THE SECRET ISLAND OF FEELINGS

In a quiet town, where rooftops looked like colorful umbrellas, lived a boy named Tim. He was an ordinary kid—he loved building with blocks, riding his bike, and eating hot pancakes in the morning. But he had one peculiar habit: he never, ever told his parents what was on his mind.

If something went wrong at school, Tim clenched his fists and stayed silent. If his classmates laughed at him, he buried the hurt deep inside. If a teacher scolded him, he just lowered his head, never sharing how much it stung.

"It’s fine," he told himself every time. "Why talk about it? No one will understand anyway."

And so, his worries piled up like heavy stones in an invisible backpack he carried on his back. Sometimes, that backpack became so heavy that all Tim wanted was to lie on his bed and go nowhere at all.

One evening, just as Tim was about to go to bed, he heard a soft rustling by the window. Carefully, he approached and found a strange letter pinned to the windowsill with a colorful clothespin.

On the envelope, it read: "For Tim only. From an important friend."

Curious, Tim opened it and read:

"Tim, I know you have many secrets. I want to show you a special place. Close your eyes, count to ten, and don’t be afraid."

Tim frowned at the letter, but his curiosity won over his fear. He sat on his bed, closed his eyes, and started counting.

One… two… three…

By the time he reached ten, the air around him suddenly changed. When he opened his eyes, his room had disappeared.

Tim stood on the shore of a strange island. The sea around him was deep blue, and the sky glowed golden, like the sunset. The island was filled with unusual trees—some had tiny lanterns instead of leaves, while others grew paper letters.

Suddenly, from behind a rock, a small creature appeared. It was fluffy, with enormous eyes and ears like a rabbit’s.

— "Who are you?" — Tim asked in surprise.

— "I’m Whisper, the guardian of the Island of Feelings!" — the creature chirped cheerfully. — "And you… you’re the boy who carries a suitcase full of worries but never shows them to anyone, aren’t you?"

Tim frowned.

— "I just don’t want anyone to worry about me."

Whisper shook his head.

— "Come on, I need to show you something."

They walked across the island until they reached a large clearing. In the center stood a massive chest, tightly locked.

— "Do you see this chest?" — Whisper asked.

— "Yes…"

— "It holds all the thoughts and feelings you’ve never shared. Every worry, every hurt, every time you thought, 'I better not say anything.' Want to open it?"

Tim hesitated but nodded.

Whisper touched the lock with his tiny paw, and it clicked open. Dark clouds swirled out, whispering softly:

"You’re not good enough."

"No one will understand you."

"It’s better to stay silent."

Tim took a step back.

— "What is this?!"

— "These are your fears. They grow when you keep them inside. But watch what happens when you let them go."

Whisper blew gently on the clouds, and they scattered into the air, dissolving like sugar in tea.

— "When you talk about your feelings, they stop being scary," — the creature said.

Tim thought for a moment. He remembered how his mom sometimes asked, "How was your day?", and he just shrugged. How his dad told him, "You can talk to me if you want," but Tim just waved him off.

— "But what if they don’t understand?" — he whispered.

Whisper smiled.

— "Try. You’ll be surprised."

Tim closed his eyes again, counted to ten—and suddenly, he was back in his room. The first rays of morning light peeked through the window.

At breakfast, his mom asked how he was doing.

Normally, Tim would just shrug. But this time, he took a deep breath and said:

— "Yesterday, I felt really sad at school…"

His mom put down her spoon and looked at him attentively.

— "Why, sweetheart?"

— "I was afraid that if I told you, you’d think I was just whining."

His mom gently took his hand.

— "You’re never whining when you share how you feel. It’s important for me to know what’s in your heart."

At that moment, Tim felt as if a heavy weight had lifted from his shoulders.

Because the Island of Feelings was right—words can make fears disappear. You just have to let them out.