Lala had always been a cheerful little girl. She loved playing with her toys, laughing with Dad, and exploring everything new with curiosity and excitement. Moving into a new home should have been another thrilling adventure for her, but the first night brought an unexpected wave of emotions—fear, panic, and mystery.
The house was beautiful in the daytime. It had wide windows that let sunlight in, freshly painted walls, and rooms that still smelled faintly of new wood and varnish. Dad had proudly walked Lala through each room earlier that day, showing her the kitchen where they would cook together, the living room where the family could watch movies, and her bedroom which was decorated with her favorite soft pink curtains.
“This is our fresh start, Lala,” Dad had said warmly.
She had nodded with a big smile, hugging her stuffed bunny, Coco. But when the sun went down and the world grew quiet, the new house felt very different.
The silence of midnight
At exactly midnight, Lala suddenly woke up. The house was strangely silent, much more so than the old home they had left behind. Back there, she was used to the sound of crickets outside, the hum of the refrigerator, and sometimes neighbors talking late into the night.
Here, the silence felt heavy, as if the walls themselves were listening. Her heart started beating faster. She sat up in bed, hugging Coco tightly, straining her ears.
Then—creak.
A faint sound echoed through the hallway. It wasn’t loud, but in the dead of night, it felt enormous. Lala’s eyes widened.
“Dad?” she whispered. But her voice seemed too small, swallowed by the darkness.
The sound came again—creak… creak…—as if someone, or something, was slowly walking across the wooden floorboards.
Shadows that move
Lala slipped out of bed and tiptoed toward her door. She wanted to call Dad, but part of her was scared to make noise. She peeked into the hallway, her little heart pounding. The moonlight coming through the windows made strange patterns on the walls.
Suddenly, she thought she saw a shadow move. Not a clear shape—just a flicker, like something darting quickly past the corner. She gasped and quickly shut her bedroom door again, pressing her back against it.
Her imagination began to run wild. Was it a thief? A ghost? Some strange creature that lived in the house before they moved in?
She felt her chest tighten as panic started to rise. Her small hands gripped Coco tighter.
A whisper in the dark
Lala climbed back into bed and pulled the blanket over her head. She tried to calm down, telling herself, “It’s nothing, it’s just the new house.” But then she heard something worse.
A faint whisper.
It sounded like it came from the hallway, just outside her room. It was too soft to make out the words, but it was there—a low, drawn-out murmur, like someone trying to call her name.
Her whole body froze. Tears started to well up in her eyes. She didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t stop trembling. Why was this happening in their new home?
Running to Dad
Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. She jumped out of bed and ran as fast as her little feet could carry her down the hallway to Dad’s room. She burst inside and shook him awake.
“Dad! Dad! I’m scared!” she cried, her voice shaking.
Dad sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Lala? What’s wrong?”
“There are noises! And shadows! And whispers! I don’t like it here at night!”
Dad pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. “Shhh, it’s okay, sweetheart. It’s just the house settling. Sometimes new houses make sounds when the wood adjusts to the temperature.”
But Lala shook her head violently. “No, Dad! I heard someone whispering. I saw something move!”
Investigating the mystery
Dad could see how frightened she was. So, he picked her up in his arms and carried her into the hallway.
“Let’s check together, okay? If there’s anything scary, I’ll protect you.”
Lala buried her face into his shoulder, but she peeked as he turned on the lights. The hallway looked ordinary now—no shadows darting around, no whispers.
Dad walked into the living room and kitchen. Everything was still and quiet. Finally, he checked the front door. It was locked.
“See? Nothing here, Lala,” Dad said gently.
But Lala still clung to him. “But I really heard something…”
Dad thought for a moment. Then he smiled and said, “Alright. Let’s do a little detective work together.”
The truth revealed
They went back to Lala’s room, and Dad asked her to stay quiet and listen carefully. After a few minutes, they both heard it again—creak… creak.
Dad grinned. “Aha! I know what that is.”
He walked over to the window and pointed. Outside, the big tree branches were swaying in the wind. Every time the wind pushed against them, the branches tapped lightly against the wall, making the floorboards inside shift with a creak.
“As for the whispering,” Dad continued, “listen closely.”
He turned off the light. The wind whistled through a tiny gap in the window frame, creating a soft sound that almost sounded like someone whispering.
Lala’s eyes widened. “So… it wasn’t a ghost?”
Dad chuckled. “Nope. Just the wind and the tree saying hello to us in our new home.”
Comfort and safety
Relieved but still a little shaken, Lala hugged Coco tightly. Dad tucked her back into bed, this time staying beside her until she felt safe again. He told her stories about how even brave knights sometimes got scared at night, but they always found courage when they discovered the truth.
“Remember,” Dad whispered as she closed her eyes, “fear is often just imagination playing tricks. But when we shine a little light on it, the truth is never as scary as it seems.”
Lala smiled sleepily. The panic that had once overwhelmed her now faded away. Soon, she drifted off to sleep with Dad’s hand resting gently on her shoulder.
The morning after
When morning came, the house looked completely different. Sunlight streamed through the windows, and the chirping of birds filled the air. Lala giggled as she remembered how frightened she had been at midnight.
She ran to Dad and said, “I was silly, huh? Being scared of the wind and the tree.”
Dad kissed her forehead. “Not silly, my love. Brave. You faced your fear and learned the truth. That makes you stronger.”
From that day on, whenever the house creaked at night, or the wind whispered through the window, Lala would smile and whisper back, “Goodnight, tree. Goodnight, wind.”
And just like that, midnight was no longer scary in her new home.
