What if the swings could talk? That’s what Sophia thought every time she went to the playground. Today was different. Today was spooky!
Sophia and her dad were moving to a new house in Columbus soon, and Sophia was a little sad to leave her old playground behind.
"Dad, will the swings at the new playground be as fun?" Sophia asked, her big brown eyes wide with worry.
"I'm sure they will be even better! New adventures await, Sophia!" Dad said, giving her a playful tickle.
At the playground, Sophia ran to her favorite swing set. It was getting dark, and the shadows from the trees looked like long, spooky fingers. A little bird with bright blue feathers chirped sadly from a nearby branch.
"Why are you sad, little bird?" Sophia whispered.
The little bird chirped again, and Sophia thought she heard it say, "This swing is haunted!"
Sophia giggled. "Haunted? By what?"
Suddenly, the swing next to her started to move all by itself! It swung back and forth, higher and higher, even though no one was pushing it! Sophia’s eyes grew wide.
"D-Dad! Look!" Sophia stammered, pointing at the swinging swing.
Dad chuckled, "That's just the wind, Sophia."
But the wind wasn't blowing! Sophia watched in awe as the swing reached the top of its arc and then... SWOOSH! It swung all the way around the bar!
Sophia gasped. The little bird chirped loudly, flapping its wings excitedly.
"See! Haunted!" Sophia whispered to the bird.
Just then, the swing slowed down and stopped. It swayed gently, as if nothing had happened. Sophia stared at it, her heart pounding.
"Maybe it's a magic swing," Sophia whispered, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
She wanted to try it, but she was also a little bit scared. What if it swung her all the way around too?
The little bird chirped again, seeming to sense her fear. It fluttered down from the branch and perched on the swing's seat.
"Are you sure it's safe?" Sophia asked the little bird.
The bird chirped and bobbed its head. Taking a deep breath, Sophia climbed onto the swing. She held tight to the chains and kicked her feet. The swing started to move, slowly at first, then higher and higher. Sophia laughed, feeling the wind in her hair. She felt brave and excited.
As the swing reached the top, Sophia closed her eyes. She felt a funny feeling in her tummy, like she was floating. Then, she opened her eyes and gasped. The playground looked different! Everything was brighter and more colorful. The trees had friendly faces, and the clouds looked like giant cotton candy.
The little bird chirped happily, flying circles around Sophia's head.
Sophia laughed, feeling happier than she had in days. Moving to a new house might be scary, but she knew that as long as she had her imagination and her sense of adventure, she could make friends with any swing, haunted or not!
As the sun began to set, Sophia knew it was time to go home. She hopped off the swing and gave the little bird a grateful smile.
"Thank you for the magic swing ride!" she whispered.
The little bird chirped and flew back to its branch, watching as Sophia and her dad walked away. Sophia turned back to wave, a big smile on her face. She couldn't wait to see what other adventures awaited her in Columbus.
