The streetlights of the city were watery blurs in the rain. Anna stood shivering under the awning of the bus stop, her eyes fixed on the empty road. It was already past midnight. The last bus was late, and an unsettling quiet had fallen over the usually busy street.

A man appeared from the shadows, walking towards her. He was tall, with his collar turned up against the cold. Anna clutched her handbag tighter. She tried to ignore him, checking her phone for a signal that wasn’t there.

The man stopped a few feet away. “Waiting long?” he asked, his voice low and calm.

“Not really,” she lied, looking away.

“The number 12 is often late this time of night,” he said. “I’m walking that way, if you’d like to share an umbrella.”

He held out a black umbrella. Rain pattered on the canvas above her, but she still felt the chill. “No, thank you,” she said quickly. “The bus will be here soon.”

He didn’t move. A feeling of dread started to creep up her neck. She thought about running, but where would she go? The bus stop was isolated.

“I insist,” he said, stepping closer. The light from a nearby shop window glinted on something in his hand. It wasn’t an umbrella. It was a knife.

“Now, Anna,” he said, his voice no longer calm. “Let’s not make this difficult.”

Her heart hammered against her ribs. He knew her name. How? She had never seen him before. She forced herself to think clearly. Her gaze flickered to the street, and she saw a flicker of headlights in the distance. The bus.

She took a deep breath. “Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice trembling but steady.

He smiled, a cold, humourless expression. “I’ve been watching you for a while. You always take this bus, don’t you? I noticed the way you looked at the poster for the museum on the platform. The one with your picture.”

Anna’s mind raced. He wasn’t a random attacker. He was a professional. The museum job. The missing statue. She had seen him a few days ago, on the bus, watching her. But she had dismissed it as a coincidence. Now she realised he was the one who had taken the statue.

The bus was closer now, its bright lights cutting through the darkness. The man shifted, his focus on the bus. That was her chance. She acted without thinking, reaching for her bag.

“I have it,” she whispered.

He stopped, his eyes wide with surprise. “The statue? Where?”

“In my bag,” she lied. She quickly unzipped the bag and reached in, her fingers wrapping around the cold, heavy canister of pepper spray she kept for emergencies.

The man stepped forward, his eyes on the bag. “Give it to me, now.”

As he lunged, Anna raised the spray and pressed the button. A cloud of spicy liquid hit him directly in the face. He cried out in pain, stumbling back, clutching his eyes.

The bus squealed to a halt, its doors opening with a hiss. Anna didn’t hesitate. She threw her bag inside and scrambled up the steps. The driver looked at her, his expression confused, but he saw the man on the pavement, doubled over and clearly in pain.

Anna sat down in the nearest seat, her whole body shaking. She watched the bus pull away, leaving the man behind. She was safe. The last bus home had arrived just in time.

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Vocabulary Notes

Shivering.
Meaning: To shake slightly and uncontrollably because you are cold, afraid, or ill.
Example: “Anna stood shivering under the awning of the bus stop, her eyes fixed on the empty road.”
Similar words: trembling, quivering, shaking.

Unsettling.
Meaning: Making you feel nervous, uncomfortable, or worried.
Example: “…and an unsettling quiet had fallen over the usually busy street.”
Similar words: disturbing, disquieting, worrying.

Clutched.
Meaning: To hold something tightly in your hand.
Example: “Anna clutched her handbag tighter.”
Similar words: gripped, held tightly, grasped.

Glinted.
Meaning: To shine brightly for a moment; to sparkle or flash. This often happens on a smooth, hard surface.
Example: “The light from a nearby shop window glinted on something in his hand.”
Similar words: sparkled, flashed, gleamed.

Scrambled.
Meaning: To move or climb quickly but awkwardly, often using your hands.
Example: “She threw her bag inside and scrambled up the steps.”
Similar words: hurried, clambered, rushed.

Story written by Gemini AI.

Image created by 1min.ai.

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