Her hair falls
In golden locks
Like the pixies
In her picture books.
Pinks lips curl
In a golden smile
And she whispers
“Are they real?”
Like it’s the biggest secret in the world.
I smile
Sneakily
And whisper back
“Of course!”
But she just laughs at her crazy sister
And reads on.

Her eyes are bright and warm
As they dart across the screen.
She squeals at
Jack Frost,
The Easter Bunny,
Sand Man,
As they argue, laugh, cry
And save the world.
“Are they real?”
She breaths gently,
In awe over the Tooth fairy’s beauty.
“Of course!”
But she just laughs at her crazy sister
And carries on staring at the screen.

Her hands are quick
And nimble.
Flying across buttons.
Jabbing death into pixels.
The avatar,
Her avatar,
Releases an explosion of gleaming sparks
From her palms
Into the sky.
My sister glances at her own hands
As they grip the controller tightly.
“Are they real?”
She asks.
“Of course!”
But she just laughs at her crazy sister.
And I wish for the day
She’ll finally realize
I was never joking.