It was a sunny day. Sarah went to the beach. She liked this beach because it was usually empty. She wanted to read her book and relax.

When she arrived, she saw that the beach was, indeed, empty. No people, no children playing, no dogs running. Just sand and the sea. Sarah smiled. This was perfect.

She put her towel on the sand near the water. She opened her book and started to read. The sun was warm, and the sea was calm.

After a while, Sarah looked up from her book. She noticed something strange. The sea was closer than before. Much closer.

The tide must be coming in, she thought.

She moved her towel further up the beach. She continued reading.

Another hour passed. Sarah looked up again. The sea was even closer. Now it was almost touching her towel.

She felt a little nervous. This is strange, she thought. The tide is coming in very fast.

She moved her towel again, much further up the beach. She looked at the sea. It was a dark, grey colour. It didn’t look like the same sea she saw earlier.

Suddenly, she heard a sound. It was a scraping sound. Like something was being dragged across the sand.

Scrape… scrape… scrape…

Sarah looked around. She couldn’t see anything. The beach was still empty. But the scraping sound continued.

Scrape… scrape… getting closer…

Sarah stood up. She felt scared. The scraping sound was definitely getting closer. But where was it coming from?

She looked out at the sea. The water was moving in a strange way. It was swirling around and around. Like a giant whirlpool.

Then, she saw something rise from the water. It was long and thin and black. It looked like… a finger. A very long, very thin, black finger.

Scrape…

The finger scraped against the sand as it came closer. Then another finger rose from the sea. And another. And another. Soon, many long, black fingers were rising from the water, scraping against the sand, moving towards Sarah.

Sarah screamed and started to run. She ran as fast as she could, away from the sea, away from the fingers.

Scrape… scrape… we are coming…

She didn’t look back. She just ran. She ran until she reached the road. She ran until she reached her car. She jumped inside and drove away.

She looked back at the beach in her rear-view mirror. It looked normal. The sea was calm. The sun was shining. But she knew what she had seen. She knew the fingers were real.

She never went back to that beach again. Every time she went near the sea, she remembered the scraping sound. And she remembered the long, black fingers rising from the water.

She knew they were still there, waiting. Waiting for someone to come to the empty beach.

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Vocabulary Notes

Empty:
Meaning: Containing nothing; with no people or things inside.
Example: “She liked this beach because it was usually empty.”
Explanation: In this case, ’empty’ means there were no people on the beach.
Similar words: Vacant, deserted, unoccupied, clear.
Example: “The classroom was empty after the lesson.”

Indeed:
Meaning: Used to emphasize a statement or response confirming something already suggested.
Example: “When she arrived, she saw that the beach was, indeed, empty.”
Explanation: ‘Indeed’ is used to confirm that what Sarah expected (the beach to be empty) was true.
Similar words: Really, truly, certainly, in fact.
Example: “Is that your car?” “It is, indeed.”

Calm:
Meaning: Peaceful, quiet, and without worry. (Also used for weather: without strong wind or rain).
Example: “The sun was warm, and the sea was calm.”
Explanation: ‘Calm’ describes the sea as being still and peaceful.
Similar words: Peaceful, tranquil, serene, quiet.
Example: “She felt calm after her yoga class.”

Tide:
Meaning: The rise and fall of the sea levels, usually twice a day.
Example: “The tide must be coming in, she thought.”
Explanation: Sarah thought the sea was closer because of the rising tide.
Similar words: Flow, current, surge.
Example: “We need to check the tide times before we go surfing.”

Nervous:
Meaning: Anxious or worried about something.
Example: “She felt a little nervous.”
Explanation: Sarah started to feel worried because the tide was coming in very fast.
Similar words: Anxious, worried, uneasy, apprehensive.
Example: “He felt nervous before his job interview.”

Strange:
Meaning: Unusual or surprising; difficult to understand or explain.
Example: “She noticed something strange.”
Explanation: Sarah noticed something unusual or odd.
Similar words: Unusual, odd, peculiar, weird.
Example: “I heard a strange noise in the garden last night.”

Scraping:
Meaning: A sound made by something rubbing roughly against a surface.
Example: “It was a scraping sound.”
Explanation: The story describes a specific, unsettling sound.
Similar words: Scratching, grating, rasping.
Example: “I heard the scraping of a chair against the floor.”

Whirlpool:
Meaning: A rapidly rotating body of water into which objects may be drawn.
Example: “Like a giant whirlpool.”
Explanation: Sarah observed the circular motion of the sea.
Similar words: Eddy, vortex, swirl.
Example: “The boat narrowly avoided being caught in the whirlpool.”

Rear-view mirror:
Meaning: A small mirror in a vehicle that allows the driver to see what is behind them.
Example: “She looked back at the beach in her rear-view mirror.”
Explanation: This is where Sarah observes the beach from her car.
Similar words: Back mirror.
Example: “Always check your rear-view mirror before changing lanes.”

Story written by Gemini 2.0 Flash AI

Image created by Techsmith’s Assets For Camtasia AI

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads

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