The night sky was dark though a full moon had risen earlier that evening. A cold wind had brought with it the clouds which now blotted out the moon and the stars. In response the heat from the swamp rose to fight off the chill, creating a cover of fog that quickly spread. As its tendrils wafted through the trees, a lone Kimeti stood guard over the night. Long had the Kimeti stood, waiting ever so patiently for something she had dreamed of seeing. The first tendril from the fog slithered past her and she snorted as it caressed her nose. A cloud of hot air burst from her nostrils to mingle with the fog and the doe danced lightly on her hooves, trying to get her blood flowing as she knew this was bound to be a long night.
The night grew long and the wind blew stronger until the doe finally saw what she'd been waiting for. It started over the Swamp, with shapes rolling to and fro in the fog. Eventually the party grew until shapes pranced out and joined the first set over the Swamp. The image created was one of ghosts and shadows dancing through the night, enjoying themselves particularly well though the doe knew they were dancing on the water.
Even as the doe, who was dark as night watched, more and more came to dance in the dark. The fog swirled around the shadows and the doe felt the pull to join them. At first she resisted, but soon the snow began to fall and her world grew numb. The shadows seemed to beckon to her and she heard them say her name. A tantalizing whisper bore to her on the tendrils of the fog that seemed to have a life of its own.
Finally unable to resist the pull, one hoof after the other slid forward through the crisp first snowfall. Though she felt the water as it gathered around her hooves and something inside screamed that she should stop, she ignored it as the shadows moved closer to her. She felt them touch her fur and smiled softly as they began their dance once more.
Soon the doe felt sleep pull at her eyelids and she struggled to ignore it by swimming in the water and joining a game of tag. As her limbs grew weary and frozen, her eyelids turned to stone and the doe heard the first peals of laughter ring through the air. Forcing her eyes open once more, she watched as the shadows retreated into the trees, laughing at her the whole way. As the sun's first rays of light broke through the clouds, the doe's head finally sank under the water.
Her last thought followed her to the bottom of the Swamp, "The shadows. They laughed at me. They...lead me here to laugh at me..."
