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Albert
fussed when his mum told him to go to bed. “I want to stay up, Mum,” he
whined.
“But
Albert, you have to go to bed. You need your sleep,” Mum said.
Albert
didn't want to tell his mum that he was afraid of the dark. He was ten
years old and far too big to be afraid, so he made up lies. “I can't go
to sleep, Mum. My bed is lumpy.”
His mum
went into his room and punched the bed. “Your bed feels fine to me. It's
rather soft and comfortable. You should be thankful to have a bed like
this. Now, off to bed with you.”
With no
other excuses in mind, Albert had no choice but to get into his bed.
“You'll
sleep fine. I'll put a candle on the table so it won't be so dark.” Mum
kissed his cheek and closed the door.
Albert
lay awake, listening to noises and fearful of monsters under his bed.
When morning came, he could hardly move. He was so tired, but the next
night, when it was bedtime, he came up with another lie. “Mum, I can't
go to sleep. The wind blows the tree branches against the bedroom
window.”
Mum
opened the window and snipped off a few branches. “There you are now.
The branches aren't touching your window.” She kissed him goodnight.
“I'll leave the candle for you again. Get to sleep.”
Albert
lay awake all night, listening to noises and fearful of monsters under
his bed. He sat up, shaking with fear. The next morning his mum saw the
circles around his eyes. “Albert, did you sleep last night? What is
going on? You're not afraid of the dark, are you?”
Albert's cheeks turned red. “Yes, Mum. I am afraid of the dark. I hear
noises and I think there's a monster under my bed.”
That
night his mum went into the bedroom first. She lifted up the covers.
“Look, Albert. There are no monsters under your bed.” She opened the
closet door. “There are no monsters or ghosts in your closet. The house
is safe and your dad and I are in the living room.” She lit a candle.
“I'm leaving the candle for you, so it won't be so dark.” She shut the
door behind her.
Albert
knew there were no monsters under his bed. His mum had checked. He knew
there were no ghosts in his closet. She'd checked there too. Still, he
was afraid. He sat on the bed and laid his back against the pillow,
watching the candlelight flicker. Just then a few twinkling lights
appeared at the bottom of his bed. He pulled the covers up over his
face. The lights got brighter and bright green sparkles glittered.
Albert peeked out.
“Hello
there.” A strange little man sat on the bottom of Albert's bed.
Albert
pulled the covers over his face again. “Go away!”
“Albert, I'm your fairy. I'm here to watch over you at night. I've been
here every night, but I've never let you see me before. I watch over you
while you sleep. I'm not supposed to let you see me at all, but I
thought you needed it tonight. Albert, you've got to stop being afraid
of the dark.”
“You're
my fairy? You watch over me at night?” Albert sat up.
“Yes. I
stay in your room from the moment your mum leaves until the sun rises in
the morning. I'm always here. I make sure the ghosts and monsters stay
away and as long as I'm here, you'll be safe.”
Albert
looked at the fairy. It wore an orange hat with a star at the end of it,
an orange shirt with green polka dots and yellow and green striped
pants. Red shoes hung from its feet. “What's your name?”
“What
do you want my name to be?” The fairy raised into the air.
“I want
your name to be Gary, no Peter,” Albert said.
“Peter
it is then. I'm Peter, the fairy.”
“You
promise to stay and keep me safe?” Albert slid back under the covers.
“I promise. Just because you don't see me doesn't mean I'm not there.
Now, I'd better become invisible again before I get into trouble.” The
fairy disappeared. “I'm still here,” it said from the corner of the
room.
Albert
rolled onto his side and for the first time in months, fell asleep and
slept all night long.
In the
morning he rushed to the kitchen table. “I'm starving.”
His mum
smiled. “I trust you slept well last night?”
Albert
nodded and smiled. He was going to keep Peter a secret. “I will sleep
good every night from now on. I'm not afraid of the dark any more.” And
he did.