It is a cold night in Taunton. Mia works late at the town museum. She is the only person there. The rain hits the windows.

At 11 PM, Mia hears a noise. It comes from the old room. The old room is always locked. No one has the key.

Mia takes her phone and a small light. She walks to the old room. The door is open. That is strange.

Inside, Mia sees a man. He is tall and wears a black coat. He looks at an old box on the table. The box is open.

“Who are you?” Mia asks. Her voice shakes.

The man turns fast. “Give me the key,” he says.

“What key?” Mia says. “I do not have a key.”

The man comes close. “The dark key. It opens the box. It was here 100 years ago.”

Mia looks at the box. Inside, there is a small, old key. It is black. She did not put it there.

“I found it today,” the man says. “You cannot stop me.”

Mia runs. The man runs after her. She goes to the front door. It is locked. She remembers the back door. She runs to it.

The man is fast. He gets her bag. Mia falls. Her phone breaks.

She sees a red fire box on the wall. She hits it. A loud noise starts. Water comes from the roof. Lights flash.

The man stops. He is wet and angry. “The police will come now,” Mia says.

The man looks at the key in his hand. He runs to the old room. He puts the key in the box. He closes it.

“Too late,” he says. “It is done.”

Two police cars arrive. The police take the man. One officer talks to Mia. “Are you OK?”

“Yes,” Mia says. “But what is in the box?”

The officer opens the box. It is empty. The dark key is gone.

Next day, Mia goes back to work. The old room is locked again. On her desk, she finds a small black stone. She does not touch it. She calls the police.

The man is in prison, but the key is still lost. Mia knows she must be ready. The story is not over, but she is safe today.

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Vocabulary Notes

Shake
Meaning: To move quickly from side to side, often because you are scared or cold.
From the story: “Who are you?” Mia asks. Her voice shakes.
Example: My hands shake when I am nervous.
Similar words: tremble, shiver

Strange
Meaning: Unusual or not normal. Something you do not expect.
From the story: The door is open. That is strange.
Example: It is strange to see snow in summer.
Similar words: odd, unusual, weird

Lock / Locked
Meaning: To close something with a key so other people cannot open it. Locked means it is closed with a key.
From the story: The old room is always locked. / She goes to the front door. It is locked.
Example: Please lock the door when you leave.
Similar words: secure, shut, close

Angry
Meaning: Feeling mad or upset because something bad happened.
From the story: He is wet and angry.
Example: My boss was angry because I was late.
Similar words: mad, upset, furious

Safe
Meaning: Not in danger. When nothing bad can hurt you.
From the story: The story is not over, but she is safe today.
Example: I feel safe at home with my family.
Similar words: secure, protected, out of danger

Story written by Meta.

Animation created by Meta.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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