"Please, Jenny! Please, I can't go to sleep without a bedtime story!"
Begged Alysson.
I sighed, trying to tuck her in.
"Come on, you can go to sleep. Just, not tonight, okay?"
Alysson shook her head, no.
"I'll be awake for a long time and then I'll just get up and go to your room and sleep in your bed."
She complained, but it was true. Whenever mom had to skip telling her a story, Alysson would crawl into her bed at like, four o' clock in the morning. I sighed, deeply. No way did I want her crawling into my bed, when I had to deal with nightmares from, Freddy. I didn't want her to wake up to me screaming next to her. She'd probably start crying, she was big hearted like that.
"Please, come on! I promise I'll go to sleep! I swear!"
I sighed, as she pushed away her tucked in blanket, pleading with me.
I rubbed my temples, but broke into a smile.
"Alright, I surrender. What story should I tell you?" She smiled big, probably glad to have pushed past my parenting wall.
"Well, made up ones are the best." She admitted, twirling a strand of my hair in her fingers. I smiled, as I lay down next to her on my side. I propped myself with an elbow, trying to think how should I start it.
"Hmm, okay,"
I snuggled up close to her, looking into her big, blue eyes.
"Once a upon a time, there was a little girl, named Sam. Sam was smart and had a very beautiful voice. Whenever she would be alone, she'd sing and sing and sing all day long,"
Alysson smiled, laying her head on the pillow, slowly getting lost into the story.
"Sam lived with her mother, in the middle of the woods. She loved to go hiking in the woods, and would sing on her hike. There was just one rule, though,"
I held up a finger, pretending to look serious.
"Her mother told her, not to sing when passing the tree with no leaves,"
I knew Alysson was going to ask why, the curiousity was written all over her face. Just as I had predicted, she asked;
"Why?"
I smiled.
"Because there was an urbal legend, that if anyone sang, passing by the tree, then a the tree would turn into a monster."
Alysson let out a small gasp.
"So, one day, Sam was taking a hike into the woods. A butterfly passed her by, and she chased it, not knowing that she would soon get lost. The butterfly flew away, leaving Sam in an unfamilar clearing. She began to sing. Little did she know, that she was standing next to the tree with no leaves. Sam turned around, and gasped as she saw the tree. She stopped singing, as red eyes came from the tree trunk. A monster so ugly and so, scary, climbed out!"
Alysson's eyes widened.
"How happened next!"
She cried, clutching her pillow.
"Well,"
I hesitated for dramatic effect, watching her grow more excited.
"The monster went towards her, showing her hundreds of yellow, sharp teeth! Sam wondered what she could do, backing away from the monster. She then thought, hey maybe I can make the monster go to sleep! I'll sing it a lullably, so it will go to bed! So, with all the courage she could muster, she began to sing the monster to sleep. The monster's eyes began to droop, yawning. As Sam continued to sing and sing, the monster backed away, going back into the tree, closing his red eyes. Finally, the monster began to snore, and Sam ran back to her mom's cottage. Sam told her mother what happened, and her mother gave her a great, big hug! Sam never sang infront of the tree, ever again, and they all lived, happily ever after. The end."
She smiled, hugging me.
"I loved that story, Jenny!"
I hugged her back, feeling extremely tired. I yawned, pulling her blanket over her.
"I'm glad you loved it, Al. Now, get some sleep. Remember, we get to go swimming, tomorrow!" She giggled, as I tucked her in securely.
"I know, Jenny. I can't wait for tomorrow!"
I grinned, kissing her forehead.
"Goodnight, Alysson. I love you." She kissed me warmly on the cheek, closing her eyes, smiling.
"I love you, too, Jenny." I stroked her soft hair, standing from her bed. "On or off?"
I asked, bending next to her heart shaped nightlight.
"Off."
She smiled, snuggling under her blanket. I stood. "Wow, you're so brave! I have to leave my nightlight on, gee, If only I were as brave as you." I said, acting greatly surprised and proud.
She giggled.
"Jenny, you're the bravest person I know!"
I laughed softly, going to her door.
"If you think so." I mused, pretending to be humble.
"Goodnight,"
I waved to her, closing her bedroom door behind me. I closed my eyes, leaning against her door, running a hand through my hair.
"Now, wasn't that just, adorable?"
Chuckled a dark voice. My eyes snapped open, looking at Freddy leaning on the wall beside Alysson's door. I sighed, pushing myself from her door, walking down the hall to my room.
"What do you want?"
I asked, glancing at his weathered boots, striding along beside me.
"Oh nothing, I was just enjoying the little bedtime story."
He snickered. I shivered, looking straight ahead.
Once I got to my door, opened it, and covered myself in my bed, me and him both looked at the clock.
7:58.
"Not a moment too soon."
He grinned, looking back at me. He closed the door, walking around the room.
"What are you doing?" I asked, uneasy. "Just exploring."
He chuckled, looking around him. I sighed, closing my eyes, adjusting my head on the pillow.
Just get it over with. Go to sleep, Jennifer. Go to sleep.
I slowly drifted off, the sound of his boots echoing in my room, getting faint in the distance.
Sleep embraced me in a tight grip, finally causing me to doze off into a long slumber.