It was cold in the room, so Katy pulled her comforter up. She shut her eyes tightly, and tried to go back to sleep. She heard — or thought she heard — the sound of soft footsteps and sat straight up on her bed, her eyes open wide, struggling to adjust to the darkness.

She breathed shallow breaths. The loudest sound in the room was her heart pounding. She clutched Teddy.

Then she heard a woman’s voice, calling her softly. “Katy, you had a dream.”

Katy tightened her grip on Teddy, but did not respond. Yes, she did have a dream.

The woman continued, “That’s why I’m here.”

The birds kept up their cheery chirping. The faintest hint of dawn began to break the darkness.

“Why, my child, you are afraid of me! I am so sorry. Maybe this will help.”

Katy did not see what the woman did, but the room began to glow, faintly at first, then just enough to see through the shadows. Katy peered towards the light, and gasped when she realized that the woman herself was the source of light.

“Katy, I am Lleuwlyn, your fairy godmother.”

Katy’s fear was changing to awe and confusion. Wise beyond her age, she didn’t believe in ghosts, or goblins, or, for that matter, fairies. But here, standing in her bedroom, was a woman giving off a soft glow.

“Mother told me not to talk to strangers,” Katy said at last.

Lleuwlyn smiled. “Of course!” Her eyes twinkled. “You don’t have to talk to me. I will talk to you. Do you know what your dream means? ”

Katy shook her head.

“You’ve been given a great gift, Katy. You have the power to make people happy.”

Katy recalled that there were many people in her dream. And yes, they were all happy. There was lots of noise, even some screaming. There was a lot of light and color. There were a few places that seemed very, very messy, but everyone seemed happy. It was all so confusing.

“This gift is not free, Katy. It means you have to work.”

“Work?” Katy thought to herself. “What kind of gift is that!”

Answering as though she could read the thought, Lleuwlyn said, “Yes, work. But what wonderful work it is!

Katy wrinkled her nose. She was still not awake, and wondered if she was still dreaming. A gift that meant she had to work. Not a very nice dream at all, she thought.

“No Katy, you are awake. In your dreams you will see beautiful places. Some may seem almost magical. They are places that can make people happy. But these places need work done, or the people will have nothing to do. What kind of work? Oh, places to eat and things to do, of course! They need roller coasters and other rides. They need music and scenery.”

Lleuwlyn closed her eyes, and a look of peace and serenity came across her face. She spoke again. “Yes, child, you will need help. Do not worry. Someone is out there now, just waiting to help you make your dreams come true.”

With that, Lleuwlyn’s glow faded, and she disappeared! Katy leapt from her bed, and looked all around. The birds seemed a bit louder and even more cheerful as they chirped away.

Katy sighed and shivered slightly. She was still tired, and her room was still cold. “I’m going back to bed,” she told herself. “That was a strange dream.”