A crab scuttles through the foam left on the sands from the previous tide, waltzing under the moon. The crab stops for a moment, only to orient itself before deciding to change the path of his midnight stroll, and he scurries off into the gentle waves that guide him out to sea. Entangled by a mesh of seaweed and kelp, the tiny crab suddenly finds himself lost and helpless, and so his motion freezes, hoping not to attract those that may find him suitable for a late night snack. Fortunately for the crab, the rhythmic pulse of the undercurrent sweeps the seaweed back off his carapace. Unshackled, the crab continues his trek deeper into the frigid ocean. The moon’s soft glow provides little light under even shallow water, and the crab soon finds himself blinded, entombed by the shadows of night.

The crab pauses, sensing his surroundings. Even while blind, he can detect the presence of another- at best another of his kind, but more than likely a ravenous gull floating overhead waiting for its dinner to pass beneath. More out of instinct than intuition, the crab quickly attempts to burrow beneath the fine sand adorning the ocean floor, but the instant his claw pierces the sand, he is thrown off his feet and sent tumbling through the dark waters. Disoriented and startled, the crab does not notice the flounder that he had been standing on swim away into the depths. This is good news for the crab, as he now senses that his unseen presence has vanished.

Dawn is fast approaching as the crab strolls along the bottom of the sea, casually eating detritus that floats along his path.  His breakfast is abruptly interrupted by an unexpected guest- a female crab of his kind, and she’s making her way towards him.

She scuttles by, intrigued by the shape of her new acquaintance’s shadow that is barely distinguishable as it’s cast by the budding sun’s light. She slowly makes her way towards the curious figure until she is able to make out its true identity. Initially, she backs away from what she now knows is a male crab, as she is unsure of how to react in such a situation.

The two stand in silence as the golden glow of the new sun brings diamond-white light through the shallow waters. The male crab makes his move, slowly but deliberately. Nearly touching the female, he does what any crab would do when faced with a possible mate— he pinches.