A Nightmare Thief

In a small, peaceful town, there lived a 12-year-old girl named Lily. With her soft brown hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a petite height of just 4'3", she was a picture of innocence and sweetness. Lily was known to everyone as a sensitive and kind-hearted child. She loved drawing, reading stories, and helping others. But lately, something had changed.

Every night, Lily faced a terrifying ordeal — a dark, menacing ghost that haunted her dreams. This ghost wasn’t like the ones in spooky stories or movies. He was a figure of pure evil, a shadowy shape with glowing red eyes that would chase her relentlessly through the twisting, gloomy corridors of her nightmares. Each time she would try to run, but he always found her, whispering threats of harm in a voice like crackling fire.

It started as a single dream. But then it repeated the next night. And the night after that. Every time she closed her eyes, she found herself trapped in the same horror-filled nightmare. The ghost would lurk in corners, hiding in the darkness, jumping out to scare her. He’d reach for her, and Lily would wake up with her heart racing, drenched in sweat.

She began to fear falling asleep, dreading the thought of facing the ghost again. Her days turned gray and gloomy. She could hardly focus in class, her grades began slipping, and her friends noticed her constant fear. Lily would jump at the slightest sound, her eyes always darting around as if she expected the ghost to appear even in daylight.

One day, as she sat quietly in the classroom, her head resting wearily on the table, she felt as if a dark cloud loomed over her life. Her teacher, Mrs. Collins, a kind woman with a warm smile, noticed her student’s unusual behavior. Lily had always been a cheerful and lively girl, but now she seemed distant, lost, and deeply troubled.

Mrs. Collins approached Lily’s desk and knelt down beside her. “Lily, dear,” she said softly, “What’s the matter? Why are you always so sad and frightened? You were never like this before. Is something wrong?”

Lily hesitated, biting her lip. Should she tell her teacher? What if Mrs. Collins thought she was crazy or just making things up? But the teacher’s gentle eyes were full of understanding, and for the first time, Lily felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, someone could help her.

Taking a deep breath, Lily whispered, “I… I see a ghost. In my dreams. Every night. He wants to hurt me… to kill me. He chases me, and I can never get away.” Her voice trembled as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m so scared, Mrs. Collins. What if one day… what if he catches me?”

Mrs. Collins listened quietly, not interrupting, her expression serious. When Lily finished, she took the girl’s small hands in her own and said firmly, “Lily, I know it’s frightening, and I’m so sorry you’re going through this. But you must understand something very important: dreams are not real. They can’t hurt you.”

Lily looked up, confusion and doubt clouding her face. “But he’s so real… It feels so real…”

“I know,” Mrs. Collins said gently. “Dreams can feel that way, especially when they’re scary. But this ghost… he’s just a nightmare. He can only exist in your mind, nowhere else. You are much stronger than any dream, Lily. He can’t harm you because you are in control.”

“But he wants to kill me,” Lily said softly, shivering at the thought.

Mrs. Collins shook her head. “No, Lily. He wants you to believe he can, but he’s powerless. He only has the strength you give him. If you tell yourself that he can’t hurt you, if you stand up to him, he will fade away.”

Lily stared at her teacher, hope flickering in her eyes for the first time in weeks. Could it really be that simple? Could she truly make the ghost disappear just by refusing to be afraid?

That night, Lily lay in bed, her heart pounding as she closed her eyes. She knew the ghost would come, just like always. But this time, she would try to do what Mrs. Collins had told her.

The moment she fell asleep, she found herself back in the dark, twisted hallway. The ghost appeared before her, his red eyes glowing with malice. “You can’t escape me,” he hissed, his voice like nails scraping on glass. “I’ll catch you, and when I do, you’ll—”

“No!” Lily shouted, surprising even herself. She stood tall, trembling but determined. “You’re not real. You’re just a dream, and you can’t hurt me!”

The ghost paused, confusion flickering in his eyes. “What did you say?” he snarled.

“You heard me,” Lily said, her voice growing stronger. “You’re just a nightmare. You can’t hurt me, because I’m not afraid of you anymore!”

For a moment, the ghost seemed to swell with rage. He lunged at her, but this time, Lily didn’t run. She stood her ground, repeating in her mind, *You can’t hurt me. You’re not real. You’re just a bad dream.*

And then, something incredible happened. The ghost began to shrink. His red eyes dimmed, his dark form wavered, and in a matter of seconds, he dissolved into a puff of smoke. Lily blinked, stunned. He was gone. Just like that.

The next morning, when Lily woke up, she felt lighter than she had in weeks. She smiled, a real, genuine smile, and for the first time, she didn’t dread the coming night. She had faced her fear, and she had won.

From that day on, Lily never saw the ghost again. She still had dreams, of course, but they were normal dreams, the kind that faded with the morning light. She was no longer haunted by the dark figure that had stolen her peace.

And whenever she felt afraid or doubted herself, she remembered Mrs. Collins’ words: *Dreams can’t hurt you. You are in control.*

With that knowledge, Lily took back her life from the nightmare thief, one peaceful night at a time.