting.
“But we need Daisy’s shadow to come back,” Kyri said. “She can’t dance without it.”
The Keeper nodded. “To get your shadow back, you must dance with it.”
“Dance?” Daisy said, grinning. “I can do that!”
Daisy stepped into the clearing and began to spin and twirl. Her shadow watched for a moment, then joined in, matching her every move perfectly.
“Go, Daisy!” Kyri cheered.
The other shadows clapped and swirled around her, until finally, Daisy’s shadow slid back into place at her feet.
“It’s back!” Daisy said, stomping her foot to make sure.
The Keeper of Shadows smiled. “Your shadow will always follow you, but remember—it likes to play too.”
Home Again
As Kyri and Daisy walked back through the woods, the clearing faded behind them, and everything returned to normal.
“I can’t believe my shadow ran away to dance,” Daisy said. “That was amazing!”
“And now we know that light can bend and twist,” Kyri added. “That’s how rainbows are made, too. Light bends through raindrops and splits into colours.”
“You and your facts, Kyri,” Daisy teased, spinning on the spot. “But I bet your shadow’s happier now, too.”
Kyri looked down at his own shadow, which stretched long on the path. For just a moment, he thought it gave a little wiggle, like it was waving.
That night, as Daisy practiced her dancing and Kyri read his science books, they both kept glancing at their shadows, just in case.
Because now they knew—shadows have a life of their own, and sometimes, they just want to dance.