Anna lived high on a mountain. She worked at an old weather station. The wind was always loud and the air was thin. It was a very lonely place, far from the nearest town.

One cold afternoon, Anna was cleaning the big radio room. Dust lay thick on all the old equipment. She moved a heavy, broken machine and saw something underneath. It was a small, metal box.

The box felt cold and heavy. It looked like a very old, simple phone, but it had no buttons, only a dark, blank screen. Anna was curious. She took it back to her small living room.

She put the metal box on her wooden desk, next to her hot cup of tea.

That night, Anna was reading a book when she heard a sound. It was a soft, high sound, like a quiet song. The dark screen of the box turned on. It did not show numbers or words at first.

It showed a strange, beautiful map of the night sky, full of bright stars she had never seen before. Anna put her book down. She watched the screen carefully.

Then, slowly, a message appeared in bright green letters. The message had only three words. “We are waiting.”

Anna felt a little afraid, but mostly she felt a great sense of wonder. She realized her lonely mountain post was the perfect place for this message. She felt a strong excitement and immediately began to work on the big, broken radio machine. It took her all night, but by sunrise, she had fixed the heavy machine.

She typed her reply into the little metal box: “We are ready.”

She pressed the single, smooth spot on the box to send the message into space. The star map on the screen flashed bright blue, a final signal leaving Earth. Then, the screen went completely dark and the box became silent, forever. Anna did not feel disappointed. Her mission was complete. She had listened, and she had answered. She simply poured a new cup of tea and watched the sun rise, a quiet smile on her face. Her world was still the mountain, but the silence now felt full of the answered message.

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Vocabulary Notes

Lonely (Adjective)
Definition: Feeling alone and sad, or a place where there are few people.
Example: “It was a very lonely place, far from the nearest town.” (This describes the setting.)
Another Example: After her friends left, she felt lonely in the big house.
Similar Words: Isolated, remote, deserted.

Curious (Adjective)
Definition: Wanting to know or learn something; interested in new things.
Example: “Anna was curious. She took it back to her small living room.” (This describes Anna’s feeling about the metal box.)
Another Example: The child was curious about the animal hiding behind the tree.
Similar Words: Inquisitive, interested, fascinated.

Wonder (Noun)
Definition: A feeling of surprise and admiration, usually caused by something beautiful, unexpected, or impressive.
Example: “Anna felt a little afraid, but mostly she felt a great sense of wonder.” (This describes her reaction to the message.)
Another Example: The tourists looked at the ancient pyramids with wonder.
Similar Words: Awe, amazement, fascination.

Machine (Noun)
Definition: A piece of equipment with moving parts that does work.
Example: “She immediately began to work on the big, broken radio machine.” (This refers to the radio equipment.)
Another Example: The factory uses large machines to build cars quickly.
Similar Words: Device, apparatus, equipment, mechanism.

Disappointed (Adjective)
Definition: Sad or unhappy because something was not as good as expected, or because something did not happen.
Example: “Anna did not feel disappointed.” (She was not sad that the box went silent, because she finished her work.)
Another Example: He was disappointed when the movie was cancelled because of the rain.
Similar Words: Upset, let down, sad, discouraged.

I am going to try something new, something different. I will ask you some Comprehension Questions from sections of the story. Please answer them using simple, complete sentences. Enjoy!

Section 1: Anna’s Life and Discovery

Where did Anna live and work?

What was the weather station like? (Use two words to describe the location.)

What did Anna find under the broken radio machine?

How was the metal box different from a normal phone? (Name two things.)

Section 2: The Message

What sound did Anna hear when the box turned on?

What appeared on the box’s screen before the words?

What were the three words in the message Anna received?

Why did Anna feel excitement, even though she was a little afraid?

Section 3: The Reply and Conclusion

What did Anna do all night until sunrise?

What was Anna’s reply to the message?

After she sent the message, what happened to the metal box?

Why did Anna feel complete, and not disappointed?

Story written by Gemini 2.5 Flash.

Image created by 1min.ai.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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