Max likes to go to the pool in the late evening.
He likes to swim there when the place is quiet.
But this evening, he hears something.
Something that should not be there at all.
This is a creepy supernatural story lesson plan that you can use in any English class.
It comes with many exercises, including:
- introductory questions
- a short story – The Squid
- reading comprehension questions
- essential vocabulary
- discussion questions
- a writing exercise
Take a look below and let me know what you think of it.
The Squid
Slow and steady.
That was how he took his strokes. Slow, strong strokes into the water. His hands cut a perfect, symmetrical line in front of him.
Methodical. Precise.
Max liked this place. He liked it in the evening. It was much quieter than during the day.
When he first started coming to the pool, he came just after work. It was too crowded. Full of screaming kids just out of school or families and everyone else.
Young guys trying to impress any girls watching by jumping off the diving boards and making a nuisance of themselves.
He then changed his time to as late as possible.
The pool closed at ten pm, so he arrived at nine. There were a few people still around, but nowhere near as many. Much more quiet and Max could get into his lane in the pool and swim with no interruption.
It was quiet, and he liked it that way. No one else in the pool.
To him, it was like a form of meditation. He would leave work feeling stressed out, as he always did. Go home and eat something light for dinner. No need for heavy meals when he was about to go swimming a couple of hours later.
Do some work at home after washing the dishes. No one to disturb him. He got a lot more done in two hours in the evening than he did for eight hours during the day.
It was all the interruptions. All the endless chit-chat and needless conversations. He didn’t like that at all.
But now in the pool, it was quiet. All he could hear was the hum of the lights above his head.
One. Two. One. Two.
Steady strokes with his arms in the pool. He had the pool all to himself. It was all his. It belonged to him.
“Fifteen minutes, Max.”
It was one of the lifeguards. They all knew him by now.
Every evening, they told Max how long he had left before he had to leave the pool. They trusted him. They could see he was a good swimmer and he would be no trouble to them.
One by one, the lights went out as the lifeguard turned them off. The switches made a loud clicking noise in the big space of the swimming pool.
Then it was as close to dark as it could get. Just the sidelights left on.
Max gave the lifeguard a wave as he reached the far end of the pool and watched as the lifeguard left via the staff door.
Max paused for a while and gazed at the surrounding water. It was all his now.
Outside, he could make out the steady drone of traffic.
He pushed away from the edge and continued swimming. Two more laps and he would be done.
Slow and steady, he made his strokes into the water, turning his head each time to the left to take in more air. He got to the deep end of the pool and in one movement dived under the water, turned, and kicked at the wall to propel himself back again.
For the final lap, he put more exertion into his strokes, kicked harder with his legs and within no time at all, he was back at the shallow end.
Max waded through the water to the steps out of the water. He climbed out and shook his head to get the water out of his ears.
He made his way to the changing rooms and opened his locker. He dried himself with his towel. He kept his hair very short, so there was never a need to comb it after swimming. It was just so much more convenient to have short hair.
A splash from the pool area. Like someone jumping into the water.
Max tilted his head to listen.
Again, another splash.
It couldn’t be anyone in there. The lifeguards wouldn’t allow it.
Or would they?
Max continued drying his body with the towel. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked for any missed messages from work. One from his colleagues asking about a file, another from a guy at work who had forgotten what time the meeting was tomorrow.
Then a louder splash.
And then, a smell.
It smelled of something earthy. It was an unpleasant smell, but not something chemical. A strong natural smell.
What was it?
And why the splashing?
Max dropped the towel on the bench in the middle of the changing room and stepped back towards the swimming pool entrance.
He couldn’t make out anything. It was too dark.
His hand rested on the wall of the entrance that divided the pool and the changing rooms. He slid his hand against the wall to guide him in the right direction.
There was a shadow moving in the pool. Maybe it was the water, maybe something fell in the pool.
Was there a security guard around? They couldn’t just leave the place empty.
Max stepped into the pool area. The big space seemed too quiet now. The sidelights were off. Someone must have turned them off after he left.
He got closer to the water and peered into the pool.
Then he saw it.
A squid.
Its body filled half of the pool. Its legs filled the other half. Max could make out one of the squid’s eyes, a large black inky mass that seemed as big as his body.
Max froze on the spot.
He slowly turned his head and could just about make out the squid’s tentacles slithering around by the side of the pool. Its large suckers, like huge discs, slid across the tiled surface. One tentacle was as far as the window. It wiped the entire surface of it with one stroke.
Then a splash and from out of the dark, a tentacle slipped out of the water and around Max’s ankle. It twirled around his lower leg and gripped fast with a strength that Max had never felt before.
He drew in a lungful of breath to call out, but he was too slow.
With a firm yank, the squid dragged Max into the water.
Use the audio track below to listen to the story. Now you can practice listening too!
The Squid
Reading Comprehension Questions
Who is the main character in this story?
Where is he?
What time is it?
What time of day does Max prefer to go to the pool?
Why does Max prefer the pool in the evening?
What four words are used to describe Max’s swimming style?
What bothers Max about swimming during the day?
Name the kind of people Max does not like to see in the swimming pool?
What does Max liken swimming to?
Describe his routine after work until he goes swimming.
How does Max feel about the interruptions and conversations during the day?
What does Max do after leaving work and before going to the pool?
Why does Max prefer to eat light meals before swimming?
What does the lifeguard mean when he says “Fifteen minutes, Max”?
Why do the lifeguards trust Max?
What happens to the lights in the swimming pool?
What sound does the switch make when the lights are turned off?
What can Max hear outside the swimming pool?
How many more laps does Max do after the lifeguard leaves?
What does Max do when he reaches the far end of the pool?
How does Max increase his effort on the final lap?
What does Max do after getting out of the pool?
Why does Max shake his head when he leaves the pool?
Why does Max have short hair?
What sound does Max hear when he is in the changing room?
What messages does he get on his phone?
What can he smell coming from the pool area?
What does Max see in the pool?
Describe the squid in the pool according to the story.
How does Max react when he sees the squid in the pool?
What reaches out to Max?
What does he do?
How does Max react when he sees the squid in the pool?
What happens to Max at the end of the story?
True or False?
Max prefers to swim quickly in the water.
Max goes swimming in the daytime.
In the late afternoon, the swimming pool is very crowded.
The pool closes at nine pm.
Max likes to do meditation in the swimming pool.
Max’s job makes him feel stressed.
Max prefers the company of others.
The lifeguards know Max.
The lifeguard tells Max he must leave the pool immediately.
Max swam the final lap very quickly.
Max has short hair.
Max hears a sound from the swimming pool.
Max receives no messages on his phone.
Max smells something strange.
He decides to call one of the lifeguards.
When Max goes back to the swimming pool, it is too dark to see.
He sees a squid in the pool.
The squid is very big.
The squid’s tentacles are all in the water.
Max is not afraid.
Add Your Heading Text Here
slow and steady | strokes | symmetrical |
methodical | precise | crowded |
screaming kids | impress | diving board |
nuisance | but nowhere near as | interruption |
meditation | stressed out | heavy meal |
washing the dishes | disturb | endless |
chit-chat | needless | hum |
lifeguard | trusted | clicking |
sidelights | via | paused |
gazed | surrounding | drone |
traffic | edge | continued |
laps | deep end | movement |
propel | exertion | shallow end |
waded | changing rooms | locker |
comb | convenient | splash |
tilted | allow | colleagues |
earthy | unpleasant | chemical |
dropped | bench | entrance |
divided | slid | guide |
direction | shadow | security guard |
peered | squid | inky |
mass | froze | spot |
tentacles | slithering | suckers |
huge | discs | tiled |
surface | wiped | entire |
surface | slipped | ankle |
twirled | gripped | fast |
lungful | breath | yank |
dragged |
Exercise
Write down all the words and phrases in your vocabulary notebook. Look in your dictionary and find the meaning of each word. Write the definition next to each word.
Then make up your own sentences using each word or phrase.
For example:
Slow and steady – consistent, effective effort leading to success.
Strokes – movements a person makes with their arms and legs when swimming.
Then write a sentence of your own that uses the new word or phrase correctly.
I just continued practising, slow and steady, and after one year, my English was much better.
I need to improve my stroke when swimming in order to get better.
Do this with all the vocabulary and, over time, this will help improve all your English skills – reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Discussion Questions
How would you describe Max’s swimming routine?
Why does he prefer swimming in the evening?
What kind of person do you think Max is? For example, is he married? Does he live alone? Does he like people do you think?
Why do you think Max likes to go swimming so often? What is it about being alone in the water that appeals to him?
Does Max have a regular life? What is so special about this to him do you think?
Why does Max liken swimming to meditation? Why does he need to meditate?
What activities do you find meditative or calming?
Max dislikes interruptions and chit-chat. Can you relate to this? How do you handle interruptions in your daily life?
What is the significance of the lifeguards knowing and trusting Max? How does it affect the story?
How does the author create a sense of suspense and tension as Max nears the end of his swim?
What clues does the story provide to suggest that something unusual is about to happen?
Why does Max feel compelled to investigate the splashing and the strange smell in the changing room?
What would you have done in his position?
If you were Max in this story and you heard a noise from the pool, what would you do? Would you investigate by yourself? Or call the lifeguard?
Describe Max’s reaction when he sees the squid in the pool. How would you have reacted in the same situation?
What do you think happens after the end of this story? What could the next scene be?
Why do you think the story has a squid as the unexpected element in the story?
What does the squid symbolise do you think? Is it something to do with Max and his life?
What might be the symbolic meaning of Max being dragged into the water by the squid?
Do you think the squid is a real creature or a figment of Max’s imagination? Why?
What kind of story is this? Is it science fiction? Fantasy? Or something else?
Could this story be made into a movie? Why/why not? Give your reasons clearly.
How did the squid get into the swimming pool? Is it real?
Have you ever had a similar experience where something unexpected happened while you were alone? Can you share the story?
How would the story be different if Max had encountered a different creature in the pool instead of a squid?
How does the setting of the swimming pool contribute to the overall mood and tone of the story?
If you were in Max’s position, what actions would you take to try and escape from the squid?
What do you think the ending of the story signifies? How does it leave the reader feeling?
Writing
This is a creative writing exercise.
Write the next part of the story. What do you think happens next?
Maybe Max escapes the clutches of the squid.
Or maybe he sees that it is just an illusion.
Or maybe the squid eats Max and the next scene could be the lifeguards opening the pool in the morning. What do they find?
Whatever happens next, try to write about it.
Read your story out loud in front of the class.
Or give it to your teacher for review.
You can download the full lesson plan by clicking the link below!
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Another interesting story for class discussion and additional activities. When Max was getting dressed I felt greatly relieved that he had escaped danger but after the tentacle swiped the window I was gripped again by what might happen to Max. It was probably good that the suspense was left in the mind of the reader, as it would have been too scary otherwise.
I like to leave the story in mid-air at the end. I think it creates more tension. Thanks for reading Leona. I hope other teachers and students like it too.