An art journalist meets a mysterious self-taught painter in a warehouse studio. A B1–B2 English short story lesson with reading questions, vocabulary and discussion activities.

The Gym Bros is a funny and encouraging B1–B2 English short story lesson plan about a nervous beginner who expects judgement at the gym but finds kindness, support and friendship instead.

The Ship is a supernatural sea story about Thomas, a young sailor keeping watch from the crow’s nest in the middle of the night. When he notices a mysterious ship approaching across the ocean, he is fascinated by its enormous size and beauty. But as the vessel draws closer, Thomas begins to notice something deeply

The Cats is a short horror story for English learners about Martin, a man who enjoys escaping from his busy working life by cycling in the hills with his dog, Tess. One afternoon, Martin discovers a narrow path he has never noticed before and decides to explore it. At first, everything seems peaceful. But when

Dad is an emotional short story about family, love, loss and the things we sometimes leave unsaid. When Ray arrives at the hospital just minutes too late to see his father, he is left thinking about their life together—and all the words he never found the courage to say. Set in Britain, this story provides

When the government announces a three-day nationwide power cut, Elijah’s first thoughts are all about work — the meetings he’ll miss, the commute he can’t make, the deadlines that suddenly don’t matter. But as the street outside goes quiet and his phone goes dark, a different kind of worry creeps in: one he can’t call

Gerald Coombe has spent thirty years being the most overlooked man in Bath. Then one wet October morning, an injured crow changes everything. At first, it’s just a curiosity — a bottle cap, a button, a few coins left on the doorstep as thanks for a piece of toast. But as more and more crows

Mac has been a milkman all his life, and he loves the early mornings — quiet streets, no people around, just him and the sunrise. He’s seen some strange things on his round over the years. But nothing quite like this. This is Forest Road, an original short story from the Fantastic Tales collection, written