Leo pulled his blanket to his chin and stared at the wall. Three dark shapes stretched across the floor like monsters. "They're too big," he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut tight.
Leo grabbed his flashlight from the nightstand and clicked it on. He swept the bright beam across the room, making the shadows shrink and dart under the bed. The dog's tail thumped once against the floor.
Leo got down on his hands and knees and slowly crawled toward the largest shadow. He reached out and traced its outline with his fingertip — it was just the toy chest sitting there quietly.
Leo stood up on his bed and pointed at the wall. "Look — that shadow looks like a rabbit!" The dog jumped up, ears perked, and barked softly at the wobbly chair leg shadow.
Leo lay back down and the dog curled up at the foot of the bed. Moonlight painted silver stripes across the floor where the scary shadows used to be.
Leo rested his hand on the dog's fur and closed his eyes, smiling. The room felt safe and quiet now, full of peaceful dreams instead of monsters.
