Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Lily. She was a brave girl during the day, but as soon as night fell, she became afraid of the dark. She would hide under her blanket, afraid of what lurked in the shadows. Her parents tried to comfort her, but nothing seemed to work.

One night, as she was lying in bed, Lily heard a strange noise. It was a soft growl, coming from under her bed. She was terrified, imagining all sorts of monsters hiding there. But then, a furry paw appeared from under the bed, followed by a large head with kind, lovable, glowing eyes.

At first, Lily was terrified. She thought the monster was going to eat her, sensing the fear, the monster made cooing noise and began to speak in a human language, but the voice was soft and also terrified. The monster said its name was Fuzzy, and reassured Lily that he was a friend.

“Don’t be afraid, little girl. I won’t harm you. I’m here to help you overcome your fear of the dark,” Fuzzy assured.

Lily was hesitant at first, but Fuzzy was so friendly and kind that she soon started to trust him. Fuzzy would come out every night and sit with Lily, telling her stories and jokes to keep her mind off the darkness. Slowly but surely, Lily started to feel more comfortable in the dark.

One night, when Fuzzy was telling her a particularly funny joke, Lily realised that she wasn’t afraid anymore. She felt brave and strong, ready to face whatever might be hiding in the shadows. Fuzzy had helped her overcome her fear of the dark.

From then on, Lily would eagerly await Fuzzy’s visits. They became great friends, and Lily would tell Fuzzy all about her day at school, while Fuzzy would share stories about his life in the monster world. They even started to play games together, like hide-and-seek and tag.

Eventually, Lily’s fear of the dark disappeared completely. She was no longer afraid to walk through dark hallways or to sleep without a nightlight. She knew that Fuzzy would always be there to protect her, and that gave her the courage to face anything.

One night, as Lily was falling asleep, Fuzzy gave her a big, furry hug and said, “You don’t need me anymore, little girl. You’re all grown up now.”

There was a hint of sadness in his voice. Lily smiled and hugged him back.

“I’ll always need you, Fuzzy. You’re my best friend,” Lilly expressed.

Listening to this made Fuzzy happy, he smiled and said, “Yes, we are best friends, but my visits won’t be regular now.”

Saying this, he disappeared under her bed, leaving Lily with a warm feeling in her heart. She knew that she would never forget her brave and loyal friend, who had helped her overcome her greatest fear.

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 27th, 2023