The city was a wash of orange and grey light as Arthur locked the main doors of the gallery. A quiet calm settled in. His shift was almost over, and soon he would be heading home. He worked as a security guard, alone in the modern art museum from dusk until dawn. Tonight, the only sound was the distant hum of the ventilation system.

He began his final patrol, walking slowly past the silent, colourful paintings. Everything was perfect. The paintings were in place, the lights were set, and the security cameras showed empty corridors. He was about to leave the main hall when he saw it. A small, dark mark on the edge of the large painting called ‘Urban Sunset’. He was sure it had not been there an hour ago. He knew every detail of every piece in the gallery.

He took a step closer, shining his small torch on the canvas. The mark was not a scratch, but a tiny hole. A tiny hole in a very valuable painting. His heart began to beat faster. He had to call his supervisor. He reached for the radio on his belt, but it was dead. He tried his phone. No signal. The gallery’s emergency landline was also silent.

A sudden, sharp sound made him jump. It came from the staff entrance at the back of the building. The sound of a key in the lock. Someone was inside the gallery with him. The only person who knew the gallery’s security systems and schedule was the man who had stayed just before closing, a smartly-dressed gentleman who called himself Mr. Grey. He had asked a lot of questions about the alarm system.

Arthur quickly moved behind a large, dark sculpture, his breath held tight. The door opened slowly. A man in a dark suit walked in, followed by Mr. Grey. They were not here for the ‘Urban Sunset’ painting. The man with the suit walked towards a different painting, a small, unremarkable one hanging in a dark corner. He took a small device from his pocket. He held it against the painting’s frame. A piece of the frame slid back, revealing a small flash drive.

They took the drive and left. The gallery was quiet once more. Arthur waited a full five minutes before moving. He then went to the dead radio and sent out a signal.

“Code 7. Two men. Black sedan, number plate C963 EFG. They have the data. The paintings were a distraction.”

A voice replied instantly. “We are on our way, Arthur. Great work.”

He smiled. He was a security guard, not a hero, but he had just caught a very clever pair of criminals. The art was safe. The real treasure was already in a police database, thanks to him.

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Vocabulary Notes

A wash of…
This phrase describes a large, often soft, covering of something, like light or colour. In the story, it paints a picture of the sky at a certain time of day, where the colours are spread out softly.
Example: “The city was a wash of orange and grey light…”
Similar words: a blanket of, a spread of, a haze of.

The hum of…
A “hum” is a low, continuous sound, often made by machinery. It’s a useful word because it helps to describe a quiet but constant background noise.
Example: “…the only sound was the distant hum of the ventilation system.”
Similar words: a drone, a buzz, a murmur.

Unremarkable
This word is an adjective that means not interesting or not special. It is used to describe something that doesn’t stand out from other things. In the story, the criminals chose this painting because no one would expect it to be important.
Example: “…a small, unremarkable one hanging in a dark corner.”
Similar words: ordinary, plain, typical, average.

Valuable
This adjective means something is worth a lot of money, or is very important or useful. In the story, the ‘Urban Sunset’ painting is described as valuable, which is why Arthur is so worried when he sees the hole in it.
Example: “A tiny hole in a very valuable painting.”
Similar words: precious, costly, expensive.

A distraction
A “distraction” is something that takes your attention away from what you are doing or what is happening. In the story, the damaged painting was used to make Arthur look at the wrong thing while the real crime was taking place.
Example: “The paintings were a distraction.”
Similar words: a diversion, a smokescreen.

Story written by Gemini Pro AI.

Image created by AI Magicx.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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