Paper Boat Crossing the Milky Way

The moment the pen tip fell, the lights in the entire attic went out at the same time. The rain curtain outside the window cracked a silver gap, and the canal water overflowed the threshold, carrying the unique crisp smell of star sandpaper, spreading a path on the floor leading to the night sky. The paper boat slowly sailed away along this road, trailing a longer and longer strip of light at its stern, like someone had opened a wound on the ink velvet.