In the attic of a yellow house on Maple Lane lived a family of friendly ghosts.
There was Grandma Ghost, who floated in her rocking chair. There was Papa Ghost, who hummed while he dusted the old trunks. And there was the littlest ghost of all, who was called Wisp.
Wisp was small and round and soft, like a puff of cotton. He could float. He could whoosh. He could say “boo” in a tiny, friendly voice.
But Wisp had a secret. He was a little bit afraid of the dark.
“Ghosts aren’t supposed to mind the dark,” he whispered to himself. And every night he hid under an old quilt until morning.
On Halloween night, the house was full of giggles. Down below, two children and their grandpa had made a pumpkin lantern. It had a big smiling mouth and two round, happy eyes.
Wisp floated down through the ceiling, very quietly, to watch.
Their grandpa put a little glowing light inside the pumpkin. Click. And the pumpkin glowed, warm and orange, and its smile filled the whole room.
“Oh,” breathed Wisp. “It’s beautiful.”
The littlest child looked up. She saw a small white puff by the ceiling, peeking out from behind the lamp.
“Hello,” she said. “Are you a ghost?”
“Yes,” said Wisp shyly. “But I’m a very small one. And I don’t like the dark.”
The child thought about it. “I don’t like the dark either,” she said. “That’s why we have a night-light.” She held up a tiny pumpkin lantern, no bigger than an apple. “You can have this one. We have two.”
Wisp carried the little pumpkin up to the attic. He set it beside the quilt. Its orange glow made the attic feel warm and friendly, like a hug.
“You see?” said Grandma Ghost, rocking gently. “Everybody is a little bit afraid sometimes. Even ghosts. Even children. That’s why we share our lights.”
Wisp snuggled under the quilt. The little pumpkin smiled at him. And for the first time ever, he floated off to sleep without hiding at all.
So if the dark feels big tonight, remember Wisp. You can keep a little light nearby, and you can share it too. Nobody, not even the littlest ghost, has to be brave all alone.
🌙 The End 🌙
Sweet dreams, little one.
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