Lina loved capybaras. She had a big, soft capybara plushie named Cappy. During the day, Lina took her everywhere, and at night, she hugged her tightly before going to sleep.
But there was one problem—at night, Lina got scared. As soon as Mom turned off the light, shadows in the room seemed to move. In the darkness, objects took on strange shapes, and the old wardrobe in the corner looked especially creepy—what if a house spirit was hiding inside?
Every night, Lina would wake up, clutch Cappy, and run to her parents' room.
"I'm scared," she would whisper.
Dad would stroke her hair, Mom would hug her, and Lina would fall asleep between them. But every evening, the fear came back.
One night, when Lina woke up scared again, she heard a strange sound—like someone breathing softly. She froze, holding Cappy tightly.
"Don’t be afraid," a quiet voice suddenly said.
Lina's eyes widened. She looked at Cappy… and realized that it was her talking!
"Cappy?!" Lina whispered.
Cappy sniffed gently and said,
"Of course! You love capybaras, right? And capybaras aren’t afraid of the dark."
Lina shook her head.
"How come?"
"Simple!" Cappy rocked side to side. "In the dark, we don’t see scary shadows—we just see things changing. Look over there!"
Lina glanced nervously at the scary wardrobe. Cappy bounced a little and said cheerfully,
"It’s just a wardrobe! It stands there all day, and you’re not afraid of it then. At night, it’s the same thing! It’s just the light playing with shadows."
Lina frowned.
"But what about the house spirit…?"
"House spirits aren’t scary," Cappy said with a wink. "People say they even take care of the house. But if you still feel nervous, let’s check together!"
Lina swallowed, but with Cappy in her arms, she felt a little braver. She took a deep breath and slowly looked into the corner of the room.
Nothing.
She squinted, looking more closely.
The creepy shadow on the wall was just her chair with a blanket draped over it!
Lina giggled softly.
"See?" Cappy said proudly. "The dark isn’t scary. It just makes familiar things look a little different."
Lina nodded.
"You know, I think I want to try sleeping in my own bed tonight."
She lay down, tucking herself under the warm blanket, and Cappy snuggled beside her.
"I'm here," the capybara said softly. "And you're safe."
Lina closed her eyes. This time, the darkness wasn’t scary—because Cappy was right there with her.
But there was one problem—at night, Lina got scared. As soon as Mom turned off the light, shadows in the room seemed to move. In the darkness, objects took on strange shapes, and the old wardrobe in the corner looked especially creepy—what if a house spirit was hiding inside?
Every night, Lina would wake up, clutch Cappy, and run to her parents' room.
"I'm scared," she would whisper.
Dad would stroke her hair, Mom would hug her, and Lina would fall asleep between them. But every evening, the fear came back.
One night, when Lina woke up scared again, she heard a strange sound—like someone breathing softly. She froze, holding Cappy tightly.
"Don’t be afraid," a quiet voice suddenly said.
Lina's eyes widened. She looked at Cappy… and realized that it was her talking!
"Cappy?!" Lina whispered.
Cappy sniffed gently and said,
"Of course! You love capybaras, right? And capybaras aren’t afraid of the dark."
Lina shook her head.
"How come?"
"Simple!" Cappy rocked side to side. "In the dark, we don’t see scary shadows—we just see things changing. Look over there!"
Lina glanced nervously at the scary wardrobe. Cappy bounced a little and said cheerfully,
"It’s just a wardrobe! It stands there all day, and you’re not afraid of it then. At night, it’s the same thing! It’s just the light playing with shadows."
Lina frowned.
"But what about the house spirit…?"
"House spirits aren’t scary," Cappy said with a wink. "People say they even take care of the house. But if you still feel nervous, let’s check together!"
Lina swallowed, but with Cappy in her arms, she felt a little braver. She took a deep breath and slowly looked into the corner of the room.
Nothing.
She squinted, looking more closely.
The creepy shadow on the wall was just her chair with a blanket draped over it!
Lina giggled softly.
"See?" Cappy said proudly. "The dark isn’t scary. It just makes familiar things look a little different."
Lina nodded.
"You know, I think I want to try sleeping in my own bed tonight."
She lay down, tucking herself under the warm blanket, and Cappy snuggled beside her.
"I'm here," the capybara said softly. "And you're safe."
Lina closed her eyes. This time, the darkness wasn’t scary—because Cappy was right there with her.
Sometimes, fear is just our imagination playing tricks on us. But when we look closely, we realize it's just ordinary things we already know. And when we have someone by our side, fear shrinks and disappears altogether.