Tom worked late at a small seaside café in Brighton. The sea was dark, and the wind was cold. He locked the door and walked to the car park with his bag on his shoulder. He felt tired but calm. Then he heard footsteps behind him.

He turned. A man stood near a blue car. The man looked nervous and kept checking his phone. Tom nodded and kept walking. The man did not move. The car park lights flickered. Tom felt a small chill in his chest.

When Tom reached his car, he saw a phone on the ground. It was black and new. He picked it up. The screen was still on. A message was open.

“Do not be late. Bring the file. No mistakes.”

Tom frowned. He looked around, but the man was gone. Tom thought the phone must belong to the nervous man. He decided to take it to the police in the morning. For now, he put it in his bag and drove home.

At a red light, the phone vibrated. Another message appeared.

“They are watching you.”

Tom felt his heart beat faster. He told himself it was not about him. Still, he did not like it. He did not answer.

When Tom arrived at his flat, he locked the door and sat on the sofa. He took the phone out again. The screen lit up with a call. The name said “Mark”.

Tom did not answer. The call stopped. Then a message came.

“Where are you? You are late.”

Tom typed slowly. “Sorry. Wrong phone.”

There was no reply for a few seconds. Then the phone rang again. Tom answered.

“Who is this?” a hard voice asked.

“My name is Tom. I found this phone in a car park,” Tom said.

There was silence. Then the voice spoke again, calmer now. “Thank you. You may have saved a life.”

Tom did not understand. “What do you mean?”

“You found the phone of a man who planned to do something very bad tonight,” the voice said. “Because he lost it, he cannot finish his job.”

Tom swallowed. “What job?”

The man did not answer. He only said, “Please leave the phone on a bench near the pier. Walk away. Do not look back.”

Tom felt scared, but also curious. He looked out of his window at the dark sea. After a short pause, he agreed.

He took his jacket and walked to the pier. The wind was stronger now. The lights on the pier were yellow and weak. Tom placed the phone on a wooden bench and stepped back.

Suddenly, the nervous man appeared from behind a post. His face was pale. He looked at Tom with angry eyes.

“That is my phone,” the man said.

Tom took another step back. “I was told to leave it here.”

The man laughed quietly. “You were tricked.”

Before Tom could move, another person came from the shadows. It was a woman in a dark coat. She held up a small badge.

“Police,” she said. “Sir, please step away from the bench.”

The nervous man tried to run, but two more officers appeared and stopped him. He dropped his head and said nothing.

The woman looked at Tom. “Thank you for bringing the phone. It helped us stop him.”

Tom felt his legs shake. “What was he going to do?”

“He planned to hurt someone at a public event tomorrow,” she said. “Now he cannot.”

Tom breathed out slowly. The sea sounded calm again.

“Can I go home now?” Tom asked.

The officer smiled. “Yes. And you did the right thing.”

Tom walked away from the pier with a light heart. He knew he would never forget the quiet phone or the night it changed his life.

---

Vocabulary Notes

Flicker
Meaning: To shine or move with an unsteady, quick light.
Example: “The car park lights flickered.”
Similar words: Flash, blink, shimmer, flutter
Extra example: The candle flame flickered in the cold air.

Nervous
Meaning: Feeling worried, afraid, or not calm.
Example: “The man looked nervous and kept checking his phone.”
Similar words: Anxious, uneasy, worried, tense
Extra example: She felt nervous before speaking in public.

Tricked
Meaning: Made someone believe something that is not true.
Example: “You were tricked.”
Similar words: Fooled, deceived, misled
Extra example: He was tricked into giving the wrong answer.

Shadows
Meaning: Dark shapes made when light is blocked.
Example: “Another person came from the shadows.”
Similar words: Darkness, shade, dimness
Extra example: The cat hid in the shadows behind the wall.

Swallowed
Meaning (here, emotional use): To take in air or react quietly because of fear or shock.
Example: “Tom swallowed.”
Similar words: Paused, hesitated, froze
Extra example: He swallowed before giving his answer.

Story written by ChatGPT.

Image created by ChatGPT.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

British short stories, learning English, English speaking, English speaking practice, English reading, English reading practice, reading English, ielts, ielts listening, English listening practice, listening practice, short story, story time,