My First Childrens' Fable.... "The Fear Eater"

In the midst of a thunderstorm, a young girl woke from a nightmare. She had dreamed of an untimely death. An imp of a creature loomed over her bed, perched upon the bookshelf, snickering. "Are ye 'fraid yet, wee one? I feed on delicious fear; I need it!" The girl thought on her dream, of the frightening aspect of death, and how her death might be perceived by those who missed her -- her mother, her father, her baby sister, not to mention school friends and teachers. She decided she did not like the thought of them all being sad. The creature said, "Well? Where's your fear, tadpole? I'm in need of more. Feed me!" And the little girl replied, "I'm not afraid of this dream. Death doesn't have to be the end. It might mean change. That is what I choose it to mean. Good night, Fear Eater." She drifted back to sleep, and the Fear Eater vanished into the dark space between two flashes of lightning.