Leona climbed out of bed. Her hand reached for the nightstand — but the koala was gone. Moonlight painted a silver rectangle on the floor.
She tiptoed across the silver rectangle and stopped. Her room was full of shadows and familiar shapes, but something felt different. She did not like it one bit.
She dropped to her knees and peered under the bed. She waved her hand through the dusty darkness. A small sock skittered away from her fingers.
She blinked at the empty space where the koala should be. Her hands felt heavy. She stood up and climbed onto her chair.
She scanned the bookshelf, running her fingers along the colorful spines. One, two, three books — but no soft grey fur hiding between them.
She slid down from the chair and stood very still. The room was quiet. She wondered where her koala could have gone.
A tiny squeak came from the pillow. Leona turned — the koala was sitting up! Its button eyes caught the nightlight and sparkled.
She gasped and clapped her hands. 'There you are!' she whispered. The koala wobbled a little, as if it were proud of itself.
She wrapped both arms around the koala and buried her face in its soft fur. She swung her legs up into bed and pulled the covers to her chin.
The koala rested against her cheek. The moonlight silver rectangle stayed on the floor, but now it felt like a path, leading right back to her bed. Everything was just right.