"Hello? Where’d you go?"

The child hid beneath the knit blanket, sunlight glowing through its yellow fibers.

A woman’s voice called out from another room, growing closer and closer. 

"Are you hiding from me again?"

Keys clinked on a hard surface. A tiny laugh escaped.

The woman gasped dramatically.

"What was that?"

The child took a quick breath and tried to stay quiet.

"I could have sworn I heard something a second ago."

A large shadow sat on the bed, pressing down on the blanket.

"Hmmm..."

The child tried but failed to hold back laughter, squirming in anticipation as the shadow of a hand reached over the blanket.

"Couldn’t be..."

The child started giggling uncontrollably.

The shadow stopped. After a moment, it retracted and dissipated into nothingness.

"No... it must be my imagination."

"I’m right here!!"

The child threw off the blanket—the room was obscured by a powerful flash of bright light. Loud alerts sounded out in dissonant tones.

"Ego barrier fully dissolved!"