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can be found in our show notes. Thank

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you, hello

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friends, and welcome to sleep Tight

0:23

Stories. Nicole

0:30

cannot believe her eyes that her garden

0:32

is growing. Every

0:34

time she talks to the flowers and

0:37

plants, they grow. When

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her mom wants her to leave the garden and

0:42

go to town, she doesn't want

0:44

to until she hears

0:46

there is ice cream and Wi

0:49

Fi. When she gets

0:51

back and takes the key from the barn,

0:54

she wonders, will it actually

0:56

open the door? Nikole

1:01

and the Box in the Barn, Part

1:03

five. Nikole

1:08

hid her head in the pillow, trying

1:10

to avoid the beam of light streaming

1:13

in through her drafty window. It

1:16

seemed to be following her. Nikole

1:20

reluctantly opened one eye, squinted

1:23

at the clock in her room, and

1:25

sighed, it was time

1:28

to get up. And there was nothing

1:30

more annoying than being told

1:32

it was time to get up in the morning when

1:35

you were already awake but didn't

1:37

want to move. Nicole

1:40

and her mom arrived home after dark

1:42

from what her mother called a successful

1:44

afternoon in the big city. Nikole

1:48

wasn't so sure but she

1:51

did have the most delicious triple

1:53

scoops of ice cream ever. She

1:56

also had a chance to sit and catch up

1:58

with the hundreds of men messages that her friends

2:01

had sent her at a cafe with

2:03

Wi Fi while her mother wrote

2:05

emails and drank coffee. Later,

2:08

they went for burgers, which were

2:10

okay. Nicole sighed

2:13

and sat up in her bed. Her

2:16

it's chilly in this old house in the

2:18

morning. We need better heating

2:20

or something, she said, as

2:22

she jumped across the room to grab her

2:25

sweatshirt and put on her dirty jeans.

2:28

I guess I can wear these. No

2:30

one will see me out here in the middle of

2:32

nowhere anyway. She

2:36

walked down the stairs to the kitchen, the

2:38

stairs with their creaks and cracks,

2:41

announcing that she was up.

2:44

There was no surprising her mother, who

2:46

was already up, drinking coffee

2:49

and making breakfast. Good

2:51

morning, sleepyhead, did you sleep well,

2:54

her mother asked, as she put some eggs

2:56

on a plate for Nicole to eat. Any

2:59

catchup was Nichole's

3:02

grumpy reply. You

3:05

really aren't much of a morning person,

3:07

are you, sweetie? And no, I

3:10

won't get you ketch up. We

3:12

don't put ketchup on beautiful scrambled

3:15

eggs. Humph, I

3:17

slept Okay, I guess I

3:19

have to remember to nail those curtains

3:22

of mine shut so the sun won't

3:24

come streaming in on my face in the

3:26

morning. It's very annoying,

3:29

Nicole said, as she took a sip of

3:31

tea. Nicole started

3:33

drinking tea last year, partly

3:36

because her mother wouldn't let her drink coffee.

3:39

She was too young for coffee.

3:41

Her mother said coffee was

3:43

yucky. Anyway, I'm

3:46

going to be working in the living room today,

3:48

patching and painting. I

3:51

might assemble some shelves too. I

3:53

don't think I need your help, but

3:55

I sure could use your company if you would

3:57

like to join me. We could even

4:00

listen to your music while we work, Nicholl's

4:02

mother said, while she puts some strawberry

4:05

jam on her toast.

4:08

Nichole wanted to spend time with her

4:11

mother, but all she could think

4:13

about was her garden and what might

4:15

happen if she opened the door. She

4:18

dreamt about it all night, and

4:20

it was foremost on her mind even

4:23

when chatting with her friends yesterday.

4:26

Maybe, Nichole replied, but

4:29

first, I think I would like to

4:31

work in my garden. It's a

4:33

super nice day outside, even though

4:35

the house feels icy cold, and

4:38

all the sunshine puts me in a better mood.

4:41

Could I help after lunch or something. I

4:45

can't argue against getting some sun.

4:48

The combination of sun and fresh,

4:50

salty air sure cures

4:52

all your troubles. I'll

4:55

try to get all the painting done this morning,

4:57

and then maybe you can help me put together

4:59

the shop. Elves. You always

5:01

have more patience than I do when

5:04

it comes to putting those things together. Okay,

5:07

mom, sounds like a plan. Nichole

5:11

got up from the table and put her plate

5:13

in the dishwasher. She grabbed

5:15

a bottle of water and tiptoed

5:18

across the floor to the back porch

5:20

to put on her once upon a time favorite

5:23

sneakers. You

5:26

wouldn't find the house so cold if

5:28

you wore socks in the morning. Silly, her

5:30

mother said from the kitchen. Okay,

5:33

Mom, see you later, Nichole

5:36

replied, as she ran outside, the

5:38

door slamming behind her. The

5:43

dew was still heavy on the grass.

5:45

As Nichole ran towards the barn,

5:48

it no longer bothered her, but

5:51

as the grass was getting long. She

5:53

knew there would be a request to cut it

5:55

soon. Someone always

5:58

came to cut their little patch back

6:00

of their house in Montreal. Most

6:03

of their backyard was a garden in

6:05

varying states of use. They

6:08

weren't tidy gardeners. She

6:12

made it to the big red doors and paused

6:15

to see if her mother was calling out to her.

6:18

If she did, there would be no

6:20

way she could get the key from the box.

6:23

Today there

6:25

was no sound but the ever present

6:28

wind. The

6:30

door to the barn felt a bit lighter,

6:32

but it creaked when she opened it all

6:35

the same, revealing an inside

6:37

full of dust, dirt, and

6:40

old stale hay. Niicole

6:44

plugged her nose with her fingers. It

6:46

still stunk of farm animals,

6:49

even though the barn hadn't been used

6:51

in years. I guess this

6:53

smell must be permanent, Nichole

6:56

thought. Nichole

6:58

saw the box in the corner under

7:00

a window, right where it had been before.

7:03

Its hinges seemed to shine brighter

7:06

than before, like someone had

7:08

been by to take care of it. She

7:11

walked slowly over to the box.

7:13

Across the piles of old hay and dirt.

7:17

She could hear little scratching sounds above

7:20

her. Stay up there, mice,

7:22

she said out loud. I don't need

7:25

mice as friends. The

7:29

box offered no resistance

7:31

as she opened it, and looking inside,

7:34

the key, shining brightly

7:36

like it had just been polished, was

7:38

right where she left it. I

7:42

guess there is only one way to know

7:44

if this key opens the door at the end

7:46

of the garden. I'll just

7:48

have to try, Nichole said,

7:51

as she gently closed the box,

7:54

Holding the key tightly in her hand.

7:57

Nichole quickly left the stinky

7:59

barn behind her sneakers,

8:02

kicking up puffs of dust as she went.

8:05

The morning sun felt warm

8:08

on her back, a pleasant contrast

8:10

to the chill of the barn and the old

8:13

house. She

8:15

hurried across the dewy grass, excited

8:18

to see if the key worked, and

8:21

if it did, what might be

8:23

revealed on the other side of the door.

8:29

In one of her dreams the night before,

8:31

it led to a brick wall. In

8:34

another, it led to an ice cream

8:37

parlor with free all you can

8:39

eat ice cream. Ice

8:41

cream would be a great treat, she thought.

8:44

Walking through the garden gate, Nichole

8:47

said, good morning roses, Good

8:49

morning sunflowers. The

8:51

flowers moved in response, good

8:54

morning, garden, I guess, Nicole

8:57

laughed. I hope no one

8:59

is listening to me talk to you all. That

9:01

would be awkward. Nichole

9:06

walked to the corner of the garden, where

9:08

the wooden doorway was surrounded

9:10

by trees, tall bushes,

9:12

and flowering plants. As

9:15

soon as she arrived, the vines

9:18

around the door started to bloom. Well,

9:22

I guess this is the moment of truth,

9:24

Nichole said. She

9:26

tried looking behind the door again

9:29

to make sure that there was nothing behind

9:31

it. All she

9:33

saw were more bushes and trees

9:36

and the same fog that covered the garden

9:38

when she looked at it from the house. Nichole

9:43

felt a bit excited or

9:46

maybe a bit nervous. She

9:48

wasn't sure which. She

9:50

lifted the key towards the lock. As

9:53

the key slid into the lock, it fit

9:56

perfectly, as though it were made

9:58

just for this moment. Turning

10:01

the key, she heard the soft

10:04

click that signaled the door

10:06

was now unlocked. Here

10:09

we go, Nichole said

10:11

to the garden. She

10:15

pushed the door open and blinked

10:17

in surprise. Instead

10:20

of finding something grand or

10:23

entirely different, or even just

10:25

a wall, it seemed

10:27

like she was looking into another part

10:29

of her garden, a door

10:31

that led nowhere. Through

10:34

the door were the same grassy fields

10:37

that surrounded the backyard, stretching

10:39

out under the same blue sky.

10:43

Is this it, Nichole

10:45

whispered to herself, feeling

10:48

a twinge of disappointment. She

10:51

had hoped for something more, not

10:53

an ice cream parlor, but something

10:56

magical or surprising. As

11:01

Nichole stepped through the door, she

11:03

immediately felt a difference. The

11:06

grass under her feet seemed greener,

11:09

the flowers more vibrant, and

11:12

the trees fuller and more alive

11:14

than what she had left behind. It

11:18

was as if everything on this side

11:21

of the door had an extra touch

11:23

of brightness and vitality. Nichole

11:27

paused, looking back and forth.

11:30

Yes, the garden was the same

11:32

in layout, but here it

11:35

was as though everything had been given

11:37

a dose of extra life, glowing

11:40

softly under the sun's rays.

11:43

It's like the same place, but but

11:46

so much more alive,

11:48

she murmured. Turning

11:52

away from the door, Nichole looked

11:54

around the farm in amazement. More

11:57

barns dotted the landscape, and

12:00

the old barn she had been warned not to

12:02

enter, looked brand new. Its

12:05

wood was sturdy and fresh,

12:08

and the paint was bright. Her

12:10

house, too, seemed to have undergone

12:13

a transformation, its

12:15

walls gleaming with fresh paint,

12:18

looking nothing like the worn, old,

12:21

creaky place she was accustomed

12:23

to. And then

12:26

the sounds of farm life filled the air,

12:29

cows mooing, pigs

12:31

grunting, chickens clucking, and

12:33

horses neighing. It

12:37

was as though she had stepped

12:39

back in time, a hundred

12:42

years into the past, to

12:44

see her home in its original, bustling

12:47

farm glory. Nicole

12:51

stood still, taking in the

12:53

sights and sounds. This

12:56

was much better than anything

12:58

she had imagined, even the ice

13:00

cream parlor in her dream.

13:05

Just then she spotted a figure

13:07

in the distance, a boy, moving

13:10

about confidently, as if he belonged

13:12

here. Nichole watched,

13:16

curious and a bit cautious.

13:19

Who was he and what was he doing

13:21

here? Could

13:24

he be a part of this seemingly

13:26

transformed world she had stumbled

13:28

into. The boy

13:31

waved and started walking towards

13:33

her, giving Nichole a closer

13:35

look. He looked

13:37

harmless enough, if a bit dusty,

13:40

like he had been rolling in the red dirt that

13:42

was everywhere he was

13:44

barefoot, judging by how

13:47

he walked across the rocky barnyard,

13:50

his feet were accustomed to the touch

13:52

of the earth beneath them. He

13:55

certainly wasn't stylish compared

13:58

to what the kids wore in Montreal, and

14:00

his faded pants were patched in

14:02

a few places. He

14:05

looked familiar somehow, with

14:08

his freckles and messy red curls

14:10

on his head. Gooday,

14:13

there, the young boy said, as he

14:15

waved to her again. Are you lost?

14:19

Nichole, a bit speechless, waved back,

14:23

Hi, My name is Angus. You

14:26

certainly don't look like you are from around

14:28

here. Are you visiting from away

14:30

and got lost out wandering the fields?

14:35

Something like that. My

14:37

name is Nichole. I am

14:39

from Montreal originally. Wow.

14:44

I don't think I have ever met anyone

14:46

from a big city before. You

14:48

have to come to meet my mom. She

14:50

traveled here on a boat, so she

14:53

knows all about people from a big city.

14:57

Angus, I need you over here,

14:59

boy, said a rather stern

15:01

voice. Coming Angus

15:03

yelled you wait here, and

15:06

after I finish helping my father, we

15:08

can have some dinner. My mother

15:10

is a great cook, and I wouldn't

15:12

be surprised if she baked a pie to day.

15:18

Nicole watched as Angus ran towards

15:20

what used to be the old rickety

15:22

barn and disappeared inside.

15:26

This is a bit much, she

15:28

said to herself. Feeling

15:31

a bit overwhelmed, she

15:33

decided it was best to step back

15:35

through the door and give herself

15:38

time to think. Just

15:41

as she crossed through, she heard

15:43

her mother's familiar voice calling

15:45

her for lunch. Revisiting

15:48

the door and what was beyond would

15:51

be best on a full stomach.

15:58

And that is the end of this part.

16:01

Good night, sleep

16:03

tight.