Det var en stille, kølig efterårsaften på det danske kollegium.

It was a quiet, cool autumn evening at the Danish dormitory.

Halloween festlighederne var i fuld gang.

The Halloween festivities were in full swing.

Loftet var dekoreret med spindelvæv og grinende græskar, mens lyden af musik og latter strømmede gennem de dunkle gange.

The ceiling was decorated with cobwebs and grinning pumpkins, while the sound of music and laughter flowed through the dim corridors.

Maja, som elskede at planlægge, havde gjort dette til den bedste fest på kollegiet nogensinde.

Maja, who loved organizing, had made this the best party at the dormitory ever.

Hun vandrede rundt, iført en heksekostume, og sikrede sig, at alle havde det sjovt.

She wandered around, dressed in a witch costume, ensuring that everyone was having fun.

"Kom nu, Anders," sagde Freja.

"Come on, Anders," said Freja.

Hun holdt sin ven fast i armen, lidt bekymret for, at han ville snige sig væk.

She held her friend firmly by the arm, a little worried that he would sneak away.

"Du bliver nødt til at komme ud af din skal."

"You need to come out of your shell."

Anders, klædt i en simpel vampyrdragt, følte sig akavet.

Anders, dressed in a simple vampire costume, felt awkward.

Han ønskede at være en del af fællesskabet, men det var altid svært at tage det første skridt.

He wanted to be a part of the community, but taking the first step was always hard.

Han havde bragt en af sine historier med sig, hvis han nogensinde skulle få modet til at dele den.

He had brought one of his stories with him, in case he ever gathered the courage to share it.

Da de gik ind i festlokalet, blev de mødt med et syn af glade ansigter og dansende skikkelser.

As they entered the party room, they were met with a sight of happy faces and dancing figures.

Stedet summede af liv.

The place buzzed with life.

Anders prøvede at smile, selvom hans nerver rystede i kroppen.

Anders tried to smile, even though his nerves were shaking inside his body.

Freja bemærkede hans uro og gav hans hånd et støttende klem.

Freja noticed his unease and gave his hand a supportive squeeze.

Maja spottede dem fra den anden side af rummet og vinkede dem over.

Maja spotted them from the other side of the room and waved them over.

"Hej Anders!

"Hey Anders!

Glad for at se, du klarede det.

Glad to see you made it.

Har du noget på hjerte i aften?"

Do you have something on your mind tonight?"

Hendes ord var venlige, og de gav Anders en smule mod.

Her words were kind and gave Anders a little courage.

Men han vidste, at menneskemængden var en udfordring.

But he knew the crowd was a challenge.

Da aftenen skred frem, blev musikken lavere, og folk begyndte at søge mod midten for at høre en historie.

As the evening progressed, the music got lower, and people began to gather toward the center to hear a story.

Maja gav Anders et opmuntrende nik.

Maja gave Anders an encouraging nod.

Anders, stadig klædt i sit enkle kostume, tog en dyb indånding.

Anders, still dressed in his simple costume, took a deep breath.

"Øh, jeg har en historie, hvis I vil høre," sagde han med en stille stemme.

"Uh, I have a story, if you want to hear," he said in a quiet voice.

Først var der lidt mumlen i mængden, men da Anders begyndte at tale, faldt der stille på rummet.

At first, there was a bit of murmuring in the crowd, but as Anders began to speak, the room fell silent.

Hans stemme blev stærkere, da han levende beskrev en mystisk skov og dets hemmeligheder.

His voice grew stronger as he vividly described a mysterious forest and its secrets.

Folk begyndte at lytte mere opmærksomt.

People started to listen more attentively.

Øjnene, der først var på deres telefoner, vendte sig mod ham.

Eyes that were initially on their phones turned toward him.

Anders kunne ikke tro det - de lyttede virkelig.

Anders couldn't believe it - they were really listening.

Han fortsatte med passion, hans hænder bevægede sig for at understøtte hans ord.

He continued with passion, his hands moving to support his words.

Da historien sluttede, brød rummet ud i klapsalver.

When the story ended, the room erupted in applause.

Anders rødmede, men han følte en varm glød indeni.

Anders blushed, but he felt a warm glow inside.

Flere af dem kom hen til ham bagefter, udtrykte deres begejstring og spurgte om flere historier.

Several came up to him afterward, expressing their excitement and asking for more stories.

Maja klappede ham på skulderen.

Maja patted him on the shoulder.

"Det var fantastisk, Anders!"

"That was amazing, Anders!"

Freja smilede og sagde: "Det vidste jeg, du kunne."

Freja smiled and said, "I knew you could do it."

Den aften forlod Anders festen som en del af noget større.

That night, Anders left the party as part of something bigger.

Han havde overvundet sin frygt og havde plantet frøene til nye venskaber.

He had overcome his fear and planted the seeds for new friendships.

Han indså, at hans fortællinger havde en plads i verdenen, og at han selv havde mere at tilbyde, end han nogensinde havde troet.

He realized that his stories had a place in the world and that he himself had more to offer than he had ever thought.