"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!"