Shadowing Practice: 4 True Chilling Horror Stories Animated - Learn English Speaking with Video
Les maken...
1
I met Christy in the last semester of my senior year at college.
2
She sat two rows ahead of me in a lecture that bored us both to death.
3
And one afternoon, she turned around with that half smile
4
and asked if I had the notes from the class that she'd skipped.
5
We started grabbing lunch after that.
6
Always her choice.
7
Always the same places.
8
Chicken nuggets or a plain cheeseburger.
9
Never anything with sauce that she couldn't identify.
10
I didn't think much of it then.
11
She was beautiful in a quiet way.
12
She was smart enough to finish my sentences about work bull.
13
And she laughed at my jokes like she meant it.
14
After graduation, we kept seeing each other.
15
We moved in together the next year.
16
And now our three -year anniversary is nine days away.
17
I've got a ring in a box under my socks.
18
I keep taking it out at night when she's in the shower.
19
turning it under the lamp, wondering if I'm about to make the biggest mistake of my life or the only one that matters.
20
The problem isn't new.
21
It's just gotten bigger.
22
Literally.
23
Christy eats like a ten -year -old who's been left alone with the freezer.
24
Chicken nuggets.
25
Pizza with nothing on it.
26
Grilled cheese cut into triangles.
27
Plain fries.
28
The occasional plain hamburger if she's feeling adventurous.
29
She says that textures make her gag.
30
Anything slimy or leafy or weird.
31
I've watched her push a single strawberry around a plate like it was roadkill.
32
In three years, I have never seen her eat a vegetable that wasn't a french fry.
33
She's put on weight steadily.
34
The kind that shows first in the face and then everywhere else.
35
Double chin when she laughs too hard thighs that rub when she walks, a belly that folds over the waistband of her sweatpants.
36
I still love her.
37
That's the part that makes me feel like st.
38
But I also catch myself looking at her sometimes and feeling this hot, shameful wave of embarrassment.
39
I started buying the family -sized bags on purpose about eight months ago.
40
I'd come home with two large pizzas instead of one and say they had a deal.
41
Or I'd leave a box of those giant frozen nugget bags on the counter like it was normal.
42
She never questioned it.
43
She'd just smile and say thanks like I was being thoughtful.
44
Some nights I'd cook myself something real, a pad thai from a good place or a steak with actual vegetables,
45
and she would sit across from me with her plate of microwaved nuggets
46
and ketchup telling me about her day while I tried not to watch the way the grease shone on her lips.
47
I told myself I was testing her.
48
If she really loved me, she'd at least try one bite of what I liked.
49
Well, she never did.
50
And every time she said no, something in me hardened a little more.
51
We went to the water park on a Saturday because she had seen a coupon online, and she thought it would be fun, something different.
52
The park was crowded.
53
Kids were screaming.
54
The concrete was hot under our feet.
55
She wanted to stick to the lazy river and the wave pool.
56
I pushed for the big enclosed tube slide.
57
You know, the one that twists through the dark and dumps you into a splash pool.
58
Come on, it'll be like being kids again.
59
She looked at the entrance, at the narrow opening, and I saw the hesitation.
60
But she followed me anyway.
61
She went in first.
62
I heard her voice echo back, nervous.
63
It's tighter than I thought.
64
and then nothing for a few seconds
65
and then a sharp panicked Jake I'm not moving Jake I'm
66
stuck the line behind us stopped people started craning their necks a kid somewhere said loud enough for everyone mom
67
that lady's too fat for the slide laughter rippled I stepped I looked closer to the entrance,
68
and I saw her silhouette wedged about ten feet in, one arm pinned, water still rushing around her legs.
69
She was crying already.
70
These short, ugly sobs that made her whole body shake.
71
The attendant at the bottom yelled up, Ma 'am, can you wiggle forward at all?
72
She screamed back, voice cracking, I can't!
73
It's squeezing me!
74
They shut the water off.
75
Two staff members had to climb the maintenance ladder and pry open a side access panel halfway down the tube.
76
It took almost four minutes to get her out.
77
When they finally pulled her free, she came out.
78
Her face was purple -red, snot and tears mixed, hair plastered to her cheeks.
79
The kids in line were still laughing.
80
Someone had their phone out.
81
I heard the little recording sound effect twice.
82
Christy wouldn't look at anyone.
83
She just kept whispering, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, while the manager wrapped her up in a towel and walked her to the first aid station.
84
I followed.
85
On the outside, I was the concerned boyfriend, hand on her back, telling the staff that, you know, it was fine, these things happen.
86
Inside, I felt this terrible, guilty relief flooding through me like warm water.
87
this was it.
88
This was the moment that would finally make her see herself the way that everyone else did.
89
She'd be too humiliated to keep living like this.
90
She'd have to change or she'd have to leave me.
91
And either way I wouldn't be the bad guy who dumped the fat picky eater.
92
We drove home in silence.
93
She stared out the window with her arms crossed over her stomach like she was trying to disappear.
94
When we got back into the apartment, she went straight to the bathroom and stayed in the shower for almost an hour.
95
I sat on the couch and I pulled up the video that someone had already posted.
96
Footage of the rescue.
97
Her crying.
98
The staff yanking her out while her body jiggled and folded in ways that made my stomach twist.
99
I watched it three times.
100
The comments were already rolling in.
101
Damn, she really got stuck, lol.
102
They need to put a weight limit on that thing.
103
I sent the link to my buddy, Mike, with a message.
104
This is what I'm dealing with.
105
I swear I can't marry this.
106
The McNugget Mammoth.
107
I thought she was still in the bathroom.
108
I didn't hear her come out.
109
She was standing behind the couch.
110
Give me your phone, she said, voice flat.
111
Christy, give it to me, Jake.
112
I handed it over.
113
She scrolled through the video history, saw all the three plays in a row, and then opened the messages.
114
Her thumb stopped on the text to Mike.
115
I watched her read it twice.
116
When she looked up, her face had gone completely still in that way that scared me more than the crying.
117
You sent this to Mike.
118
You called me that.
119
After what just happened.
120
I was venting.
121
It was a joke.
122
You know how Mike and I talk.
123
A joke?
124
You've been feeding me like a pet for months.
125
The extra pizzas?
126
The ice cream you accidentally buy?
127
You think I didn't notice?
128
I thought you were being nice.
129
I thought maybe you liked me this way.
130
Her voice cracked on the last word.
131
And the whole time you were just...
132
What?
133
Trying to make me so disgusting you wouldn't have to feel bad about leaving?
134
I stood up.
135
That's not fair.
136
I tried to get you to eat normal food for three years.
137
You wouldn't even try.
138
You act like a kid at every restaurant we go to.
139
I can't take you anywhere.
140
I can't cook anything I actually want to eat because you'll just sit there with your nuggets like some...
141
Like some what?
142
She asked quietly.
143
Like some fat loser you're embarrassed of?
144
I didn't answer fast enough.
145
She nodded, like she'd expected it.
146
And then, she went into the bedroom and started pulling clothes out of the dresser.
147
Not even folding them, just stuffing them into the old duffel bag under the bed.
148
I followed her, trying to find the right words.
149
The ones that would make this not my fault.
150
Christy, come on, we can talk about this.
151
The ring, it's right there in the drawer.
152
I was going to propose next weekend.
153
I still want to marry you.
154
She stopped with a handful of t -shirts in her fist and turned to look at me.
155
No, you don't.
156
You want a version of me that doesn't exist.
157
And you've been trying to punish the version that does.
158
She zipped the bag.
159
I'm not changing for you.
160
And I'm not staying so you can keep resenting me until you finally work up the nerve to leave.
161
She walked past me.
162
At the door, she paused, not looking back.
163
I hope the ring fits whoever you find next.
164
Someone who will eat sushi with you and won't get stuck in a damn water slide.
165
The door closed behind her.
166
I stood there in the quiet apartment for a long time.
167
I opened the sock drawer, looked at the ring box once, and then shut it.
168
I didn't open it again.
169
Two years moved like bad traffic.
170
I kept the job because the pay was decent, and I was too tired to start over.
171
Christy disappeared from my daily life, thank God.
172
And then, one night, I was scrolling, and I saw her on a mutual friend's story.
173
Different physique, standing next to my boss Steve at some charity thing that the company sponsored.
174
She was in a black dress that actually fit.
175
Waists snatched, arms toned, smile bright and expensive.
176
I didn't think much of it until the next Monday when Steve started riding me in every meeting.
177
New projects dumped on my desk at 4 .55pm.
178
Need to be on my desk by tomorrow morning, Jake.
179
Public critiques in front of the whole team.
180
Let's circle back, Jake.
181
Walk us through why this is two days late.
182
I knew that Christy had told him everything, the nickname, the video, the way that I'd kept buying the big bags.
183
Steve wasn't just being a moron, he was enjoying it.
184
Every extra hour that I stayed, every time that I skipped lunch to catch up, I could just feel him smiling behind his monitor.
185
I lasted four months before I caved.
186
I found her new number through a friend of a friend, and I texted like a coward.
187
I know you're with Steve.
188
Work is hell.
189
Can we talk?
190
She met me at a Starbucks near the office.
191
She looked like a different species.
192
She ordered a black coffee and sipped it without sugar like it was a personality trait.
193
I told her the truth.
194
I was drowning.
195
I couldn't sleep.
196
I couldn't keep up.
197
I asked her to talk to him.
198
She tilted her head, studying me the way that you study a bug that's already on its back.
199
Why would I do that?
200
Because you can.
201
And because part of this is my fault, and I'm sorry.
202
She laughed once.
203
You're sorry now that it's happening to you?
204
I'll talk to Steve.
205
I'll tell him to ease up.
206
But you're going to do something for me first.
207
I already knew I was going to say yes.
208
Eight months, nothing but the s* that you used to push on me.
209
Family size, everything.
210
No vegetables that aren't potatoes.
211
No salads.
212
No real food.
213
You eat like I used to eat.
214
You get to feel what you tried to turn me into.
215
I nodded.
216
My throat was dry.
217
She smiled.
218
Small and satisfied.
219
Good.
220
I'll text you when it's done.
221
Steve eased off the next week.
222
Deadlines became human again.
223
No more surprise 5 p .m assignments.
224
I felt relieved.
225
I went home and I ordered two large pizzas with extra cheese
226
and I ate both while the grease soaked through the box onto my lap.
227
The eight months were exactly what she wanted them to be.
228
I gained fast.
229
My face rounded first, and then my neck disappeared into my collar.
230
The scale stopped being something that I checked, and it became something that I avoided.
231
Clothes stopped fitting, and then the bigger clothes stopped fitting.
232
Walking to the mailbox left me winded.
233
Stairs became a special kind of hell.
234
Heart hammering, breath sawing, sweat pouring down my back before I even reached the second floor.
235
I stopped going out.
236
Dating apps were a joke.
237
Friends stopped inviting me to things that required moving.
238
I hated her.
239
I hated myself more.
240
When the eight months were up, I texted her again.
241
Short.
242
I did what you asked.
243
I can't live like this anymore.
244
Help me fix it.
245
She replied faster than I expected.
246
Okay.
247
Saturday.
248
Same water park.
249
Noon.
250
I should have known right then.
251
But I was tired and heavy, and the idea of getting smaller again felt like oxygen.
252
I said yes.
253
I found the cameraman through her public Instagram stories.
254
She had been posting glow -up content and healing -era videos for months.
255
Local guy.
256
Decent gear.
257
Trying to break into creator work.
258
Well, I met him in a parking lot two days before the meetup.
259
cash in an envelope.
260
Whatever she told you to film, you still film it, but you post it with the title I give you, and you don't tell her we talked.
261
He looked at the money, and then at me.
262
and then nodded.
263
Easy.
264
Saturday was hot and bright.
265
She was already there when I pulled into the lot, standing by the entrance.
266
She waved at the camera, the guy was already rolling, and did a little spin for it, laughing like this was the best day of her life.
267
I got out of the car in an old black t -shirt
268
that stretched across my gut and board shorts that rode up between my thighs.
269
My belly hung heavy and low.
270
folding over the waistband.
271
Every step made it jiggle.
272
I was already sweating.
273
She hugged me with the camera.
274
Hey guys, she said to the lens, voice bright and performative.
275
Today is about closure and growth.
276
This is Jake.
277
We have history.
278
And today, we're going to face one of the hardest moments of that history together.
279
I played along.
280
Let her lead me around the park.
281
I trailed behind, breathing hard, belly swinging, thighs rubbing raw.
282
People stared.
283
Some looked away.
284
I kept my face neutral.
285
Eventually, she steered us toward the big enclosed slide.
286
Same one.
287
I think it's time, she said, eyes sparkling for the lens.
288
We go in, we come out different.
289
I shook my head.
290
No. Come on, Jake, she said softly, just loud enough for the mic.
291
For me, it'll be healing, I promise.
292
I let her push me toward the entrance.
293
The second that her hand left my face, I grabbed her around the waist with both arms and yanked her in with me.
294
He yelped.
295
The tube was already narrow and we were moving too fast for the attendant to stop us.
296
My bulk and the sudden extra weight of her body sent us careening into the first curve.
297
We wedged hard about 15 feet in, her in front, me behind and on top of her in the cramped dark.
298
My belly pinned her back against the slick plastic.
299
Her arms were trapped.
300
Jake, get the hell off of me!
301
I can't!
302
I can't!
303
Breathe!
304
Move!
305
I knew the whole damn plan, Christy.
306
The vlog, the healing trip.
307
You were going to film me struggling, maybe getting stuck, and then post it as some big redemption arc for you, and, uh, oh, look how far he fell for me.
308
You are so dumb if you thought that I wouldn't figure that out.
309
She thrashed.
310
Claustrophobia had her now.
311
The tight walls, plus my weight, crushing down on her chest.
312
Help!
313
Help!
314
Somebody help!
315
I kept talking, calm.
316
I paid your cameraman.
317
He's posting this right now with a title that I picked.
318
Let's see.
319
Gold Digger X tries to trap her fat X in water slide for clout and gets trapped under him instead.
320
That's a nice ring, right?
321
She went still for half a second and then started sobbing and screaming at the same time.
322
The tube amplified everything.
323
I could hear the attendant shouting outside, feet on the maintenance ladder, the same side panel being pried open like last time.
324
They got us out the same way.
325
Four minutes of grunting and leverage.
326
When they pulled her free, she came out first, gasping, face blotchy.
327
I came after, slow and heavy, My shirt soaked and clinging to every roll.
328
The line of people had phones out again.
329
The cameraman just kept on rolling like we had paid him to.
330
Christy didn't look at me.
331
She grabbed a towel from a staff member and she walked fast towards the exit, the camera guy hurrying after her.
332
I stood there, dripping, breathing hard, and felt something settle in my chest.
333
The video dropped under the title that I gave.
334
Spread faster than either of us expected.
335
People love a reversal.
336
Old footage of her stuck two years ago resurfaced.
337
Comments poured in calling her a gold digger, a manipulator, a clout chaser who dated her ex's boss and then tried to publicly body shame the guy for content.
338
The fact that Steve was her boyfriend and I worked under him turned it into corporate drama catnip.
339
Screenshots of her old healing era posts got heavily ratioed.
340
Someone dug up the original McNugget Mammoth text that I had sent Mike and reposted it with laughing emojis.
341
Steve dumped her by text the next morning.
342
I know, because she forwarded it to me with no context.
343
Just the screenshot, and the words, F* you.
344
I didn't reply.
345
I quit two weeks later.
346
Just an email and a two -week notice that I didn't finish.
347
The apartment's smaller now that I take up more of it, but it's mine.
348
I don't climb steps if I don't have to.
349
I order what I want.
350
Some days, I still feel the shame, like a low -grade fever.
351
Most days, I don't.
352
Tonight, I'm on the couch with the biggest pizza they make.
353
Extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage, the works.
354
And a two -liter bottle of Coca -Cola.
355
The TV's on, but I'm not really watching.
356
My phone lights up every few minutes with new notifications.
357
People still tagging the video, commenting, sharing.
358
I take a bite that stretches cheese from the slice to my mouth, and I chew slowly.
359
Outside, it's raining.
360
Inside, it's warm and quiet.
361
I won.
362
Hey guys and girls, the best people hit the subscribe button before moving on to the next story.
363
the train from chicago to atlanta had been delayed twice already
364
my eyes were burning from staring at the same powerpoint slide
365
for the third time i was a sales manager three days on the road this trip two client pitches
366
and a convention booth
367
that still needed setup i had claimed the window seat in
368
the quiet car laptop open blazer draped over the seat back
369
because the heat from the vents made the fabric stick to my skin.
370
The man who sat down across the aisle, and then moved into the empty seat beside me after the first stop, introduced himself as Lucas.
371
Sales too, huh?
372
He said after glancing at my screen.
373
Tough.
374
You into the big conference, or just a client thing?
375
I gave the short version.
376
Client meetings, then home.
377
He nodded, like he understood the grind.
378
We talked about hotel breakfasts that were never hot, about rental cars that always smelled like someone else's cologne, about how the airports had gotten worse.
379
He asked if I was traveling alone.
380
Most people do on these trips, I said.
381
He said he was too, and then asked which hotel I was booked at.
382
I told him the name without thinking.
383
It was the chain that the company always used for per diem reasons.
384
He said that he might be staying nearby, and then he asked for my card.
385
I handed it over.
386
Networking was part of the job.
387
He gave me his in return.
388
Something about wholesale distribution.
389
We parted at the station.
390
I took a cab to the hotel.
391
I checked in, got my key, and rode the elevator to the third floor.
392
Room 312.
393
Thin walls, where you could hear the TV in the next room if it was loud enough.
394
I dropped my bag, kicked off my heels, and stood under the air vent for a minute, letting the artificial cold dry the sweat at the back of my neck.
395
I ordered a Cobb salad and a small bottle of wine from room service, turned on the TV to some courtroom show with the volume low,
396
Anne sat on the edge of the bed with my laptop balanced on my knees, half watching, half scrolling through tomorrow's agenda.
397
The phone on the nightstand rang.
398
The hotel line.
399
I picked it up.
400
Ma 'am, this is Sophia from the front desk.
401
Her voice was steady, professional, but there was something tight underneath it.
402
I don't think this man is your husband.
403
I'm calling because something feels wrong.
404
I sat up straighter.
405
Husband?
406
I'm not married.
407
What are you talking about?
408
There's a man at the desk.
409
He has your business card.
410
He says his name is Lucas and that he's your husband, that you're expecting him.
411
He wants a key to your room.
412
Says it's a surprise visit.
413
My mouth went dry.
414
I met Lucas on the train.
415
We talked for maybe 20 minutes.
416
I gave him my card because he asked.
417
That's it.
418
I didn't tell him my room number.
419
I didn't even tell him I was staying here specifically.
420
Sophia was quiet for a second.
421
I could hear the low murmur of the lobby behind her.
422
He knew the hotel name.
423
He knew your full name and that you were traveling for work.
424
He's been very insistent.
425
I told him I needed to verify before issuing anything.
426
He's getting agitated.
427
I stood up, the phone cord stretching.
428
Can you call the police? Or security?
429
I already have security on the way.
430
I'm going to keep him at the desk as long as I can.
431
I told him the key machine's having issues, that it needs to recalibrate or something.
432
Can you stay on the line with me?
433
Just until they get here?
434
Tell me what he looks like so I can make sure that we're talking about the same person.
435
I described him.
436
The comb over.
437
The way he had laughed a little too loudly at things that weren't funny.
438
Sophia listened without interrupting.
439
He's still here, she said after a minute.
440
He's talking to the other receptionist now.
441
I stepped into the back to call you.
442
He's very calm all of a sudden.
443
Too calm.
444
I could hear the tension in her voice.
445
My own heart was beating hard enough that I felt it in my throat.
446
I walked to the door and I checked the deadbolt and then the chain, even though both were already set.
447
The TV was still on.
448
I muted it.
449
He just handed her something.
450
Sophia said, her voice lower.
451
I can't see what from here.
452
I need to go back out there.
453
Stay on the line if you can.
454
Don't open the door for anyone.
455
The line went quiet except for the faint sound of the lobby.
456
I could hear voices muffled.
457
Then, Sophia's voice again, further away.
458
Sir, I need you to wait right here while I...
459
A few minutes later, a click.
460
The electronic lock on my door whirred.
461
I froze.
462
The handle turned and the door opened inward.
463
Lucas stood in the doorway with the keycard still in his hand.
464
He smiled when he saw me.
465
A slow smile.
466
Damn, he said, stepping inside and letting the door swing shut behind him.
467
the lock clicked again you got comfortable fast i like it
468
i backed up until the back of my knees hit the bed get out right now he didn't move
469
been thinking about you since the train he said his voice had dropped gone thicker the way you You smiled
470
when you gave me your card.
471
You knew what you were doing, didn't you?
472
Giving a man like me ideas.
473
I didn't give you anything, I said.
474
My voice came out smaller than I wanted.
475
Leave.
476
Security is on the way.
477
Security's busy.
478
Your front desk girl took $500 to make herself busy, too.
479
Funny how fast people get cooperative when you show them cash.
480
He took another step.
481
Come on, sweetheart.
482
We both know why you're really here.
483
Pretty girl, all alone in a hotel room.
484
You were waiting for someone to notice you.
485
You look even better like this, he said.
486
His eyes were glassy now.
487
I opened my mouth to scream.
488
The sound hadn't even left my throat when the pounding started on the door.
489
Police!
490
Open up!
491
Lucas's face changed in an instant.
492
The leer vanished.
493
His mouth twisted.
494
What the?
495
The door flew open.
496
Two officers came in fast.
497
A man and a woman in uniform.
498
Sophia was right behind them with the security guard.
499
Her face pale, but set.
500
They had Lucas up against the wall before he could even finish the sentence.
501
The female officer cuffed him while he cursed, calling me a b.
502
Calling the whole thing a setup.
503
They read him his rights.
504
He kept twisting, trying to look at me over his shoulder.
505
You wanted it!
506
You gave me the card!
507
You let me in!
508
I didn't say anything.
509
Sophia came over, her voice low.
510
I'm sorry.
511
I tried.
512
He slipped the receptionist the money while I was on the phone with you.
513
She gave him the key before I could stop it.
514
They took him out.
515
I sat on the edge of the bed for a long time after, shaking.
516
The salad was still there.
517
The wine had gone warm.
518
Later, after I gave my statement in the lobby, one of the officers came back.
519
They had searched Lucas' pockets and the small duffel
520
that he had left at the desk there was a cheap
521
gold wedding band still in its plastic packaging never worn there were three fake driver's licenses with different names and addresses
522
All with his photo.
523
And there was a small stack of business cards held together with a rubber band.
524
Women's business cards.
525
Mine was on top.
526
Underneath were others.
527
Some with dates and room numbers written on the backs in neat block letters.
528
One said, Denver, last March.
529
Another said, Phoenix Conference.
530
Seemed eager.
531
The officer told me Lucas had done this before.
532
The husband routine worked because hotels were trained to treat domestic claims differently than stranger requests.
533
A man saying
534
that he was surprising his wife with key didn't trigger the
535
same alarms as a random guy asking for a woman's room number.
536
Lucas had figured that out.
537
He followed women from stations or lobbies, learned their hotels, sometimes their room numbers, by watching or asking the right person,
538
and then pulled the act at the desk.
539
The cards gave him names and companies, and then the fake IDs let him bluff if anyone asked for proof, and the ring was for show.
540
The receptionist had taken the 500 in cash.
541
She counted it after Lucas went upstairs.
542
Some of the bills were fake.
543
Good enough to pass a quick look in a busy lobby.
544
Not good enough under real light.
545
That was why she called the police herself.
546
She was furious after being stiffed.
547
When they brought Lucas down in cuffs, she was the one who had pointed at the money and started yelling about counterfeit.
548
She came to my room an hour later.
549
I had just finished packing.
550
I didn't want to stay in that room another night.
551
She knocked, and when I opened the door, she stood there with her arms crossed, looking at me like I owed her something.
552
I saved you.
553
I called the cops.
554
You think that I wanted to lose my job over 500 bucks?
555
You should be thanking me.
556
I looked at her.
557
What do you want?
558
I asked.
559
She shrugged, but her eyes flicked to my wallet on the dresser.
560
I took a risk I could have gotten fired either way
561
a couple hundred would cover it for my trouble for looking out for you
562
I could have called the manager I could have told the police that she had accepted a bribe from a predator
563
but instead I opened my wallet counted out 220's and handed it to her
564
she took it without counting folded the bills smart, she said and then she left
565
i checked out that night and i took the first flight home the next morning
566
my company paid for it without asking any questions
567
when i got back to my apartment i installed a portable
568
door lock on my bedroom door you know the kind that wedges under the knob
569
i still use it
570
when i travel i keep my business cards in a separate compartment of my bag now
571
and i don't hand them out to men who sit next to me on trains
572
or planes if someone asks for one i say, I'm out.
573
Well, the police called a week later.
574
Lucas had been charged with criminal trespass, attempted fraud, and possession of counterfeit currency.
575
They were looking into the other cards.
576
Two of the women had already come forward with similar stories.
577
I don't know what happened to Kayla, the receptionist.
578
The hotel said that she was no longer employed there.
579
I filed a complaint about the security failure anyway.
580
They offered me a free night at their King's suite.
581
Pathetic.
582
I was 21 and working the evening shift at the little convenience store two blocks from my apartment
583
when she first walked in.
584
The place stayed open late for the neighborhood.
585
One night, a woman came in.
586
She looked almost ordinary from the far end of the aisle.
587
Mid -30s maybe.
588
Weird hair, a faded blue tank top and cut off jeans.
589
Up close the details went wrong.
590
Her lipstick was bright red and applied in a thick uneven smear that bled past the edges of her mouth.
591
Sometimes it was yellow, sometimes a harsh pink.
592
She always wore the same clothes
593
and she moved like someone who had just woken up in a place she only half recognized.
594
That first night she bought a 30 cent pack of gum
595
and held out a ten dollar bill i made change and handed it across the counter
596
she didn't blink her eyes locked on mine and stayed there wide
597
and unfocused while a slow grin stretched across her face
598
you're so pretty and beautiful i want to be like you exactly like you I managed a short laugh.
599
Thanks, here's your change.
600
She leaned closer.
601
You know I have a million dollars buried under the old bridge?
602
I'm going to marry Jennifer Lawrence next month and we're going to live in a big glass house on the moon.
603
The moon has oceans now, did you know that?
604
I'd tell you where I hid the money, but I have the power to keep secrets.
605
The power is inside my teeth.
606
If I open my mouth too wide, it leaks out.
607
She kept talking while I bagged the gum.
608
Something about a secret tunnel under the store.
609
Something about how the fluorescent lights were watching her for the government.
610
I nodded and said okay until she finally turned and walked out, still smiling.
611
I told myself she was just a weirdo, harmless.
612
She started coming in more often after that.
613
Sometimes she bought nothing.
614
She would step through the automatic doors with the same silent smile.
615
walk the length of every aisle without ever looking away from me
616
and leave again no words just the stare i mentioned her
617
to a couple of friends who work nearby they both said
618
the same thing creepy as hell i started carrying pepper spray
619
on my keychain one afternoon i was walking my dog along
620
the side street behind the store she stood behind a park sedan only the top of her head
621
and those unblinking eyes visible over the roof
622
when i looked directly at her she ducked down another evening
623
i sat on my second floor balcony with my ipad she
624
appeared on the sidewalk below cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted hey starlight you look so pretty today
625
the name landed wrong i had never told her my name i went inside and locked the sliding door her.
626
A week later, I was restocking the chip aisle when I felt someone behind the end cap, a soft giggling, whispering.
627
I turned and she bolted for the exit, bare feet slapping the linoleum.
628
I found her outside once more near the bus stop, once near the laundromat, once standing perfectly still across from the apartment building where I lived,
629
each time the same grin, each time that sensed
630
that she was measuring the distance between us i had had
631
enough one saturday night i was in my apartment my roommate
632
was working a double i had just pulled a towel from the closet
633
and was about to step into the shower
634
when i heard the front door open the sound carried all
635
the way down the short hallway a soft voice almost singing oh
636
so this is starlight's house my stomach dropped I crossed the bedroom in three steps,
637
opened my laptop, and angled the built -in webcam toward the doorway.
638
Evidence.
639
Then I grabbed my phone and stood with my back to the wall.
640
She appeared in the hallway light.
641
Her lipstick that night was the yellow shade smeared at one corner.
642
What are you doing here?
643
My voice came out sharper than I expected.
644
She tilted her head.
645
I...
646
I wanted to see if you were in here.
647
Do you have a phone I could borrow?
648
use the payphone outside.
649
I don't have enough money.
650
It's only 50 cents.
651
I don't have 50 cents.
652
Yeah, well you can't be in here, so go.
653
I stayed where I was, phone in one hand, the other hovering near the pepper spray on the dresser.
654
I heard the soft rustle of fabric near the laundry basket by the door.
655
When I moved into the hall, I saw her stuffing two of my sister's dirty t -shirts and a pair of my own shorts under her top.
656
Leave that alone, that's not yours.
657
She jerked the clothes free, dropped them in a heap, and ran.
658
The front door banked shut behind her.
659
I locked it, deadbolted it, then called the police with the webcam still recording.
660
Two officers arrived within 15 minutes.
661
They took my statement, watched the short video, and wrote down the description.
662
They said they would keep an eye out.
663
I spent the rest of the night on the couch with every light on and the pepper spray within reach.
664
She never came back into the store after
665
that the staring stopped the sudden appearances stopped a few nights
666
later walking home from a late shift i saw her one
667
last time she was on the corner under the street light
668
barefoot again dancing with a thin man in a sleeveless shirt
669
they turn in slow circles her yellow lipstick bright under the
670
sodium glow she didn't look in my direction i kept walking
671
weeks passed the police report sat in a folder on my
672
desk the webcam file stayed on my hard drive friends asked
673
if i was okay i said yes mostly
674
because the alternative was admitting how small the apartment had felt
675
for those first few days how every soft sound in the
676
hallway made my shoulders tighten i kept working the same shifts
677
the pepper spray stayed on my keychain out of habit more than fear.
📺 Zelfde Kanaal
✨ Aanbevolen Video
B29
108 zinnen
I married my best friend!
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
270 zinnen
The Unspeakable Horrors of the Deep Sea (ft. LindsayNikole)
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
215 zinnen
10th Kingdom Wolf & Virginia Part1
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B21
186 zinnen
Creepy Psychology Experiments That Actually Happened
IELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
201 zinnen
How Do You Heal From Trauma? | Unfiltered Stories
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B235
54 zinnen
shadowing
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B263 zinnen
Phil was upset that Claire was dressing him up#shorts
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B21
266 zinnen
They kept seeing a dead woman
High School StudentsUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
193 zinnen
3 True Motel Horror Stories Animated
University StudentsWorking Adults
B21
313 zinnen
我一直以為同事討厭我，直到她離職那天告訴我真相｜Learn English Through Story
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
283 zinnen
Friends - En Komik Sahneler #3 - Türkçe Altyazılı
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les
Deze video bevat 677 zinnen en 6053 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 39:59. De spreker praat in een natuurlijk tempo van ongeveer 151 woorden per minuut, dicht bij een alledaags gesprek. Slechts 79% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden, dus de woordenschat is pittig.
Belangrijke woorden in deze video
15 minder gangbare woorden uit de video, met uitspraak en betekenis:
- desk /dɛsk/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — bureau, schrijftafel. A table, frame, or case, in past centuries usually with a sloping top but now usually with a flat top, for the use of writers and readers. It often has a…
- slide /ˈslaɪ̯d/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — glijbaan, schuifaf. An item of play equipment that children can climb up and then slide down again.
- entrance /ˈɛn.tɹəns/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — ingang. The action of entering, or going in.
- tube /tuːb/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — tube. Anything that is hollow and cylindrical in shape.
- couch /ˈkaʊ̯t͡ʃ/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — bank, sofa. An item of furniture, often upholstered, for the comfortable seating of more than one person; a sofa.
- pepper /ˈpɛp.ə/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — peper. A plant of the family Piperaceae.
- heal /ˈhiːl/ (werkwoord) — genezen, helen. To make better from a disease, wound, etc.; to revive or cure.
- belly /ˈbɛli/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — buik. The abdomen (especially a fat one).
- fold /ˈfəʊld/ (werkwoord) — vouwen. To bend (any thin material, such as paper) over so that it comes in contact with itself.
- lobby /ˈlɑ.bi/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — lobby. An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.
- stare /stɛɚ/ (werkwoord) — staren. To look fixedly (at something).
- aisle /aɪ̯l/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — zijbeuk, vleugel. A wing of a building, notably in a church separated from the nave proper by piers.
- bedroom /ˈbɛdˌɹum/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — slaapkamer. A room in a house, apartment, hotel, or other dwelling where a bed is kept for sleeping.
- plain /pleɪn/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — vlakte. An expanse of land with relatively low relief and few trees, especially a grassy expanse.
- stomach /ˈstʌmək/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — maag. An organ in animals that stores food in the process of digestion.
Phrasal verbs die je zult horen
- come out /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ (werkwoord) — uitkomen. To be discovered; to be revealed.
- come on /ˌkʌm ˈɒn/ — kom op, kom aan. Come along with me; join me in going.
- stand up (werkwoord) — opstaan. To rise from a lying or sitting position.
- back up (werkwoord) — teruggaan. To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so.
- check in (werkwoord) — inchecken. To announce or record one's own arrival at a hotel, airport etc.
- check out (werkwoord) — onderzoeken. To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
- come back (werkwoord) — terugkomen. To return to a place.
- come over (werkwoord) — langskomen. To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse.
Uitspraak om op te letten
De spreker gebruikt 104 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals didn't, I'm, don't. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.
- De “th”-klanken: throat /ˈθɹoʊt/, breathe /bɹiːð/, thigh /θaɪ/, thin /ˈθɪn/, underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/
- De klanken “sh” en “zh”: sharp /ʃɑɹp/, possession /pəˈzɛʃn̩/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/, artificial /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.əl/, tension /ˈtɛnʃən/
- Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: ordinary /ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/, automatic /ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/, artificial /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.əl/, differently /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/, accidentally /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/
Zo oefen je met deze video
- Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
- Begin op 0,75× snelheid, spreek zin voor zin na en ga terug naar normale snelheid zodra het makkelijk gaat.
- Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als desk, slide, entrance.
Grammatica in deze video
De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:
| Structuur | In de video |
|---|---|
| Voorwaardelijke zinnen if + zin, will/would + werkwoord — een voorwaarde en het gevolg | If she really loved me, she'd at · if you thought that I wouldn't figure |
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — iets dat eerder begon en nog bezig is | You've been feeding · you've been trying |
| “Used to” used to + werkwoord — een vroegere gewoonte of toestand die niet meer klopt | used to push · used to eat |
| Lijdende vorm be + voltooid deelwoord — het gaat om wat er gebeurt, niet om wie het doet | been left · was crowded · were trapped |
Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?
Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.