Lena worked at a small airport late at night. Her job was simple: check the gates, make sure all passengers had left, and lock the doors. It was usually quiet, almost boring. But one Thursday night, something felt wrong. The air was cold, and the building seemed too silent.

When she reached Gate 14, she stopped. The screen above the gate said “BOARDING NOW”.
This was impossible. No flights used Gate 14 anymore. The airline had closed that route years ago.

Lena tapped the screen, thinking it was broken. Then she heard footsteps behind her.
“Sorry, the flight is delayed,” she said automatically as she turned.

But no one was there.

She looked back at the gate. The doors slid open by themselves. A soft fog drifted out onto the floor. Lena felt her heart beat faster. She knew she should call security, but something strange pulled her forward, like the gate was calling her name.

From inside the fog, a figure walked toward her. It looked like a man wearing an old, dark coat.
“Are you… the gate agent?” he asked in a tired voice.

“No. This gate is closed,” Lena said.
The man lifted his head. His face was pale, and his eyes were empty, like glass.

“The passengers are waiting. We must board,” he whispered.

Behind him, more shapes appeared in the fog. Dozens of silent figures with blank faces. They moved slowly toward the gate, stopping only a few metres away from Lena.

She stepped back and tried to run, but the automatic doors locked. The man raised a hand.
“You must board as well,” he said.

Cold air wrapped around her like invisible hands. She screamed as the fog pulled her through the open gate. The figures closed in around her.

An hour later, security checked the area. Gate 14 was dark and silent. They found Lena’s radio on the floor, still switched on. The last sound recorded was a long, low whisper:

“Final call…”

Since that night, Gate 14 remains locked. But airport staff say that sometimes, late at night, the screen lights up again, just for a moment, and the word “BOARDING” appears with Lena’s name.

---

Vocabulary Notes

Whisper (verb / noun)
Meaning: To speak very quietly so that only one or two people can hear.
Example: “The last sound recorded was a long, low whisper.”
New example: “She whispered because she didn’t want to wake the baby.”
Similar words:
murmur (to speak very softly)
soft voice
quiet speech

Fog (noun)
Meaning: A thick, cloudy mist that makes it difficult to see clearly.
Example: “A soft fog drifted out onto the floor.”
New example: “The car moved slowly because the fog was very thick.”
Similar words:
mist
haze
vapour

Figure (noun)
Meaning: A person seen from a distance or in a way that you cannot see clearly.
Example: “A figure walked toward her.”
New example: “Tom saw a figure standing near the door, but he couldn’t see the face.”
Similar words:
shape
form
silhouette

Pale (adjective)
Meaning: Having skin that is lighter than usual; often used to show fear, illness, or something ghostly.
Example: “His face was pale, and his eyes were empty.”
New example: “She looked pale after she heard the frightening news.”
Similar words:
colourless
white
washed-out

Drift (verb)
Meaning: To move slowly and smoothly, often through air or water, without control.
Example: “A soft fog drifted out onto the floor.”
New example: “The boat drifted across the lake with the wind.”
Similar words:
float
glide
slide (slowly and smoothly)

Story written by ChatGPT.

Image created by ChatGPT.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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