Jules
Chapter 7 – Jules and the Night Solo
Jules has a new mission: to sleep without his inventions. But can he really face the night all alone?
Reading difficulty
Jules learned a lot about the night.
He walks without light and knows the sounds of the house. But he still uses his inventions: his magic lamp, his noise detector, and his dream machine. Can he sleep without them?
He decides to conduct a test. Each evening, he removes one invention.
First night: Jules turns off the dream machine. He closes his eyes and thinks of the starry sky. He imagines his grandfather's voice. He falls asleep without the machine.
Second night: He unplugs the noise detector. The house creaks. The wind blows. Jules listens. "That noise is the sound of the wood. That one is the wind." He reassures himself and falls asleep.
Third night: Jules turns off his magic lamp. He is in complete darkness. He listens to the sounds. He thinks about the stars. His body relaxes. He falls asleep without fear.
The next day, light entered his room. Jules smiled.
He did it! He wrote in his notebook: "I slept without light. Darkness no longer has power over me."
He walks without light and knows the sounds of the house. But he still uses his inventions: his magic lamp, his noise detector, and his dream machine. Can he sleep without them?
He decides to conduct a test. Each evening, he removes one invention.
First night: Jules turns off the dream machine. He closes his eyes and thinks of the starry sky. He imagines his grandfather's voice. He falls asleep without the machine.
Second night: He unplugs the noise detector. The house creaks. The wind blows. Jules listens. "That noise is the sound of the wood. That one is the wind." He reassures himself and falls asleep.
Third night: Jules turns off his magic lamp. He is in complete darkness. He listens to the sounds. He thinks about the stars. His body relaxes. He falls asleep without fear.
The next day, light entered his room. Jules smiled.
He did it! He wrote in his notebook: "I slept without light. Darkness no longer has power over me."
Jules has learned so much about the night. He can walk in his room without a light and recognize the sounds in his house. He's even discovered the secrets of the starry sky with his grandfather. Yet, he feels he still relies heavily on his inventions. His magic lamp, his noise detector, his dream machine… They've helped him, but can he sleep without them?
He decides to do a test, step by step.
Before going to bed, he thinks things through. If he turns everything off at once, he might panic. He prefers to do it gradually. Each night, he'll remove one invention, until he sleeps in total darkness.
First night: without the dream machine
Jules begins by turning off the machine that transforms his nightmares into pleasant dreams. He tells himself that now he knows how to manage his imagination. He no longer needs a machine to dictate reassuring stories to him.
Lying in bed, he closes his eyes and focuses on his own thoughts. He imagines the starry sky, remembering his grandfather's voice explaining the constellations to him. The stars shine in his mind as they do in the sky.
He falls asleep without difficulty. Without a machine, but with his own imagination to accompany him.
Second night: without the noise detector
This time, he unplugs his noise detector. Until now, the machine had explained all the nighttime sounds to him. But now, he knows these noises and knows they aren't dangerous.
The house creaks a little. A gust of wind rattles the window. Normally, he would have turned on the detector to reassure himself. Tonight, he listens and analyzes everything on his own.
"That noise is the wood creaking. That one is the wind in the trees. And that one... that's surely the cat!"
He notes in his notebook:
-I listened to and understood the noises all by myself.
-I was able to reassure myself without my machine.
Little by little, his heart slowed down. He closed his eyes and fell peacefully asleep.
Third night: without the magic lamp
The final step: sleeping in total darkness. Jules hesitates for a moment before turning off his magic lamp. It's the one that has been with him from the beginning, that has transformed his ceiling into a starry sky.
But now he knows that darkness is not empty. It is filled with hidden light.
He turns off the lamp and plunges into complete darkness. He listens to familiar sounds. He thinks of the invisible stars beyond the ceiling. He remembers that the light will always return.
His body relaxes. His eyelids grow heavy. He falls asleep in the dark, without fear.
The next day, Jules opens his eyes. Daylight enters his room. He lies there for a moment, thinking. He slept without light, without reassuring noises, without a machine.
He straightens up, a smile on his lips. He succeeded.
In his notebook, he wrote:
-I slept without light, without a machine.
-I learned to trust my feelings.
-Black no longer has power over me.
He closes his notebook, proud of himself. Tonight, he didn't fight the darkness… He learned to live with it.
He decides to do a test, step by step.
Before going to bed, he thinks things through. If he turns everything off at once, he might panic. He prefers to do it gradually. Each night, he'll remove one invention, until he sleeps in total darkness.
First night: without the dream machine
Jules begins by turning off the machine that transforms his nightmares into pleasant dreams. He tells himself that now he knows how to manage his imagination. He no longer needs a machine to dictate reassuring stories to him.
Lying in bed, he closes his eyes and focuses on his own thoughts. He imagines the starry sky, remembering his grandfather's voice explaining the constellations to him. The stars shine in his mind as they do in the sky.
He falls asleep without difficulty. Without a machine, but with his own imagination to accompany him.
Second night: without the noise detector
This time, he unplugs his noise detector. Until now, the machine had explained all the nighttime sounds to him. But now, he knows these noises and knows they aren't dangerous.
The house creaks a little. A gust of wind rattles the window. Normally, he would have turned on the detector to reassure himself. Tonight, he listens and analyzes everything on his own.
"That noise is the wood creaking. That one is the wind in the trees. And that one... that's surely the cat!"
He notes in his notebook:
-I listened to and understood the noises all by myself.
-I was able to reassure myself without my machine.
Little by little, his heart slowed down. He closed his eyes and fell peacefully asleep.
Third night: without the magic lamp
The final step: sleeping in total darkness. Jules hesitates for a moment before turning off his magic lamp. It's the one that has been with him from the beginning, that has transformed his ceiling into a starry sky.
But now he knows that darkness is not empty. It is filled with hidden light.
He turns off the lamp and plunges into complete darkness. He listens to familiar sounds. He thinks of the invisible stars beyond the ceiling. He remembers that the light will always return.
His body relaxes. His eyelids grow heavy. He falls asleep in the dark, without fear.
The next day, Jules opens his eyes. Daylight enters his room. He lies there for a moment, thinking. He slept without light, without reassuring noises, without a machine.
He straightens up, a smile on his lips. He succeeded.
In his notebook, he wrote:
-I slept without light, without a machine.
-I learned to trust my feelings.
-Black no longer has power over me.
He closes his notebook, proud of himself. Tonight, he didn't fight the darkness… He learned to live with it.
Jules has learned so much about the night these past few weeks. He can walk in his room without a light, recognize the sounds in the house, and he's even discovered the secrets of the starry sky with his grandfather. The constellations hold no more mysteries for him. He knows Cassiopeia, the Big Dipper, and all the stories the stars tell.
Yet tonight, lying in bed, he feels he still relies heavily on his inventions. His magic lamp projects stars onto the ceiling. His noise detector explains every creak. His dream machine transforms his anxious thoughts into reassuring stories. They've helped him, that's for sure. But can he sleep without them?
This question keeps going through his mind. He decides to do a test, step by step.
Before going to bed, he considers his strategy. If he turns everything off at once, he risks panicking and turning it all back on in the middle of the night. He prefers to take it gradually, gently. Each night, he will remove one device, until he manages to sleep in total darkness. A personal challenge, just for him.
First night: without the dream machine
Jules begins by turning off the machine that transforms his nightmares into pleasant dreams. This invention was useful at first, when his imagination played tricks on him and created monsters in every shadow. But he tells himself that now he knows how to control his imagination. He no longer needs a machine to dictate reassuring stories to him.
He presses the stop button. The familiar low hum of the device stops. Silence fills the room.
Lying in bed, Jules closes his eyes and focuses on his own thoughts. Instead of letting his mind wander to disturbing images, he deliberately directs his imagination. He thinks of the starry sky he observed with his grandfather. He remembers his grandfather's calm, warm voice explaining the constellations and telling him ancient legends.
In his mind, the stars shine one by one. He names them softly: Vega, Altair, Deneb. He mentally traces the lines that form the constellations. It's like drawing in the sky of his mind.
He falls asleep easily, lulled by his own images. No machine, just his own imagination to guide him. When he wakes up, he feels proud. First step accomplished.
Second night: without the noise detector
This time, Jules unplugs his noise detector. Until now, this device had explained all the nighttime sounds to him with reassuring words displayed on a small screen. "Creating floorboards: wood expanding." "Engine noise: car in the street." But now, he knows these sounds by heart and knows they aren't dangerous.
He puts the device back in its drawer and slips under his duvet.
A few minutes after turning off the light, the house begins its usual nocturnal concert. A creak in the hallway. The timber frame swells with the changing temperatures. A breath of wind makes the window vibrate slightly. The leaves of the large oak tree rub against the exterior wall.
Normally, he would have immediately turned on the detector to identify every noise and reassure himself. Tonight, he listens and analyzes everything on his own, like a true sound detective.
"That sound there is the wood creaking. I recognize it; it's irregular and soft. That one is the wind in the garden trees. And this one…" He smiled in the dark. "That must be Moustache, the cat, coming up the stairs!"
He takes his notebook from his bedside table and, by the light of his magic lamp...Once lit, he notes:
-I listened to and understood the noises all by myself.
-I was able to reassure myself without my machine.
-Every noise has a logical explanation.
Satisfied, he turns off his bedside lamp (not the magic one, not yet) and goes back to bed. Little by little, his heart rate slows. His breathing becomes deeper and more regular. The sounds of the house no longer bother him. They are part of the night, like the stars are part of the sky. He closes his eyes and falls peacefully asleep, lulled by the familiar symphony of the house.
Third night: without the magic lamp
The final step, the most difficult: sleeping in total darkness. Jules stands in front of his magic lamp, his hand on the switch. He hesitates for a moment. This is the lamp that has accompanied him since the very beginning of his adventure, the one that has transformed his ceiling into a magnificent starry sky every night.
But now, deep down, he knows he's ready.
He knows that darkness is not empty. It is filled with hidden light, familiar sounds, and unseen life. He knows that the stars always shine, even when they are not visible. He knows that night is only a moment before the return of day.
He takes a deep breath and turns off the magic lamp.
Complete darkness filled the room. For a few seconds, his heart beat a little faster. That's normal, he told himself. It's just his body adjusting. He slipped into bed and settled in comfortably.
He listens to the sounds he now knows by heart. The creaking of the wood. The whisper of the wind. The distant hum of the refrigerator downstairs. Each sound is a friend telling him, "Everything is alright."
He thinks of the invisible stars above the ceiling, perhaps behind the clouds, but always there. He remembers his grandfather's words: "The light is always there, Jules. Sometimes you just have to know where to look."
His body relaxes, muscle by muscle. His shoulders sink into the pillow. His legs grow heavy. His eyelids, which he can't even see in the dark, become heavier and heavier. He falls asleep in total darkness, without fear, without a machine, just with himself and his newfound confidence.
The next morning, Jules slowly opened his eyes. Daylight streamed in through the window, casting golden patterns on the wall. He lay there for a long time, reflecting on what he had just accomplished.
He slept all night without light, without artificial reassuring noise, without a machine to guide him. Just him, the night, and his own inner strength.
He sat up in bed, a big smile on his face. He had done it. Really done it.
He grabs his night explorer's notebook and writes carefully:
-I slept without light, without a machine, without outside help.
-I learned to trust my own feelings.
-I understood that black is just an absence of visible light, not a danger.
-Blackness no longer has power over me. I am the one with the power.
He closes his notebook, his heart filled with pride. Tonight, he didn't fight the darkness with inventions or artificial lights. He learned to live with it, to accept it, to understand it. And ultimately, that's what true courage is: not conquering one's fears, but learning to tame them.
Jules looks out the window. A new day begins. And tonight, when night returns, he knows he will be ready to welcome it like an old friend.
Yet tonight, lying in bed, he feels he still relies heavily on his inventions. His magic lamp projects stars onto the ceiling. His noise detector explains every creak. His dream machine transforms his anxious thoughts into reassuring stories. They've helped him, that's for sure. But can he sleep without them?
This question keeps going through his mind. He decides to do a test, step by step.
Before going to bed, he considers his strategy. If he turns everything off at once, he risks panicking and turning it all back on in the middle of the night. He prefers to take it gradually, gently. Each night, he will remove one device, until he manages to sleep in total darkness. A personal challenge, just for him.
First night: without the dream machine
Jules begins by turning off the machine that transforms his nightmares into pleasant dreams. This invention was useful at first, when his imagination played tricks on him and created monsters in every shadow. But he tells himself that now he knows how to control his imagination. He no longer needs a machine to dictate reassuring stories to him.
He presses the stop button. The familiar low hum of the device stops. Silence fills the room.
Lying in bed, Jules closes his eyes and focuses on his own thoughts. Instead of letting his mind wander to disturbing images, he deliberately directs his imagination. He thinks of the starry sky he observed with his grandfather. He remembers his grandfather's calm, warm voice explaining the constellations and telling him ancient legends.
In his mind, the stars shine one by one. He names them softly: Vega, Altair, Deneb. He mentally traces the lines that form the constellations. It's like drawing in the sky of his mind.
He falls asleep easily, lulled by his own images. No machine, just his own imagination to guide him. When he wakes up, he feels proud. First step accomplished.
Second night: without the noise detector
This time, Jules unplugs his noise detector. Until now, this device had explained all the nighttime sounds to him with reassuring words displayed on a small screen. "Creating floorboards: wood expanding." "Engine noise: car in the street." But now, he knows these sounds by heart and knows they aren't dangerous.
He puts the device back in its drawer and slips under his duvet.
A few minutes after turning off the light, the house begins its usual nocturnal concert. A creak in the hallway. The timber frame swells with the changing temperatures. A breath of wind makes the window vibrate slightly. The leaves of the large oak tree rub against the exterior wall.
Normally, he would have immediately turned on the detector to identify every noise and reassure himself. Tonight, he listens and analyzes everything on his own, like a true sound detective.
"That sound there is the wood creaking. I recognize it; it's irregular and soft. That one is the wind in the garden trees. And this one…" He smiled in the dark. "That must be Moustache, the cat, coming up the stairs!"
He takes his notebook from his bedside table and, by the light of his magic lamp...Once lit, he notes:
-I listened to and understood the noises all by myself.
-I was able to reassure myself without my machine.
-Every noise has a logical explanation.
Satisfied, he turns off his bedside lamp (not the magic one, not yet) and goes back to bed. Little by little, his heart rate slows. His breathing becomes deeper and more regular. The sounds of the house no longer bother him. They are part of the night, like the stars are part of the sky. He closes his eyes and falls peacefully asleep, lulled by the familiar symphony of the house.
Third night: without the magic lamp
The final step, the most difficult: sleeping in total darkness. Jules stands in front of his magic lamp, his hand on the switch. He hesitates for a moment. This is the lamp that has accompanied him since the very beginning of his adventure, the one that has transformed his ceiling into a magnificent starry sky every night.
But now, deep down, he knows he's ready.
He knows that darkness is not empty. It is filled with hidden light, familiar sounds, and unseen life. He knows that the stars always shine, even when they are not visible. He knows that night is only a moment before the return of day.
He takes a deep breath and turns off the magic lamp.
Complete darkness filled the room. For a few seconds, his heart beat a little faster. That's normal, he told himself. It's just his body adjusting. He slipped into bed and settled in comfortably.
He listens to the sounds he now knows by heart. The creaking of the wood. The whisper of the wind. The distant hum of the refrigerator downstairs. Each sound is a friend telling him, "Everything is alright."
He thinks of the invisible stars above the ceiling, perhaps behind the clouds, but always there. He remembers his grandfather's words: "The light is always there, Jules. Sometimes you just have to know where to look."
His body relaxes, muscle by muscle. His shoulders sink into the pillow. His legs grow heavy. His eyelids, which he can't even see in the dark, become heavier and heavier. He falls asleep in total darkness, without fear, without a machine, just with himself and his newfound confidence.
The next morning, Jules slowly opened his eyes. Daylight streamed in through the window, casting golden patterns on the wall. He lay there for a long time, reflecting on what he had just accomplished.
He slept all night without light, without artificial reassuring noise, without a machine to guide him. Just him, the night, and his own inner strength.
He sat up in bed, a big smile on his face. He had done it. Really done it.
He grabs his night explorer's notebook and writes carefully:
-I slept without light, without a machine, without outside help.
-I learned to trust my own feelings.
-I understood that black is just an absence of visible light, not a danger.
-Blackness no longer has power over me. I am the one with the power.
He closes his notebook, his heart filled with pride. Tonight, he didn't fight the darkness with inventions or artificial lights. He learned to live with it, to accept it, to understand it. And ultimately, that's what true courage is: not conquering one's fears, but learning to tame them.
Jules looks out the window. A new day begins. And tonight, when night returns, he knows he will be ready to welcome it like an old friend.