Bedtime in the Pixel World

The first block gives a tiny, gentle lurch. Whoooosh… It drifts forward, carrying Harper like a slow-moving cloud.

Harper’s toes curl on the warm, glowing cube. The path glides beside the bed, past the pillow mountain and the stuffed-animal pile. Behind, the bedroom stays quiet and still. Ahead, the blocks float toward the tablet screen, now shining like a square moon.

Pixel dust twinkles in the air, drifting off the edges of each block. Harper holds out a hand. The sparkles pass right through, soft as a sigh.

“Okay,” Harper whispers, voice calm and sleepy. “Guess we’re really going.” The tablet world waits just a few blocks away, its tiny stars blinking hello.