#9 - The Unexpected And Exciting Visit To Block World
Phoenix sat cross-legged on the playroom floor, his tongue poking out in concentration as he carefully connected another plastic brick to his building block aeroplane. On the TV screen before him, colourful fighter jets zoomed through puffy white clouds, their engines roaring as they completed daring missions in his favourite flight combat game.
"Look, Mia! I'm almost done with the wings!" he called out to his little sister, who sat nearby hugging her beloved stuffed dog, Mr. Woofs. The worn-out plushie had definitely seen better days, but two-year-old Mia carried him everywhere.
"Woof-woof!" Mia giggled, making her toy dog dance across the carpet.
Phoenix smiled as he clicked the final piece into place. His creation wasn't perfect – the wings were a bit wobbly, and he'd run out of matching blue blocks halfway through – but it looked pretty cool. He held it up proudly, making whooshing noises as he pretended to fly it through the air.
That's when something extremely weird happened.
The block plane began to glow with a soft blue light. Phoenix's eyes widened as it started hovering – actually hovering! – above his hands. On the TV screen, the game seemed to swirl and stretch, creating what looked like a swirling tunnel of light.
"Uh oh," Phoenix whispered, feeling a strange tugging sensation. The plane was pulling him toward the screen! "Mia, stay back!"
But Mia, being a curious toddler, had other ideas. "Plane! Plane!" she squealed excitedly, toddling forward with Mr. Woofs clutched tightly in her arms. Before Phoenix could stop her, the glowing vortex pulled them both in – along with the block plane and Mr. Woofs.
Everything spun in a kaleidoscope of colours before suddenly... they were inside the game! The world around them looked both familiar and strange – everything had that distinct plastic brick texture, including themselves! Phoenix looked down to see his hands had turned into little yellow plastic claws, while Mia had become an adorable toy toddler figure, still clutching Mr. Woofs – who now sported a mysterious tool belt around his plush middle.
"Welcome, brave pilots!" boomed a voice from nowhere. "To return home, you must complete three aerial challenges. Are you ready for your mission?"
Phoenix looked at his wobbly plane, then at his baby sister. "I don't know if this is safe enough for Mia," he worried aloud.
"Bay-bee help!" Mia insisted, hugging Mr. Woofs tighter. To Phoenix's astonishment, the stuffed dog winked at him!
"Don't worry, kid," Mr. Woofs said in a gruff voice that only Mia seemed to hear properly. To Phoenix, it just sounded like regular barking. "I've got everything we need right here in my tool belt!"
The first challenge materialised before them – a spectacular obstacle course high above a toy brick city. Glowing rings floated between towering skyscrapers made entirely of colourful blocks while clouds made of translucent building pieces drifted lazily through their path. Phoenix gripped the controls, his plastic hands clicking against the steering wheel.
"First challenge: Complete the Ring Rush!" announced the mysterious voice. "Navigate through all rings while avoiding the Block Clouds – loose pieces will stick to your wings and slow you down!"
Phoenix carefully steered the plane through the first few rings, but a massive cloud of floating transparent pieces loomed ahead. "Hold tight, Mia!" he called, executing a barrel roll that sent his sister into fits of delighted giggles. They swooped and soared, threading through the rings like a needle. When some loose blocks from a cloud did catch their wing, sticking to it like magnets, Mia leaned out (safely strapped in, of course) and brushed them away with Mr. Woofs, who seemed to enjoy being used as a block-sweeper.
The second challenge transported them to a sky filled with mechanical toy birds, each carrying a glowing star piece in its beak. "Star Collectors, begin!" the voice commanded. "Gather ten-star pieces, but beware – these playful birds love to play tag!"
The birds were trickier than they looked, diving and swooping in formation. One particularly mischievous red bird kept flying loops around their plane, squawking what sounded suspiciously like laughter. That's when they heard the ominous cracking sound – one of the wings was starting to come loose!
"Oh no!" Phoenix cried, struggling to keep the plane level. "The connections aren't strong enough!"
But Mia was already conferring with Mr. Woofs, who barked and pulled exactly the right building pieces from his magical tool belt. With her tiny plastic hands, Mia reached out and clicked the new pieces into place, making the wing even stronger than before. The red bird, impressed by their teamwork, finally let them catch up and dropped its star piece right into Mia's waiting hands.
"Good job, Mia!" Phoenix beamed, realising his little sister was braver and more helpful than he'd ever given her credit for.
The final challenge was the most intimidating yet – a massive swirling tornado made of scattered building blocks while racing against the clock. But this wasn't just any tornado – it was filled with obstacles from their previous challenges! The mechanical birds swooped through it, creating paths they could follow.
"Final challenge: The Tornado Trial!" boomed the voice. "Complete the course in three minutes, or remain as toy figures forever!"
The plane rattled and shook, pieces threatening to pop off in every direction. They dodged falling plastic trees, weaved through floating furniture, and even had to avoid what looked like an entire toy pirate ship spinning through the twister!
"We're not going to make it!" Phoenix shouted over the whooshing wind.
"Fix! Fix!" Mia declared confidently. While Phoenix focused on flying, Mia and Mr. Woofs worked as a remarkable repair team. Whenever a piece started to come loose, Mia would grab the perfect replacement from Mr. Woofs' tool belt and snap it into place. Her tiny fingers moved with surprising speed and skill, as if she'd been building with blocks all her life.
Just as the timer was about to run out, they burst through the other side of the tornado. The plane was different now – stronger, more colourful, and covered in Phoenix's careful planning and Mia's creative additions. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than anything Phoenix could have built alone.
"Challenge complete!" the mysterious voice announced. "Returning heroes to base!"
There was another swirl of colour, and suddenly they were back in their playroom. Phoenix blinked, looking down at his normal hands and the block plane – which was now transformed into the amazing creation he and Mia had built together during their adventure.
Mia sat on the carpet, happily hugging Mr. Woofs, who once again looked like a regular stuffed dog – though Phoenix could have sworn he saw the toy give him another quick wink.
"Mia," Phoenix said, sitting down next to his sister, "that was pretty incredible. I didn't know having a little sister could be so awesome!" He held up his hand for a high-five, and Mia gleefully smacked it with her tiny palm.
"Pay more?" Mia asked hopefully, pointing at the plane.
Phoenix grinned. "You bet! But this time, let's build something together from the start. With your fixing skills and my flying experience, we make a pretty great team!"
As they began gathering building blocks for their next creation, Phoenix glanced at Mr. Woofs, who sat watching them with his slightly crooked smile. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw a few colourful plastic bricks peeking out from behind the stuffed dog's back, ready for their next magical adventure.
This Grand Little Story for Grand Tropique, was co-authored by Ben Davis and AI, and edited by Cat Davis. Visit Grand Tropique Pyjamas
Narrated on Spotify by Alex Davidson Alex is on Tik TokVisit Alex's Facebook PageHire Alex on Upwork
