Finn and the Worried Wobbles

Finn and the Worried Wobbles. The house was quiet and the moon was awake. It shone through the window and painted a silver square on the carpet. Outside, the garden was asleep. The trees stood still and the birds were tucked into their nests. Finn lay in his bed with the duvet pulled up to his chin. His teddy bear was beside him on the pillow. It was time for sleep. But he did not feel sleepy. He felt the Worried Wobbles. The Worried Wobbles started in his tummy. It felt like a hundred tiny butterflies were having a race. Flutter and swoop. Flutter and swoop. They bumped into each other and tickled his insides. Then the Wobbles moved up to his chest. His heart started beating like a little drum. Thump thump thump. It was going faster than it should. Then the Wobbles climbed all the way up to his head. His thoughts started spinning like a bicycle wheel going too fast. Round and round they went. He tried to close his eyes but his brain was too busy buzzing. He wiggled his toes but that did not help. He turned his pillow over to the cool side but that did not help either. He cuddled his teddy bear closer but the Worried Wobbles were very loud tonight. Then Finn remembered something important. He remembered the Secret Trick. It was a magic trick for when thoughts go too fast and tummies feel funny. His mummy had taught him this trick and it always worked. So Finn lay very still on his back. He let his arms rest gently by his sides. He let his legs go soft and floppy. He knew he had to use his magic breathing. First he had to find the Magic Flower. He closed his eyes. In his mind he imagined a big beautiful purple flower. It had soft velvety petals and a golden centre. He imagined holding it right in front of his nose. The flower smelled wonderful. It smelled like rain and lavender and warm honey all mixed together. He knew he had to smell the flower to make the magic work. He took a long slow breath in through his nose. He filled his tummy up with air like a big balloon. He felt his chest rise up towards the ceiling. He sniffed the lovely flower. One. Two. Three. Then he had to find the Dandelion. In his mind the purple flower turned into a soft white dandelion clock. It was fluffy and round and full of tiny seeds. Each seed had its own little parachute. He had to blow the seeds away but he had to do it very gently so they would float all the way across the bedroom. He pursed his lips into a little circle. He blew the air out slowly and softly. Whoosh. He watched the imaginary seeds float away into the night air. They drifted past his bookshelf. They floated over his toy box. They sailed towards the silver moon in the window. And Finn felt his shoulders drop down a little bit. The butterflies in his tummy were flying slower now. But the Worried Wobbles were not completely gone yet. He needed to do the magic trick again. He picked up another Magic Flower. This one was bright yellow like the summer sun. It was warm and cheerful. He took a deep slow breath in through his nose. He sniffed the yellow flower and let the good air fill him up. In. In. In. He held the nice smell for just a moment. He let it swirl around inside him. Then he pictured the Dandelion again. It was waiting patiently for him to blow. He pushed the air out through his mouth. Long and steady and smooth. Out. Out. Out. Now Finn felt his heavy legs sink into the soft mattress. The spinning bicycle wheel in his head began to slow down. It was not whizzing anymore. It was turning gently. Calmly. Like a leaf floating down from a tree. He decided to do the magic trick one last time. Just to make absolutely sure the Wobbles were gone for good. He found a blue flower this time. It was the same colour as the night sky. It sparkled with tiny dots like stars. He took the biggest slowest breath of all. He breathed in the calm blue air. He felt it fill every corner of his body. One. Two. Three. Four. He pictured the last Dandelion. It was the fluffiest one yet. He blew the seeds gently towards the silver moon. Whoosh. The seeds scattered like tiny dancers twirling through the air. Now Finn listened to his own breathing. It sounded like the ocean waves at the beach. Soft and steady and peaceful. The butterflies in his tummy had stopped racing. They had turned into slow sleepy bubbles. Pop. Pop. Pop. The Worried Wobbles were gone. They had floated away with the dandelion seeds into the starry night. He smiled a small sleepy smile. He snuggled deeper into his warm duvet. His teddy bear was soft against his cheek. His head felt heavy and dreamy. The room was quiet. The house was quiet. The whole world seemed to be holding its breath. And now Finn was quiet too. The moon kept watch at the window. The stars twinkled their goodnights. And Finn drifted off to sleep feeling safe and calm and warm. Goodnight, Finn. The end.