|
Thanks AI
Listen to this short story.
.
| Lila
wasn’t having a bad day. She was having the worst day in the entire universe. Her sister, Mia, knew it the moment she heard the first growl. It started as a low rumble, a sound that could shake the walls and scatter the sunbeams. It echoed through the hallway like thunder trapped inside the house. Mia peeked around the corner and saw Lila, her younger sister, hunched over, eyes narrowed, surrounded by a fortress of pillows, blankets, and anything else she could drag into her lair. “Lila?” Mia ventured, her voice as gentle as a breeze. But Lila only growled louder. She wasn’t Lila today. Today, she was a monster. Mia sighed. The house was feeling it too, every clock seemed slower, every picture frame crooked, and even the flowers in the vase drooped like they were sighing in sympathy. The once warm and sunny living room had transformed into a cave of gloom and doom, courtesy of Lila’s monstrous mood. Mia tried her usual tricks. She brought Lila her favorite chocolate chip cookies. Lila took one sniff, made a face like she’d smelled a skunk, and swatted them away. Mia danced the silliest dance she could think of, but Lila didn’t even blink. She just rolled over and buried her head under a pile of stuffed animals. Determined not to give up, Mia tried everything she could think of. She juggled oranges, told jokes so cheesy they could make the moon blush, and even tried wearing a clown nose. But all Lila did was snarl and pull her blankets tighter around her, as if they were armor against the world. Mia sighed deeply, feeling a little like she was lost in a maze with no exit. What was wrong with Lila? Yesterday, she had been fine, laughing, playing, and making up ridiculous stories about alien squirrels and dancing dragons. But today, it was like someone had stolen the light right out of her. “Why are you so moody, Lila?” Mia asked softly, not really expecting an answer. To her surprise, Lila peeked out, her eyes peering out from her messy hair like a lioness guarding her den. “It’s everything,” Lila mumbled, her voice a mix of a growl and a whimper. “It’s the world. It’s too loud. It’s too bright. It’s… wrong.” Mia nodded as if she understood, though she didn’t really. But she did know what it was like when the world felt too much, too big, too everything. She remembered how it felt to want to hide away and be someone, or something, else. Suddenly, Mia had an idea. She grabbed a sheet of paper and some crayons and sat next to Lila’s fortress, close enough to be near but not too close to invade her space. She started to draw, her crayons scribbling wildly over the paper. “What are you doing?” Lila asked, her growl softening just a little, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “I’m drawing a monster world,” Mia said, her voice full of mystery. “A world where being a monster is perfectly okay.” Lila’s eyes sparkled with a hint of interest. She shuffled closer, her fortress forgotten, as Mia’s crayons brought to life a place where the trees were made of cotton candy, the sky was purple, and the rivers flowed with glittering slime. There were fuzzy monsters with three eyes, giggling gremlins playing hopscotch, and dragons lounging on clouds like they were giant, lazy pillows. Mia handed the crayons to Lila. “Wanna help?” For the first time all day, Lila smiled. It was a small, wobbly smile, but it was there. She grabbed a bright green crayon and started adding her own touches, a grumpy blob with horns, a flower with teeth, and a friendly troll juggling flaming marshmallows. Together, they drew and colored and laughed at their ridiculous creations. Lila’s mood seemed to lighten with every stroke of the crayon, and the house felt brighter, like someone had flung open the windows and let the sunshine back in. As they finished, Mia turned to Lila. “You know, it’s okay to have monster days.” Lila nodded. “Yeah, but it’s better when you’re here.” Mia smiled, wrapping her arm around her sister. “I’ll always be here, Lila. Even on the monster days.” Lila grinned, her monstrous mood no longer a fierce storm, but a gentle drizzle that would eventually pass. Together, they looked at their monster world, a place where all feelings were welcome, even the growly, snarly ones. And just like that, the worst day in the entire universe didn’t seem so bad after all. |
More Audio Books