The Monster in the Dark

CEBU, Philippines - Marina was extremely afraid of the dark. When the lights went out, everything and every shadow appeared to her as the most terrible of monsters. Everyday her parents patiently explained to her that those things were not monsters. Marina understood her parents, but she could not stop feeling a terrible fear whenever darkness fell.

One day her Aunt Valerie came to visit. Valerie was an incredible woman. She was famous for her courage, and for having gone on many journeys of adventure, some of which had been written into books and even made into movies.

Marina wanted to conquer her fear of the dark, to be brave and courageous like her aunt, so she asked her Aunt Valerie how she became so brave, and whether she had ever been frightened.

“A great many times, Marina,” answered her Aunt Valerie. “I remember when I was small, I was also terribly afraid of the dark. I couldn’t stay in the dark for even a moment.”

Marina became very excited. She was beginning to realize that she was not the first or the only to be so afraid of the dark. Her aunt’s story came as an encouragement for her to try to overcome her own fear of the dark. “How is it possible that someone so courageous could have once been actually afraid of the dark?” Aunt Valerie said. “It was some blind children who taught me how to be brave. They couldn’t see; in their eyes it was just all darkness. So if they had never discovered the secret of how not to be afraid of the dark, they would have been forever frightened.”

“Right!” Marina interjected, intrigued. “Can you tell me that secret, Auntie?”

“Of course! The secret is to change your eyes,” Aunt Valerie told her. “Since blind children can’t see, their hands are their eyes. All you have to do to conquer your fear is what they do. Shut the eyes of your face and open the eyes of your hands.” Marina was getting all the more intrigued.

Aunt Valeries continued, “Let’s make a deal – tonight, when you go to bed and put out the light, if anything makes you afraid, close your eyes, carefully get out of bed, and try to see what it is that’s making you scared. But do it using your hands as eyes... and tomorrow tell me how you’re getting on with the fear.” Hesitantly, Marina agreed.

Marina a little worried about the deal. She knew she would need to be so brave to close her eyes and go touch whatever it was that that she would see that frightens her. But she was willing to try, because she really wanted to overcome her fear of the dark.

And so that night when her parents took her to bed, she volunteered to put out the light herself. Then as usual, after a little while she began to feel afraid of one of the shadows in the bedroom. She mustered some courage and followed the advice of Aunt Valerie. She closed the eyes of her face and opened the eyes of her hands. And, summoning up all her courage, she went over to touch the mysterious shadow.

The next morning Marina came running into the kitchen with a big smile on her face, and a song on her lips. “The monster is so soft and smooth…!” she proudly told everyone. “It was my teddy bear!” Her parents and Aunt Valerie all laughed and hugged her. Since then, Marina was no longer afraid of the dark. Pedro Pablo Sacristan   (freestoriesforkids.com) (FREEMAN)