Pippin, a drop of mist, let go of the cloud. Down he fell through the blue sky, spinning faster and faster until—splash! He landed in the sunlit surface layer, his edges cooling instantly into liquid.
He watched shafts of gold light dance around him and pushed downward, curious about the cooler blue below. The sunlight faded to turquoise, then to a dreamy indigo as he drifted into the twilight zone.
Down in the twilight zone, a giant squid unfurled its glowing arms and drifted past, its skin rippling with pulsing neon dots that flickered like fireflies in the dark water.
Pippin hovered near a cluster of strange, translucent jellyfish and reached out to touch one, feeling a soft, rubbery wiggle that made him giggle in bubbles.
Deeper still, in the midnight zone, an anglerfish with a dangling lantern light swung into view. Its big mouth opened wide in a silent, toothy grin that startled Pippin into a tight, nervous knot.
He tried to drift away but got tangled in a strand of slimy kelp. His misty form stretched thin and wobbly around the plant, swirling in anxious spirals.
Pippin struggled against the kelp, pulling and twisting until—pop! He sprang free and bounced upward, shooting back toward the surface like a water jet.
The sudden rush carried him past the squid and the anglerfish, higher and higher until he broke the surface with a cheerful plop. Sunlight flooded around him as he emerged.
Back in the sunlight, the warm air began to lift Pippin's edges, turning him back into a soft, white vapor. He hovered just above the waves, watching the ocean stretch out endlessly.
He watched the ocean stretch out endlessly and decided to drift toward the next cloud, ready for whatever falls next. The wind caught his wispy edges and carried him toward the sky.