Mr. Colin Briggs was not a man who usually took risks. He lived in a small flat, worked in the local library, and ate the same lunch every single day: a cheese sandwich, a packet of crisps, and a banana. But one Monday morning, something inside Colin snapped. He decided to live dangerously. He would try a new sandwich filling.
In the café near his work, he stood in front of the counter, studying the chalkboard menu.
“Can I help you?” asked Sandra, the café owner.
“Yes,” Colin said, feeling bold. “I’ll have… the Spicy Mega Chicken Deluxe.”
Sandra raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? It’s very… powerful.”
“I’m sure,” Colin said bravely, although his stomach made a nervous noise.
When he sat down with his sandwich, he noticed it was enormous. It was stuffed with chicken, jalapeños, chilli sauce, and something bright red that looked suspiciously like lava. Colin took a bite. His mouth immediately caught fire. His eyes watered, his face turned red, and he began making noises like a steam train.
Sandra appeared with a glass of milk. “Told you it was powerful,” she said.
After finishing—because Colin was too polite to leave food—he returned to work. But his troubles weren’t over. As he sat at the library desk, he felt a deep rumble in his stomach. He tried to ignore it.
Ten minutes later, the rumble became a roar. Colin jumped up, knocking over a pile of books. “Just stretching!” he told the other librarian, who looked suspicious. He hurried to the staff toilet. Unfortunately, it was occupied.
The next five minutes were a blur of polite coughing, pacing, and quiet desperation. When the door finally opened, Colin dashed inside.
Unfortunately again, he forgot to check the toilet paper first.
“NO!” he whispered dramatically.
Colin’s mind raced. He spotted a stack of unused library leaflets on the windowsill. They were advertising “Quiet Reading Week.” Well, they wouldn’t be quiet for long.
When he finally returned to his desk, pale but alive, he hoped his ordeal was over. But as he sat down, a little leaflet fluttered from his pocket onto the floor. A customer picked it up, sniffed, and frowned.
“Excuse me,” the man said to Colin. “This leaflet smells… odd.”
Colin laughed nervously. “Ah, probably the new ink. Very experimental.”
The man nodded slowly and walked away, clearly unconvinced.
From that day on, Colin returned to his cheese sandwich, crisps, and banana. Whenever he walked past the café, he avoided eye contact with Sandra. She, in turn, would simply smile knowingly.
And somewhere in the library, under a stack of dusty books, there is still a leaflet from Quiet Reading Week… with a story of its own.
Vocabulary Notes
Snap (verb) – to suddenly lose self-control or change behaviour, often after being calm or predictable for a long time.
From the story: “But one Monday morning, something inside Colin snapped.”
This means Colin suddenly decided to change his usual safe habits.
Similar words/phrases: lose it, break, crack, have a sudden change, reach a breaking point.
Example: After days of bad weather, Sarah snapped and booked a holiday in Spain.
Raise an eyebrow (idiom) – to show surprise, doubt, or mild disapproval, often without speaking.
From the story: “Sandra raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you sure? It’s very… powerful.’”
Sandra used this gesture to express her disbelief about Colin’s choice.
Similar expressions: look sceptical, give a questioning look, glance doubtfully.
Example: When I told my teacher I’d done the 1,000-word essay in 10 minutes, she raised an eyebrow.
Enormous (adjective) – extremely large in size, amount, or degree.
From the story: “He noticed it was enormous.”
Colin’s sandwich was much bigger than he expected.
Similar words: huge, massive, gigantic, gigantic, humongous.
Example: The dog brought in an enormous stick that barely fit through the door.
Ordeal (noun) – a very unpleasant and difficult experience.
From the story: “He hoped his ordeal was over.”
Here it refers to Colin’s uncomfortable and embarrassing situation after eating the spicy sandwich.
Similar words: trial, nightmare, hardship, suffering.
Example: Getting caught in a thunderstorm without an umbrella was an ordeal.
Flutter (verb) – to move quickly and lightly, often up and down or side to side.
From the story: “A little leaflet fluttered from his pocket onto the floor.”
The leaflet moved in a light, quick motion as it fell.
Similar words: float, drift, flicker, flap.
Example: A butterfly fluttered past my face and landed on a flower.
Knowingly (adverb) – in a way that shows you know something secret or have understanding of the situation.
From the story: “She, in turn, would simply smile knowingly.”
Sandra’s smile showed she remembered what had happened to Colin.
Similar words/phrases: with awareness, meaningfully, with understanding, shrewdly.
Example: When I mentioned chocolate cake, my friend smiled knowingly—she’d already baked one for my birthday.
Story written by ChatGPT 5 AI
Image created by Imagiyo AI
CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
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