The Laundry Room hummed with a gentle, sleepy vibration, like a cat purring in a sunbeam.

Barnaby, a soft blue-striped sock, woke up from his tumble-dry cycle feeling cozy and round.

He stretched his knitted toes, but when he turned to nudge his twin, Benny, he found only a pile of fluffy towels.

Benny had slipped away through a secret static-sparkle hole behind the dryer—a shimmering, fuzzy portal where wandering socks liked to tumble. Barnaby knew his brother was just exploring, but he wanted them to be together for the evening, so he wiggled his heel and hopped right through the glowing, crackling gap.