Evelyn zoomed through the living room, her arms out like airplane wings. "Whee! I'm flying to the clouds!" she giggled.
"That's my girl!" Grandma chuckled from the kitchen, her back to Evelyn as she stirred a pot. "Just don't fly too high!"
But Evelyn was already gone. She zipped up the stairs and into her room. Everything was blurry with speed, like she was really flying! When she reached her bed, she jumped high... higher... and suddenly, she was floating!
Everything was puffy and white, just like Grandma's mashed potatoes! "Am I in a giant bowl of mashed potatoes?" she wondered aloud.
Just then, a little pink cloud with big, sparkly eyes peeked over a larger cloud. "Boo!" it squeaked.
Evelyn giggled. "You're not scary!" she said. "Are you a cloud?"
The little cloud bobbed up and down. "I am! This is Cloud Land, and I'm Puff!"
Evelyn smiled. This was going to be fun! She knew trying new things could be a bit scary, but she was brave! She took a deep breath, feeling proud of herself.
Suddenly, a happy bark made her jump. A fluffy white dog with cloud-like fur bounded towards her, tail wagging so fast it looked like it might spin right off!
"This is Spark," Puff announced. "He loves to play!"
Evelyn giggled as Spark licked her cheek. She threw her arms around him for a hug. "You're so soft!" she exclaimed.
Evelyn, Puff, and Spark spent the afternoon playing hide-and-seek among the fluffy clouds. They slid down rainbows and tossed sparkling stars back and forth. Evelyn had never had so much fun!
But as the sky began to turn orange and purple, Puff said, "It's time for you to go home, Evelyn."
Evelyn's smile drooped a little. She didn't want to leave her new friends!
"Don't worry," Puff whispered, "Spark will go with you. He'll be your special friend, always there to remind you how brave and strong you are."
Spark barked happily and licked Evelyn's hand.
Evelyn hugged Puff goodbye and then, with Spark by her side, jumped off the cloud. She landed with a soft thump on her bedroom floor.
The room was dim, and the sky outside her window was dark. But Spark was right there beside her, his fur glowing faintly in the twilight.
Downstairs, Grandma called, "Evelyn, time for bed!"
Evelyn scooped Spark into her arms and hurried down. "Grandma, look!"
Grandma gasped. "What a beautiful dog! Where did you find him?"
Evelyn just smiled mysteriously. "It's a secret," she whispered, hugging Spark close.
As Evelyn drifted off to sleep that night, Spark curled up beside her. She knew, even though she couldn't see Puff and Cloud Land anymore, they were always there. And whenever she felt a little scared or unsure, she would remember her adventure and how brave she was. She had a friend to remind her that she could do anything she set her mind to!
