The Ghost in the Machine

6 years ago

Do you know any good ghost stories?  

This is a true story. I have made it as short as possible and given definitions for some of the more difficult words at the end.

I woke up during the night. I didn’t know why.

Then I heard my mobile phone ringing and I fumbled for it on the floor next to the bed. The name on the display was Sarah. But when I looked, Sarah was lying next to me, fast asleep. The phone rang again and displayed the same name.

She must have lost her phone and the person who found it was calling. I tried to answer it but missed the call again.

I decided to get up and go to the bathroom. As I passed the door to the office I could see a light shining under the door. I went in and found Sarah’s phone charging on her desk. The display was lighting up the room and it showed my picture. Her phone must have connected to the voicemail on mine.

I picked Sarah’s phone up and pressed the button to end the call. Before I could put it down, the screen lit up again and displayed the word “Home” and the phone in the office started to ring at the same time.

I went back to bed but struggled to get back to sleep.

Nothing like this ever happened again.


Ghost - spirit of a dead person, a supernatural being
True – right and not wrong - correct
During – at some time in a particular period
Mobile phone – cell phone, smart phone 
Ringing – making a sound to tell you there is a call
Fumbled – did something awkwardly – failed to catch or pick up
Display – where numbers and messages are shown on a phone or other device
Fast asleep - asleep, in a deep sleep
Lost – if something is lost, you don’t know where it is
Found – discovered by someone – often about a thing that was lost
Calling - phoning
Missed – failed to answer
Decided – chose what to do
Passed - went past , crossed the path of
Shining – sending out light (the sun is shining)
Charging – having the battery filled with electricity
Lighting up – making bright, shining
Showed – displayed
Connected – joined together
Voicemail – the answering service on a mobile phone
Pressed - pushed
Struggled - had difficulty, found it difficult