The Hum Behind the Wall
A free A1-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
A strange hum wakes Ren up on the first night in a new apartment, and the building manager has a very ordinary explanation.
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Ren moves into a new apartment this month. The rooms are small but bright and clean. Ren likes the quiet street outside. Ren unpacks boxes all afternoon. By evening, every shelf holds its own books.
On the first night, Ren hears a strange hum. It comes from somewhere behind the bedroom wall. The hum starts at exactly ten o'clock.
Ren sits up and listens carefully. The sound is low and steady. It stops again at eleven o'clock.
The next night, the hum returns right on time. Ren cannot sleep and feels a little uneasy. Ren begins to imagine strange, silly things.
In the morning, Ren asks the building manager. "Do you know about a hum in the walls?" Ren asks.
The manager laughs and shakes his head no. "That is just the old water heater," he says. "It turns on every night at ten. The heater sits right behind your bedroom wall."
"That explains it," Ren says, relieved. "I thought something strange lived in there."
The manager smiles. "The heater is very old. We plan to replace it next year."
That night, the hum starts again at ten. This time, Ren smiles instead of worrying. Ren even taps the wall twice, like a greeting. Ren makes tea and reads on the couch. The steady hum feels like a friendly neighbor now.
