Preeya dipped her yellow crayon onto the classroom paper — but the color dripped upward. It swirled against the wall, twisting into a shimmering portal that smelled like warm vanilla. She gasped and dropped the crayon; it clicked on the linoleum.
A puff of glittery air tugged at Preeya's ponytail. She reached out, fingers brushing the sparkles, and the floor gave way beneath her sneakers. She tumbled forward into the warm, vanilla-scented light.
Preeya scrambled up a mound of graham-cracker sand. Before her stood a towering lollipop character with a striped umbrella hat that chimed like tiny bells. 'Are you my guide?' she whispered. The guide hummed, and the gumdrop bushes shivered.
The lollipop guide pointed a licorice-whip hand toward a swirling chocolate river, its surface reflecting candy-colored clouds. Preeya climbed into a gumdrop boat and pushed off. The guide paddled, and warm chocolate splashed onto her arms.
The river suddenly darkened. A greasy, colorless film crept across the water, leaching brightness from the candy reeds. The guide yelled, 'Hold on! The current picks up near the marshmallow rapids!' Preeya gripped the sides of the boat.
On the riverbank, Preeya spotted a hulking creature of crumbled biscuits and stale crumbs, dragging itself forward. Its dusty presence withered everything it touched. The creature groaned — a dry, crackling sound. Preeya remembered the sparkle in her pocket.
Preeya flung the iridescent candy sparkle over the beast like a net. The glitter clung, and the creature shuddered — its crumbly form hardened, reshaped, and became a friendly gingerbread statue. The river surged back to vivid color.
The lollipop guide saluted with a peppermint-striped hand. A swirl of candy-colored wind lifted Preeya back through the shimmering portal just as the classroom bell rang. She landed softly in her chair, a few glittery sprinkles tapping onto her math worksheet.