Once upon a time, in a quiet little town, there stood an old library at the edge of the square. By day, children and adults came to read books and borrow stories to take home. But at night, the library was silent—except for a faint rustle of pages turning on their own.
People whispered that the library was haunted by a ghost. Some said they saw lights flickering in the windows, and others claimed they heard soft laughter echoing between the shelves. Children often dared each other to peek inside after dark, but no one was brave enough to stay for long.
One autumn evening, a curious boy named Oliver decided he wanted to find out the truth. He loved mysteries more than anything, and the thought of a haunted library filled him with both excitement and fear.
“Tonight,” he whispered to himself, clutching his flashlight, “I will meet the ghost.”
When the clock struck nine, Oliver slipped out of his house and tiptoed to the library. The big wooden doors creaked as he pushed them open. Inside, the air was cool and smelled faintly of old paper. Shadows stretched long across the tall shelves.
“Hello?” Oliver called softly. His voice echoed.
At first, there was only silence. But then, he heard it—the sound of pages fluttering, even though there was no breeze. His heart pounded. He followed the sound through the rows of books until he reached a corner where a single lamp flickered.
There, floating just above the floor, was a ghost.
It wasn’t frightening at all. In fact, the ghost looked like a boy about Oliver’s age, glowing softly like moonlight. He had round glasses and carried a book tucked under his arm.
“You can see me?” the ghost asked, surprised.
Oliver nodded nervously. “Are you… are you the ghost of this library?”
The ghost smiled shyly. “Yes. My name is Elias. Don’t be afraid—I don’t like scaring people. I just love books so much that I stayed here… even after I wasn’t alive anymore.”
Oliver’s fear melted into wonder. “You’re a ghost who loves to read?”
Elias nodded. “I spend my nights reading stories, but it’s lonely. No one ever stays to read with me.”
Oliver grinned. “Then maybe I can read with you.”
That night, Oliver and Elias sat in the quiet corner of the library and opened a storybook together. They read aloud, their voices mingling with the soft creak of the old building. The more they read, the brighter Elias’s glow became.
When the clock struck midnight, Oliver yawned. “I should go before my parents notice I’m gone,” he said.
Elias looked a little sad but smiled. “Thank you, Oliver. Tonight was the happiest I’ve been in years.”
Oliver promised to return. And so, every week, he sneaked back to the library to read stories with Elias. Sometimes they read about pirates, sometimes about dragons, and sometimes about faraway lands.
Over time, the people in town noticed something strange: the library no longer felt eerie. The flickering lights were warm and welcoming, and the laughter echoing in the halls no longer sounded spooky—it sounded joyful.
One day, Oliver asked, “Elias, do you ever feel lonely anymore?”
Elias shook his head. “Not anymore. Thanks to you, I learned that even ghosts can have friends.”
And with those words, Elias’s glow grew so bright that the whole library shone. Then, gently, he faded away—leaving behind only the faint smell of old paper and the warmth of a lasting friendship.
Oliver never saw Elias again, but he always remembered his ghostly friend whenever he opened a book.
And from that night on, children were never afraid of the old library again. Instead, they felt as if someone kind and gentle was still watching over the stories, making sure they were never forgotten.
✨ Moral of the Story: Sometimes the things we fear aren’t scary at all. They may just be waiting for a friend.
🌙 Goodnight, little dreamer. May your dreams be filled with magic, mystery, and friendship—even from the unlikeliest places.